“When I told her you guys hooked up, it made her real mad. It was all she talked about. She wanted me to do more stuff more often.” AJ shook his head. “I didn’t wanna do none of it. I don’t even know the lady, but … I love Sabrina.” Tears rimmed his battered eyes. “What are you gonna do to me?”
Smokey gazed at the sniveling, beaten, lovesick fool. “What did the bitch hope to gain by all this?”
“She wanted her to go back to Denver. I told her it wouldn’t work, but she couldn’t see nothing through her hate. I was supposed to do a lot more shit, but I felt sorry for Ashley, so I told Sabrina I did everything she told me to do. I didn’t mean to do it, honest.” His voice hitched on the last word.
“You meant it, or you wouldn’t have done it. Stop being a fuckin’ pussy and man the fuck up. Whatever the reason why you did shit to my woman is different from the fact that you did it. You had a choice, dude, and you made the wrong decision.”
Fear crossed AJ’s face. “What are you going to do to me?”
“Beat your ass.”
His eyes widened. “Didn’t you already do that?”
“Nah—that was just a preview.”
“I’ll never do anything to the lady again. I won’t even look at her. If she’s on the same street as me, I’ll cross it, I swear. I’m done with all this shit, even if Sabrina don’t wanna see me no more. Please, Smokey. I’ll apologize … I’ll do anything.”
“What you’re gonna do is take your punishment like a man.” Smokey pulled out his cell phone and tapped in Rusty’s number.
A small gasp slipped through AJ’s bleeding lips. “Who are you calling?”
“Someone to dump your ass at home after I’m done with you.”
“Whatcha need?” Rusty answered.
“Come to 14789 Lodge Pole Circle. I’m gonna need you to take a pussy’s ass to …” He snapped his fingers at AJ.
“Adams Street, 2645. I’m in apartment 18,” he mumbled.
Smokey repeated the address to the prospect, then ended the call. AJ clung to the edge of Ashley’s car as if it would somehow protect him from Smokey’s wrath.
For a long while, Smokey stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the person who’d caused Ashley so much fear and grief. He’d rough him up—nothing major, but enough for the asshole to learn his lesson. AJ would have a broken nose, maybe a rib or two, and his face would look like something out of a horror movie, but he’d be okay in about a week, ten days at most. He knew where to hit, and how to maximize, or minimize, the damage.
Cool and collected, he rubbed his hands together, clenching them as he walked toward AJ. Trembling, AJ covered his face with his hands. Smokey lifted his fist and threw the first punch.
Smokey washed the blood off his hands with the hose, then rinsed down the garage’s floor before going back inside the house. The minute he turned off the alarm, Ashley came rushing toward him, crying, “You’re safe! Thank God you’re safe.”
Wrapping his arms around her, he peppered kisses across her face before pressing his lips to hers.
“I was freaking out. I thought something happened to you.” Burying her face in his chest, he threaded his fingers through her hair.
“I had to deal with the fucker who’s been harassing you.”
She looked up at him. “You found the man?”
“Yeah. It was Sabrina’s boyfriend, AJ.”
Confusion etched her features. “AJ? I don’t know him. Why would he want to do those things to me?”
“The bitch put him up to it.”
“Sabrina? I can’t believe it. I know she doesn’t like me—that was obvious from day one—but to have her boyfriend scare me and do damage to my car is crazy.”
“She’s a crazy bitch.”
“And in love with you. I can’t believe how far a woman’s jealousy will take her. Every time she sees me, she asks when I’m going back home, but I never put two and two together.”
“I didn’t know she was asking you that. I wish you would’ve told me sooner about what was going on. I could’ve prevented some of this.”
“So Jeffrey was never involved?”
“No. This shit was all Sabrina’s doing.”
“David and the cops were right all along. I’m relieved Jeffrey had nothing to do with any of this, because it tells me he’s moved on with his life. I do wish him the best.”