Page 11 of A Beast Captured My Heart

“Quanna girl, baby daddy is fine as ever! I see why you be wilding. I would too,” a light skin chick spoke boldly as she popped a lollipop out her mouth and held it in her hand openly checking Praise out.

“Girl, come on. Let’s go to the kitchen. I got the munchies.”

Laquanna brushed it off and walked off with Mattea on her hip. She didn’t even acknowledge me after that, which was fine with me. I stood to my feet and stretched as I grabbed up my purse and phone from the couch.

“Well, thanks. I enjoyed my day with Mattea. I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”

Nodding his head, he walked me to the door. He was so close to me. I felt nervous walking in front of him. When I made it to the door, we stood almost nose to nose. I almost hated the fact that I even turned around. I could smell the fresh mint on his breath as he smiled at me knowingly.

“You do know that you’re pretty as fuck right?”

He asked me with questioning eyes, my own eyes dropped to the floor. Sometimes I knew it but most of the time I questioned it. I barely accepted my own scars at times so I was understanding if a man didn’t like them or thought I was ugly. I could speak up for myself. I didn’t let anyone treat me any type of way. When it came down to loving myself fully and telling myself I was pretty, I had it hard doing so. Truth was, I used to feel like the baddest plus-size woman in America. When I got into that car accident, it changed so much in me. I went through my bitter stages when I was in the hospital for three months. When I got out, I was even more bitter. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror without feeling shameful of my scars. I knew it was my fault for my irresponsibility of drinking but I also blamed God sometimes. I went from having a beautiful face that was acne-free, to one side with scars. I prayed for forgiveness every night for the way I thought about it. I wanted to love myself fully and accept all my flaws but struggled with it.

“Praise, you’re my boss, and I respect you. I don’t know if you’re flirting with me or trying to be funny. I know you see how I look. Furthermore, I would appreciate if we kept things professional ‘cause even if you did like me or found me attractive, I would never mess with your type.”

With that, I turned on the balls of my feet and walked away before he could respond. Hopefully, that would make him stop whatever stupid games he was trying to play with me. I was there to collect and stack up some checks, nothing more nothing less or so I thought.

Chapter Seven

BEAST

“Alright so you can buy into this last big investment, and the Feds would never even think about looking into you.”

Don my accountant sat at the big oak table running down numbers as I jotted down notes every now and then. My mission was to clean all of my money to the point where I never had issues when it came to the Feds. Unlike a lot of niggas, I had dreams of getting out of the game. I would hand it over to whoever I saw fit. First, I wanted to make sure all the restaurants, gyms clubs, and now the real estate companies that I was about to start from the ground up were done. I wanted all those things to bring in at least to close of what the drug game brought in for me yearly. I was paid and I do mean paid by the long way. I had money buried, money in different accounts and safes that I never spoke upon with anyone but God. I trusted no one when it came to my money.

“Buy the property and get a lineup of some good agents that would like to come work for my company. We will make a blueprint of how everything needs to be ran by next week. In the meantime, I’ll think of some things as well. That’s a good look.”

I felt good today. Everything was working out in my favor. I was closer to my dreams and that always put me in a very good mood. I had shit running smooth and that was a plus.

“Most definitely. This is going to be a good look.”

His phone pinged as he looked down at it and smiled. I never was the nosey type but curiosity did get the best out of me.

“What got your goofy ass smiling nigga?”

He chuckled as he showed me the phone. My mouth formed into an O as I looked a little too long at the picture before me. Kayori had a red sheer mini dress on with red heels. I forgot I even put this nigga on her to watch and get to know her.

“I'm taking her out tonight. Hopefully, I get to smash! You see how good her ass looks with makeup?”

He was a shallow ass nigga like Teflon.

“Dead that,” I spoke seriously surprising myself. I felt like Kayori was delicate as fuck. Without having to tell me, I knew she had been through some tragic type of shit like myself. I put myself in her shoes and knew what it felt like to go through some rough shit that you refused to talk about.

“Nigga what?” He asked confused and disappointed at the same time. Challenging me was the wrong move. Challenging a nigga like me is what put a lot of niggas like Don in their grave.

“Nigga you heard me! I said dead that shit. As a matter of fact, give me your phone,” I stated the shit nonchalantly but was dead serious. Time was ticking and patience is something I didn’t have.

“Nigga I ain't your bitch. Fuck out of here.”

Kill this pussy ass nigga! He's disrespecting you! Teach him a fucking lesson now, Beast!

I haven’t heard that stupid ass voice for two days since my encounter with Kayori, now Don was triggering me. Another reason to piss me off. I pulled out my gun and placed it on my desk. I stroked it, never fully letting it go.

“I ain't gon’ ask you again nigga.”

His pride was hurt, that was too bad. I was his boss, not the other way around. He handed that phone over as he mumbled shit. If that voice wasn’t fucking with me, I probably would have pistol-whipped his ass to death. I went to the message, screenshotted the picture then sent it to myself. After that, I took a couple more screenshots of the conversation. It had her address and the time she would be ready for their so-called date. I sent that to my phone as well. I blocked her number then deleted it out of his phone along with the picture, then handed it back to him satisfied.

“Come on Praise! She's a cool chick. I was lowkey feeling her.”