Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
With a quiet chuckle, I stood and clapped our business manager on the shoulder, making sure to tighten my grip just long enough for him to remember who the fuck I was before leaving Joren’s office without a word spoken.
Yeah, Hudson had book smarts, but streetwise, he was as green as they came. It was the only explanation for why he thought he and his bow tie could check me and get away with it.
Feeling my stomach growl and remembering I’d skipped breakfast and was still hours away from eating lunch, I headed to the lobby to grab a snack from the mini bar.
And to see if that new receptionist had shown her fucking face yet.
“Sir, I’m sorry you aren’t happy with your service,” Tuesday said as soon as I stepped foot in the lobby, “but you’re still required to pay your bill to retrieve your car.”
Looming at the counter was this Mannie Fresh lookalike who, judging by the girth of his stomach, must have eaten grown men whole for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I gritted my teeth and forced my feet in the direction of the snackbar.
Contrary to what Hudson thought, I wasn’t some unhinged lunatic. I was perfectly aware that a room full of paying customers meant I wasn’t the best person to step in and handle the situation. Tuesday could usually hold her own, so I would merely observe for now and step in only if—
“Bitch, I don’t care if you’re sorry!” he roared while pounding his meaty fists on the counter and making Tuesday’s pale when she jumped. “I want my car! I’m not paying for shit!”
Upon hearing that, I swiftly changed directions and made a beeline for the reception desk.
“Sir, if you can’t calm down, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere without my whip,” Mannie Fresh threatened.
“Then I’ll have to call the cops.”
“Put that down,” I told Tuesday when she reached and lifted the phone receiver.
I could see the relief in her blue eyes when she saw me approaching. Obediently, she replaced the phone on the hook. The last thing I needed was IPD swarming my place of business.
Mannie, the killer whale, was looking me up and down now as I accepted his paperwork from Tuesday.
“Who is you?” he spat, violence brewing from underneath all that blubber.
“One of the owners,” I absently replied, eyes still glued to his paperwork. Only once I was done reading it over did I give Mr. Desmond Miller my full attention. “What’s the problem?” I asked civilly.
All right, so maybe Hudson’s words had penetrated a little.
“Like I told her,” Miller spat, “my car was supposed to be ready a week ago, and since it wasn’t, I feel like I shouldn’t have to pay. Feel me?”
Hearing the subtle threat, I slowly smiled. “Yeah, I feel you.”
Mr. Miller had conveniently left out why his repairs were finished late.
He didn’t have insurance.
Per our policy, he needed to pay twenty percent of the repair costs up front. It had taken three weeks and several phone calls before we finally received only half of the required deposit.
I remembered it distinctly because it had been my call to give a fellow Black man a break and had given Kane, the only other experienced mechanic besides myself and my partners, the okay to start his repairs anyway.
Miller looked pretty smug when I handed the file back to Tuesday without argument. I discretely looked around, noticed all the curious eyes pointed in our direction, and tapped Miller on his titty. “Walk with me,” I said, nodding toward the door. “We’ll discuss this outside.”
Shrugging, he followed me outside with confidence in every step, and I could feel why. The ground literally shook with every step the mammoth took.
Slipping my hands inside the pockets of my long-sleeved overalls, I led him down the short paved path toward the side of the building and through the pedestrian gate. Adjacent to the building were a handful of parking spaces designated for cars ready to be picked up, and a dumpster, which sat closer to the back of the building where the employee parking lot was.
“Oh, shit…” I held my fist to my mouth and grinned when I spotted the glossy candy-red slab—which meant a car that was slow, loud, and banging. It even had chrome swangas that were cone-like twenty-inch rims that stuck out like an elbow. “This you?” I looked over my shoulder in time to see Woolly Mammoth grin.
“Yeah, that’s me,” he boasted proudly. “That’s my baby.”
I nodded in silent approval as I walked around the heavily modified Buick. “She’s real nasty!” I praised it after I had finished checking it out. Whirling around, I finally let my smile drop. “It’s too bad you didn’t pay your bill, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you ain’t never getting your bitch back.”