Page 71 of Quasim II: King Inferno

When he looked up, he didn’t see me. He was focused on Synthia, who was waving to another man in the bar. He kept waving her over there, and she was politely declining while holding onto my arm.

Havoc was a gentle giant and I never truly saw him get out of character unless he was handling business. The way this man’s face looked as he waited for homie’s eyes to lock with him, told me that he didn’t want smoke with him.

The man quickly dropped the cat call, and we made our way over toward the bar. “Hey Hav… where’s Simmy?” I asked.

Everyone was home, so I was wondering what business he was handling that didn’t involve any of the Gods to be with him.

He nodded. “What up, Queen? He had to handle something… he’ll be back soon.”

You trust him, Blair. You trust him. I had to continue to tell myself, as I looked at Havoc who knew I was silently crashing out already.

“Hey beauties… I’m Kobe, nice to meet you.” He shot a stank eye at Havoc. “That is how you introduce people.”

The tanned, light-skin man had beautiful curly hair pulled up into a bun, and he wore a silky tank top with a pair of ripped jeans and cowboy boots. His body was covered in tattoos, and his eyebrows were perfectly arched.

Everything about him, from the way he spoke to how he nonchalantly moved his hands as he spoke, told me that he was undeniably gay. “Blair and Syn, this is my best friend, Kobe.” Havoc finally introduced us.

“Aren’t you both so beautiful… sit down.” He encouraged us to sit in the two empty stools next to him. “Syn, what is that short for?”

“Synthia.”

His eyes widened along with his eyebrows. “Synthiaaa,” it rolled off his tongue like a favorite salsa song.

“What you drinking, Syn?” Havoc asked, ignoring his extra best friend.

“Best friend? You have a gay best friend… you are interesting.” Synthia said exactly what I was thinking.

Havoc didn’t speak too much on his personal life outside of being an Inferno God. To find out that his best friend was gay was shocking to me. “We’ve been friends since the third grade… he beat up the boys that used to call me little Richard, and I used to talk slow so he could read my lips, so he knew what they were saying… been locked in ever since, right Hams.”

“Hams?” I asked.

“His name is Hamza… so I call him Hams.”

I smiled at him. “I’m learning so much about you.”

Kobe extended his hand, and he and Havoc did a handshake as he poured another drink. “I love that for you both… I’m learning a lot about you. So, I figured out a space you can do my tattoo.”

Kobe looked from me to Havoc and then smiled before he started signing to Havoc excitedly.

“You be talking about me, Hamza?” Syn smirked as she leaned forward on the bar staring up at him.

I could have sworn I saw this man blush. “Bitchhh, you know sign language?”

Syn laughed. “Yes. Both me and my sister know it because our aunt was born deaf.”

“Havoc, you left that part out.”

“Should have left a lot more out with your big ass mouth.” He pushed two drinks toward me and Synthia.

I waved for Havoc to lean forward. “I’m pregnant… can’t drink.”

Havoc pulled back and smiled, holding his hand out. “Congratulations… damn, I’m happy as fuck for you both.”

“Thanks, Havoc… can you do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Tell me where my man is and don’t lie to me.” I leaned back on my stool and crossed my arms, as Synthia and Kobe both looked at him.

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