Page 36 of The Filth Kings

“Okay, enough of all of that. I’ll go out with you, we can go to my house so you can seeournew place, then get dressed there. Whenever you done with this so-called new client of yours, we can go to Chedda’s place with the police to pack up your personal belongings,” I insisted as I rolled my eyes.

“That won’t even be necessary, girl. Fuck those personal belongings and Chedda!” She snapped her fingers.

My mouth dropped open as reality hit me. Natavi was really done with Chedda, especially if she agreed so easily to leave her expensive belongings behind and move in with me with no argument or needing me to convince her of how much of a piece of shit he was.

“Start talking, now.” I looked directly into Natavi’s eyes.

“He’s a good man, but then again…honestly speaking, he’s not. My goodness, Angel. I don’t know how to express it.” Her voice was soft and hesitant.

Natavi stared down at her frappe and sighed.

“He’s dark and complicated. Monni is very ruthless, but I feel like there is something about him that I can’t just walk away from, even after our time together comes to an end. I lied and told him that I want to be his friend when our time is up and that’s not what I want.” Her words trailed off.

A long sigh escaped my lips as I shook my head in disbelief.

“You can’t fix everything that you come across that’s broken,” I told her.

Natavi stomped her heels against the floor and leaned her head back in disappointment.

“But Angel, I want to fix him. I want to make him feel like he belongs, make him feel loved and wanted. He needs it. Monni is different, rough around the edges, but I sense that he was done wrong so many times while I’ve been done wrong once by a man who refuses to love me like I loved him.”

I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to keep my expression neutral, though my heart was racing.”

Natavi looked exactly how I felt on the inside, like a lost confused soul that was tumbling down a path that she and I knew could be dangerous, yet it felt like we both couldn’t resist.

“You’re falling for him?” I asked lowly.

Natavi nodded, biting her lip.

“It’s like he sees parts of me that no one will try to see. The broken parts, and ugly. He doesn’t flinch or recoil when he devours me raw. He doesn’t treat me like some random ass hoe, and he—he saved me before. Last night was the first night I felt him inside of me, and I don’t think that it’s just the dick. I feel a strong connection.”

“None of that scares you?” I couldn’t hide the concern that crept up my face.

“Yes, Angel. It scares me but I got this feeling that I know I won’t turn away from him. Unless he pushes me hard away from him. I want to know more about him, his past and why he operates how he does.” Her words trailed off.

“It’s like he thrills me, I should hate how he acts and some of the crazy ass actions that he has showed me. Instead, I just grow more and more curious and turned on by all of it.”

We both remained silent as I withheld from my best friend for the very first time. I didn’t want to reveal that some of what she confessed about this Monni man was exactly the way that I felt about Detavio. I shifted in my seat nervously and couldn’t believe what all Natavi had just stated.

I wanted to grab her by the shoulders, shake her, and then tell her ass to run far away from this man. To me, a lot came with trying to fix a broken man. A woman would give her all to take the time and pick up all the broken pieces to a man off the ground. Glue all of those pieces together and put them back neatly, all for him to give a woman nothing.

You fix a man, and they just up and leave you how they found you. Loss and more broken then how they found you. Pour into a man and watch him drink what’s left in your cup. It wasn’t worth it, and maybe Natavi had to learn the hard way since Chedda wasn’t a good enough lesson for her.

“Just be careful, Tavi. I don’t like none of what you’re telling me, but I got your back fully,” I said.

I sat in front of her torn between wanting to protect her from a pending heart ache to realizing that she was already too far gone.

“Please, be careful, and I do mean that.”

“I am; now, come on. Enough of all of this serious talk. I know you got some real liquor at your house. Plus, on the way toournew house, you can tell me all about why you and Pops got into it.” Excitement skated across her face and instantly got back in a good mood.

“Okay girl, it’s Friday night. Let’s turn the hell up.”

Seventeen

I walkedthrough the towering glass doors of my creation. I barely registered the flicker of recognition from all of my employees that I walked past. There was an intruder inside of my office. Monster called and told me that his guards alerted him and asked me what the next step was. I could’ve had his guards kill whoever it was that felt so bold to just pop up and demand to see me.

Instead, I had Monster meet me at “Meet Me” headquarters to see exactly who it was. I had a feeling that it was Angel, I hadn’t watched her in a couple of days. I became quite disturbed with the obsession that I had with her. She wanted answers, and I haven’t given her a clue or even popped up on her in the middle of the night while she was sleeping.

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