Page 25 of Certified Pressure 3
I couldn’t help but laugh. She was funny with it, and that’s what I liked about her. She ain’t have no shame in wantin’ to be fed compliments. She loved that reassurance, and truth be told, I loved givin’ it. I liked makin’ her feel secure and lettin’ her know she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
“You just got a way about you, baby. You loud, funny, real as hell, but you still soft in the right places. I like that I can calm you down and make you soft. It mean a nigga doin’ somethin’ right.”
She didn’t say nothin’ for a second. Then she smiled again, her eyes glassy in the sunlight.
“You really be talkin’ that shit.”
“I mean every word,” I said, grabbin’ her hand and kissin’ the back of it. “I don’t play when it come to you.”
She let out a cute laugh that was shy but happy.
“You gon’ fuck around and make me fall deeper in love with you. I mean crazy, cut ya dick off if you cheat on me love.”
“That’s the plan,” I said, bringin’ her hand up and kissing the back of it again with a slow grin.
For a minute, she didn’t speak. She just looked out at the skyline like she was thinkin’ about somethin’ heavy. “I can’t lie,” she said finally. “I’m nervous about meetin’ your people. I don’t know how they gon’ feel about me.”
I frowned. “What you mean?”
“I mean you come from money, Lo. Real money. You, Renza and Pressure be movin’ like royalty for real, like y’all belong to real princesses or some shit. I just don’t wanna walk in there and feel like I ain’t enough, you know?”
I took her hand again, rubbin’ my thumb over her skin. “Toni, look at me.”
And she did.
“I ain’t never been the type to chase what look good for other muthafuckas. I’m not lookin’ for no princess. I’m looking for a queen… and I already found her.”
Her lips parted. “You serious?”
“Dead ass,” I said, still holdin’ her gaze.
She leaned back, smilin’ for real this time. “I love how straight you be with me. You don’t sugarcoat nothin’.”
“I don’t got to. I say what I feel.”
She laughed under her breath, shakin’ her head. “You somethin’ else, Lo.”
“I’m your somethin’ else.”
The waiter came back with another bottle, but I waved him off. I ain’t need no more champagne. I was already drunk off how Toni looked sittin’ here.
After a while, I said, “I been thinkin’ about gettin’ my own crib. I’m tryna move out that mansion.”
Her eyes widened. “For real?”
“Yeah. Me, Pressure, and Renza been livin’ together since we was eighteen. That’s family, but we grown now. We been through a lot, and we built a lot. I’m proud of that, but it’s time to bus’ a move. I got ‘Lo Motion runnin’ smooth, and my workers handlin’ the heavy stuff, so I can finally focus on me.”
‘Lo Motion had become one of the biggest exotic car customization companies in Trill-Land. I started it young, straight out the mud, just me and my tools in a small garage. Now I had full teams workin’ under me. I’m talkin’ real professionals. We outfit bulletproof whips, build custom interiors for Trill-Land elites, and design luxury fleets for the country’s top dogs. Most of Pressure and Renza’s cars was my work. Their armor, their trim, their engines, everything. I built the brand from scratch, and now it was one of the most sought-after names on the island. Of course, I helped my cousins out with the shit, but I also had my own bag.
Toni tilted her head. “It’s so crazy how really built your whole company from scratch.”
“Out the mud,” I said. “Ain’t nobody give me nothin’. I worked my way up.”
Her eyes brightened. “You don’t ever brag about none of that.”
“Ain’t no need to. Real moves speak for theyself.”
She smiled. “I like that.”
