DANTE’S POV
“What the fuck happened Helena?”
She drew a deep breath, and rested her head against the seat “I really just want to go home Dante?”
I grabbed her face, forcing her to look at me where my eyes could drill into hers “We’re not leaving until you tell me what got you so tensed up?”
“I really don’t want to make a fuss about anything, you’re quite reckless D’angelo”
“I won’t” well, it depends.
“Then promise me you won’t do anything rash”
“I promise” it was a bold faced lie.
Then she sighed, her fingers intertwining together as she prepared herself to speak, her soft green eyes working their way into my chest “The worker or cashier, I don’t know ” her voice trailed off “Well, I bought a couple of things and he said he didn’t have any change so I turned around ” she hesitated.
“Jesus Christ, Helena speak” I was growing impatient. Anger crept underneath my skin, it was slow but burning “Did he touch you?”
“No” she said back a little too quickly “It wasn’t that big of a deal, he just said something degrading about me being dressed like a whore and how he could take me if he wanted”
A lethal stillness fell over me “You’re serious?”
She nodded her head
“Where?”
Her eyes met mine with a certain ting “Then he smacked my butt and told me I should let him off with my change”
I had to take a moment to swallow down the burning the rage that suddenly ignited within me so I could properly understand what she was saying.
“What hand did he use Helena?”
Her eyes widened as she took in my question “Dante, you promised”
“Well I’m a fucking liar”
Burning red stained my vision, I took a deep breath with the gasoline fumes filling my nose and intensifying my anger even
“God Dante no you promised!” she pleaded, but they fell on deaf ears, I was going to kill him
“I’m just going to say a word to him Helena, ask him why he had the audacity to lay his hands on my wife”
“No Dante, you aren’t ”
I shut her door with a loud slam and a frustrated noise came from within but I didn’t care.
Just then, I found gas can sitting on the oil-stained concrete, I grabbed the container and headed towards the supermarket when I heard a voice call out at me.
“Hey man, that’s mine. What do you think you’re doing?”
I shot him a look “I’m going to give you a friendly advice, I’ll get the hell out of here if I were you”
It didn’t take long for him to put one and two together to get three or maybe four because the speed he used to start his engine was commendable.
The bell chimed as I walked into the dimly lit supermarket, and there was the cashier chewing gum recklessly and playing candy crush on his phone. He looked to be in his thirties and of course with a receding hairline.
“Just you tonight?”
He took his head up and looked at me “What the hell does it matter to you, if you wanna buy something then buy it. Don’t come around here asking me no questions, nobody has time for that man”
And he was rude on top of it all, his mama’s prayers were definitely not working for him, either that or she wasn’t praying hard enough.
I ignored his snide remarks “Nice place you have here, do you own it?”
He glanced at the gas can in my hand and then he nodded “Yeah”
“So I guess it’s your only source of livelihood?”
His eyes widened a bit but he seemed to hide his surprise at the oddness of my questions “I really don’t know what you’re up to man, but if you’re not buying something just leave”
I looked around the store, and it was due for renovations with its dirty peeling walls and floors plus it definitely needed more lighting.
“Can’t afford to carry out renovations on this place, so what? I guess the money is going out to somewhere, wife kids? Or a baby mama” I undid the cap on then poured some gasoline on the dirty floors.
His eyes widened immediately “What the hell are you doing man?”
“That girl that just came in here, wrong girl man” gas splashed on a shelf books and pens.
“I’m calling the police”
Just then, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw him reach for the phone and but then he took one last look at me and his eyes widened further, it was obvious he had recognized who I was.
I scoffed with an amusing tint “I forgot I was popular on these streets it’s ruining my fun”
“I didn’t know, I swear” he cried out “I didn’t know who she fucking was”
“In all honesty, I wanted your hand but that would get really messy and I don’t have the time to get your blood on my hands ruining this expensive suit, you’re not worth it” I sloshed more gasoline on his shelves.
He stood now, sweating.
“I hope you got insurance man”
The smell of gasoline fumes consumes the whole supermarket and I threw the empty can on the floor and drew out a lighter from my inner pocket, the one I used to light my cigarettes and I drew out a cigarette, placing it between my lips, a dark smile pulling on the corners of my lips.
“Fuck, I’m sorry. I’ll do anything please”
“Too late” I was enjoying this too much
He rambled on but his words had become white noise in my ears. I lit the cigarette between my lips, a faint cherry glowed at the end and I could feel the surge of nicotine flowing through my blood.
“If you got a back door, now would be the time to use it”
I exhaled a breath of smoke from my lips just as he disappeared but before he reached it, I flicked my cigarette to the floor hoping he was quicker than he looked
The bell dinged again as I passed through the door, cool mist hit my face while the heat of a fire brushed my back
The old building lit up like some fucking fireworks in the sky one would think it was New Years again.
Happy New Year motherfucker!