hafta think ’bout what’s best for Angelo.”
“Which is for you and Ash to get back together.”
She dropped her gaze again. “We’ll see.”
Dante nodded. Although it was a small concession, he felt like he’d made a breakthrough.
“Where’s Ash now?” Tiana asked.
“At work.”
She glanced up, her expression wishful. “Do ya think Craven will ever let you two quit the business?”
“Dunno. Plus, if he did, I’m not sure I could give it up. Unlike Ash, I only know how to deal. That’s pretty pathetic, which is ironic, considering how I went mad at Beth earlier. Guess she’s right, I am pathetic.”
“No, you’re not!”
“Others have said it too.”
“Well, they’re wrong.”
“No, they’re not; you’re just way too nice to admit it.”
“No, Dante. They. Are. Wrong. And what about your family? They don’t think you’re like that at all, they love you. Sledge even idolises you.”
He shrugged.
“Don’t shrug at me, it’s true, and don’t let those horrible people get you down. Ignore them and prove them wrong.”
“I should’ve had a teacher like you when I wuz a kid. Your students are lucky.”
“I love teaching. You should find sumpthin’ you love to do too.”
He smiled. “I have; I love drugs and they make me feel real good.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sumpthin’ legal.” She cut him off before he could reply. “And don’t you dare mention sex.”
He laughed. “You know me far too well. Anyway, what does legal mean?”
“Don’t be a smart-alec, Dante. You must like sumpthin’ other than drugs and sex.”
“I like to rap and sing.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a lovely voice.”
“But, it can’t pay the bills. Drugs do.”
“Yeah, but at the expense of both yours and other people’s health. And I’m always worrying ’bout you two, especially with those Joneses. I hope you’re not dealing to them anymore.”
“I stay well clear of that family,” he said, knowing it wasn’t wise to mention where Ash was right now. “So, there’s nuthin’ to worry about. Nuthin’ at all.”
6
Ash
The Jones’s place looked like a crack house, run down with windows taped up and graffiti defacing the broken fence. On the overgrown lawn, two small children played inside a beat-up car, their squeals of joy at odds with the environment. Across the road, a stereo blasted rap music, while a dog barked further down.
Ash tucked his gun into his pants, and got out of Dante’s car, his mind still on Chaz’s parole hearing. If Chaz got out he’d deal with the situation, regardless of whether it landed him in prison, but he didn’t know how to deal with Sledge, to make things right with his bro. And now Sledge knew about the rape, he wasn’t sure if he could face him again, because he couldn’t stand it if the kid looked at him with disgust, mixed in with the fear and hate Ash already knew Sledge harboured against him.
He grabbed the bags from the boot, then headed up the path and knocked on the Jones’s door, for once wishing he could give the finger to his commitments like Dante often did. But not with booze, he hated that shit, it did nothing but ruin his life, instead, he’d disappear down south with his surfboard, going someplace where no one but the waves could find him.
“Get it, Len!” a female hollered, bursting the perfect wave in his head, and sending him crashing back down to reality.
Approaching footsteps sounded on the other side, then the door pulled back to reveal a fat, six-foot motherfucker. Kitted out in jeans and a red and black bush-jacket, Len sneered at Ash, showing a set of yellowed teeth the same colour as his hair. “You’re lucky Deano ain’t here.”
“Why? He has no issues with me.”
Len took a drag on his cigarette, then blew smoke into Ash’s face. “Cos you fucked his wife.”
Ash screwed up his nose and waved a hand in front of his face. “Don’t blow that shit in my face. And how many times do ya
“Which is for you and Ash to get back together.”
She dropped her gaze again. “We’ll see.”
Dante nodded. Although it was a small concession, he felt like he’d made a breakthrough.
“Where’s Ash now?” Tiana asked.
“At work.”
She glanced up, her expression wishful. “Do ya think Craven will ever let you two quit the business?”
“Dunno. Plus, if he did, I’m not sure I could give it up. Unlike Ash, I only know how to deal. That’s pretty pathetic, which is ironic, considering how I went mad at Beth earlier. Guess she’s right, I am pathetic.”
“No, you’re not!”
“Others have said it too.”
“Well, they’re wrong.”
“No, they’re not; you’re just way too nice to admit it.”
“No, Dante. They. Are. Wrong. And what about your family? They don’t think you’re like that at all, they love you. Sledge even idolises you.”
He shrugged.
“Don’t shrug at me, it’s true, and don’t let those horrible people get you down. Ignore them and prove them wrong.”
“I should’ve had a teacher like you when I wuz a kid. Your students are lucky.”
“I love teaching. You should find sumpthin’ you love to do too.”
He smiled. “I have; I love drugs and they make me feel real good.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sumpthin’ legal.” She cut him off before he could reply. “And don’t you dare mention sex.”
He laughed. “You know me far too well. Anyway, what does legal mean?”
“Don’t be a smart-alec, Dante. You must like sumpthin’ other than drugs and sex.”
“I like to rap and sing.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a lovely voice.”
“But, it can’t pay the bills. Drugs do.”
“Yeah, but at the expense of both yours and other people’s health. And I’m always worrying ’bout you two, especially with those Joneses. I hope you’re not dealing to them anymore.”
“I stay well clear of that family,” he said, knowing it wasn’t wise to mention where Ash was right now. “So, there’s nuthin’ to worry about. Nuthin’ at all.”
6
Ash
The Jones’s place looked like a crack house, run down with windows taped up and graffiti defacing the broken fence. On the overgrown lawn, two small children played inside a beat-up car, their squeals of joy at odds with the environment. Across the road, a stereo blasted rap music, while a dog barked further down.
Ash tucked his gun into his pants, and got out of Dante’s car, his mind still on Chaz’s parole hearing. If Chaz got out he’d deal with the situation, regardless of whether it landed him in prison, but he didn’t know how to deal with Sledge, to make things right with his bro. And now Sledge knew about the rape, he wasn’t sure if he could face him again, because he couldn’t stand it if the kid looked at him with disgust, mixed in with the fear and hate Ash already knew Sledge harboured against him.
He grabbed the bags from the boot, then headed up the path and knocked on the Jones’s door, for once wishing he could give the finger to his commitments like Dante often did. But not with booze, he hated that shit, it did nothing but ruin his life, instead, he’d disappear down south with his surfboard, going someplace where no one but the waves could find him.
“Get it, Len!” a female hollered, bursting the perfect wave in his head, and sending him crashing back down to reality.
Approaching footsteps sounded on the other side, then the door pulled back to reveal a fat, six-foot motherfucker. Kitted out in jeans and a red and black bush-jacket, Len sneered at Ash, showing a set of yellowed teeth the same colour as his hair. “You’re lucky Deano ain’t here.”
“Why? He has no issues with me.”
Len took a drag on his cigarette, then blew smoke into Ash’s face. “Cos you fucked his wife.”
Ash screwed up his nose and waved a hand in front of his face. “Don’t blow that shit in my face. And how many times do ya
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