No Pain: Book 1

Chapter 44: Najee

          Kader and Keller sit next to each other despite Star's direct order to keep their distance. Although they never listen when Star says that.

Scanning over the other workers who eat breakfast together just outside my kitchen door I know I'm looking for Star without deciding to. She's always hard to find in a crowd, the combination of her being much shorter than everyone else and naturally slipping into thick groups to keep from being seen.

The smell of bacon, eggs and grits fill the kitchen. I have a small pot of oatmeal simmering on a smaller stove to the side of me while I stir the grits. I set the grit spoon down on a small plate and grab a paring knife from my knife rack.

I cube a few peaches and drop them in with the oatmeal, Star likes a peach in every bite. I chuckle to myself. The amount of things I know about Star would probably be creepy in the regular world, or sweet. Who knows anymore, what's normal, what's too much, too little? It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks is normal. What matters is what we feel is right and Star and me, regardless of how much we disagree, we're right.

"Good morning Mr. Sikh." Danielle trails her hand along the back of my neck as she walks by "Could you come help me with something?" She asks, acting as if nothing happened last night. I narrow my eyes at her. She stares back innocently. I know I've seen her before.

"Get the sous chef to help you, Danielle." I move away from her but she trails after me anyway. I wish Star would show up. Star knows how to handle people. Knows how to make them back off without causing a scene, although she prefers a scene.

"Why would I ask the second best when I can have the best?" She wraps her arm around my waist and locks them in place.

"You can't have me, Danielle, now get back to work." I grab her hands and peel them away.

"Why are you fighting me, Najee?" She growls trying to resist but I am stronger.

"Just stop." I snap at her.

"Ow!" She screeches making me jump. She stumbles away from me. "Don't touch me!" she screams at me pressing herself into the wall.

"Danielle!" One of the other workers rushes over "Danielle what's wrong?" He wraps his arms around her.

"He grabbed me." She whimpers hiding herself in the man's arms.

"Him?" He asks jerking his chin toward me.

fantastic... I grumble.

"She's lying." I know it's stupid as I say it.

"You're calling her a liar now?" He lets Danielle go and charges toward me. He grabs me by my shirt and lifts me up, he's about an inch taller than me.

"Yes, because she's the one that attacked and grabbed me." I want him to believe me because I know where this will go if he thinks I hurt his girl. I know what I would do, what I have done to anyone who so much as said something I didn't like to Star.

"I don't know if you've noticed this but she's a girl, what could she have done to you?" He's mocking me.

I narrow my eyes at him "your mistake is underestimating her because she's a girl." I warn. Mason is getting angry, he hates when someone challenges him.

"You're telling me that Danielle can take you in a fight?" He asks.

"No, but I'm also not in the habit of fighting people much weaker than me." Mason grabs control of our hands and shoves the man against the wall.