CHAPTER FIFTEEN
NOAH
I’d lost count of how many times I’d jerked off thinking about Dom’s cock in my mouth over the last two days.
I knew it was dangerous to think about him so much.
Especially when I caught myself about to run a red light because I was so lost in thought.
That man was going to get me killed without even trying.
Damon was convinced that the Kings were playing us by using Dom to get close. I didn’t think the rest of them had anything to do with what had transpired between Dom and me. If anything, they didn’t even know about it. We were each other’s dirty little secret. For now.
I’d done my best to reassure Damon. He didn’t know what happened in the church after the party that night. He didn’t need to know. Because I knew that Dom and I couldn’t go on this way, I was preparing myself to make a move.
No doubt Dom was doing the same. Even though he had no idea I’d been hired to take him out, he wanted to kill me for his own personal reasons.
A desire to harm one another that had been brewing for months.
Too bad the desire to fuck one another went right along with it.
This would all be so much easier if I didn’t want him so damn bad.
Trying to stay focused, I drove through town, headed for the local hardware store to pick up a few supplies.
Usually I wouldn’t go to a store equipped with cameras to buy kill supplies, but I knew in the case of Dom and the Kings, nobody would go to the cops.
That wasn’t their style. People like us shared the unspoken rule of no cops ever.
Sometimes they ended up getting involved anyway and it was unavoidable.
They wouldn’t be able to prove a damn thing anyway.
The winter wind whipped especially hard. After parking, I got out of the car and tugged my hood up onto my head. Hands stuffed in my hoodie pocket, I hurried into the store.
The sudden blast of warmth as I entered helped relax my stiff muscles. Grabbing a basket from the entryway, I strolled through the store, taking my time. First I grabbed a few things for the house. A pack of fresh furnace filters and some sealant for a drafty window.
Gradually, I made my way over to the aisle stocked with various types of rope. I ambled along, pausing here and there to check out some of the options. Something strong but not too thick would be best.
A man lingering at the end of the aisle talking on his phone caught my eye.
Even though he wore a jacket, the large neck tattoo he bore grabbed my attention.
A large X on the side of his neck. The mark of a crime gang located in one of several nearby cities.
Elmwood. They dubbed themselves Project X.
A stupid fucking name if you asked me. What the hell were they doing in Wintervale?
Trying not to appear too obvious, I got closer, curious about his presence here. Maybe eavesdropping on his phone call would give me a clue. Pretending to be engaged in the products on the shelves, I picked them up, looking them over before putting them back down.
“You have to be patient, man. Taking down the Kings won’t happen overnight. Those kind of things take time. If you rush this, you’ll fuck everything up.” Oblivious to my presence, the man rounded the corner to the next aisle.
Keeping my distance, I followed. I didn’t like what I’d heard.
Anyone coming into our town with the intent to make trouble or take over was bad news for all of us.
As much as I hated the Kings, I knew that having a rival group force them out likely wouldn’t be for the best. That kind of thing would blow back on all of us.
“I know that, Garrett. One thing at a time. The Kings are quick to deal with threats. They can’t see us coming or this will never work. Stick with the plan.” Ending the call, the man shoved the phone into his pocket before grabbing a roll of duct tape from the shelf.
As he passed me on his way to the checkout, I turned so my raised hood would hide my face. He didn’t even give me a passing glance. That was his first mistake. Correction. His first mistake had been discussing such business in a public location.
When I’d finished my shopping, I went to the checkout.
He was already gone. During the drive home, his conversation continued to eat at me.
Why would Project X even care about our town?
There were bigger cities with a lot more going on.
Sure the Kings had established a booming black market business, but there were others conducting similar businesses elsewhere.
I arrived at home to find Damon standing over the stove, stirring something that smelled pretty damn good. “Are you actually cooking for a change? It smells good. What are you making?”
“My mom’s stew recipe. Where were you?” Setting the large spoon on the counter, he turned to face me.
“Hardware store. There was a guy there, one of the Project X guys. I overheard him on the phone, and it didn’t sound good.” While Damon listened, I repeated what I’d heard.
Arms folded over his chest, he frowned. “Why do we care if they take out the Kings? It seems like they would be doing us a favor.”
“Sure. Until they take over our city and make us their bitches. Something like that won’t end well for any of us.
In case you haven’t noticed, there’s only two of us now.
If another group moves in and forces the Kings out, then everything changes.
Probably not for the better. The Kings might be assholes, but since everything went down with River and Colt, they’ve left us alone.
They don’t interfere in our business and we don’t mess with theirs. Not anymore.”
Damon considered this, nodding. “You’re right. Project X is involved with some fucked up shit. Even human trafficking from what I’ve heard. Having them here would be bad news.”
“So what do we do?” I asked, moving closer so I could stare into the stew pot. “Do we tell the Kings what I heard?”
Lips pursed, Damon made a face. “We could. Would they even believe us? They might think we’re setting them up for something.”
Considering everything that had been going on between Dom and me lately, he had a point. Why would the Kings believe anything we said?
“Maybe an anonymous tip,” I suggested. “Fuck I don’t know.”
Turning back to the stove, Damon began to stir the stew again. “Grab some bowls, would you?”
I took two clean bowls out of the dishwasher that we had yet to unload. Even as my stomach grumbled from the savory smells permeating the air, I couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation I’d heard.
Did I tell Dom? Would he think I was lying? Would an anonymous tip even be taken seriously? I wasn’t sure how to handle this.
While Damon and I ate, I pondered our options. We didn’t seem to have many. Occasionally, I glanced at my phone. Finally, I gave in to the urge and started a text to Dom. Before sending it, I deleted everything.
Shit. I wasn’t sure what to do.
After supper, Damon went to his room to work on some class assignments before bed. I paced around the living room, going back and forth on whether or not I should text Dom about this.
I was supposed to kill him after all. He promised to kill me. Did I owe him anything? Maybe the Kings would get exactly what they deserved. Worst case scenario, Damon and I could vacate town if things got too bad.
Perhaps the best plan was to sit back and do nothing. To let it all play out and stay out of it. What good would drawing attention to ourselves do? We’d already watched two of our best friends die. I had no interest in joining them.
When it really came down to it, I had to look out for myself first and foremost. The Kings were on their own.