29. Cairo
TWENTY-NINE
cairo
“Need To Know” by Doja Cat blares from the speakers of my car, but it doesn’t fucking stop the voice of Vivian Muncy from hitting my eardrums and the wave of annoyance that drifts through my veins.
I hate this bitch—plain and simple.
And the only reason she’s in my fucking car right now is that she wouldn’t get out.
Not even the barrel of my gun got her to budge and the little bitch is Sherriff Muncy’s daughter. She reminds me of it all the time, uses it to her advantage, and hovers that piece of information over my head like it’s her get out of jail free card.
However, one day, it’s going to run out.
Vivian’s long fingers wraps around my bicep and I’m quick to yank it away. She’s been on my ball sack for years since I broke up with her and exhibits this dangerous, obsessive nature about it. I might be starring in an episode of Snapped here soon if she doesn’t fucking lose her mind.
Vivian lives, thinks, and devours me daily.
She won’t let me be.
She attempts to take over my life, twists it to her needs, and demands I listen. I’ve somewhat perfected the art of ignoring her. How I’m able to block her out because, if I don’t keep her but skin deep, I’m going to eventually lose my shit.
And I’m still using her to keep Muncy off my ass for all the illegal shit we’re going to be doing once I’m sitting on the Titan seat.
He’s Emilio’s boy, not mine.
And to keep him happy is to keep the little blonde bitch in my passenger seat happy.
“Cairo, stop,” she whines over the music. “You used to love to dance with me.”
“You used the correct tense, Vivian.”
Past.
Her nostrils flare at my nonchalance. How I can’t fake giving a flying shit. “You need to be nicer to me.”
Keeping my eyes on the road on the way of taking his cunt ass home, I reply, “I don’t have to do shit.”
She’s already done enough.
Like sending my brother to prison when I should’ve seen the signs sooner. When I should’ve stopped her ordering him around and making him into her little puppy.
I just thought he needed the attention and that one day he’d grow the confidence that I knew resided in him.
I failed.
She fucked everything up.
And I’m never going to forgive her for it.
“You need me,” she quips matter-of-factly. “More than I need you.”
I don’t bother to hide my fucking scoff. Emilio pays off Sheriff Muncy to look the other way and do what he wants. He’s a fucking piece of shit and his daughter didn’t fall far from that true.
But with the shift of power that’s approaching, I’m not looking to add any more to my plate.
“You know I love you,” she quickly returns. “It’s time you really let that sink in.”
“I wish you’d let the fact that I really don’t give a fuck about it anymore sink in. You fucked up a long time ago. I don’t understand what you thought was gonna change.”
“I did mess up,” she agrees with a deep breath. “I know. However, he’s out of jail on good behavior. He’s fine now.”
“He lost out,” I snap, my jaw tightening so hard that it feels like one wrong move and it’s gonna break off. “You took years from his fucking life. I’ll never forgive you for that. You might as well stop trying and save yourself the energy.”
“Stop trying?” She leans over the center console, the familiar smell of roses filling my nose and I want to do a tuck and roll out of this fucking car.
The constant, determined-as-all-hell state of mind with us getting back together is never going to happen. She’s been on this kick for years and nothing’s stuck yet.
It’s like beating a dead animal, you can’t resurrect the thing to feel anymore.
“We’re getting married?—”
“We’re not .”
I see her frown out of my peripheral. “You bought me a ring.”
She holds up her left hand, exposing the small piece of jewelry that I bought for her over six or seven years ago.
Vivian has never taken it off. Even when I broke up with her, threatened to kill her, and avoided her at all costs.
She’s literally my fucked-up stalker.
“Get a clue, Viv.”
“You promised ,” she clips out, my stomach knotting and my temper beginning to crest the more she speaks. “We made plans and you got mad…I understand that.”
“You fucking cheated on me,” I bark out, squeezing the wheel like it’s her neck. “Then you fucked my brother over with your lies. My promise was voided at the time. Don’t get it twisted, I don’t want to protect you. I don’t want you to have my name. I don’t want you in my sights. I won’t cherish you, I won’t forgive you, and if you keep pushing me I swear to God I’ll purposely make your life a living hell.”
“Don’t say things you don’t?—”
“Mean?” A mirthless chuckle reverberates in my chest. “Nah, girl, it’s a fucking fact. When I run Wharf Bay and take over for my father, you won’t be pulling the shit you are now. This is leniency, Viv. A gift. The only one you’re ever going to get from me.” My cell goes off and I use that opportunity to dip out and end this worthless conversation. “What?”
“You said to call you if a dark-haired girl was runnin’ product through again.”
Bay.
My interest is suddenly on her.
Her.
Shouldn’t be, but it is. It’s fucking better than Vivian.
I have our crew on the lookout for a female runner, we don’t spot those ever , and to call me immediately so I can handle it. Unfortunately, though, I have another pain in my fucking ass with me.
“Where?” I solicit, drumming my fingers against the leather-bound wheel.
“Del Flora Street.”
My brows knit, but I’m not surprised. That street is along the edge of The Landings, so she was trying to get her ass through on one of the less busy streets.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I profess. “Hold her there.”
Hanging up the phone, I do a U-Turn in the middle of the street.
“Where are we going?”
Geezus Christ.
“Shut up, or I’ll drop you off right here.”
She claps her hands together in excitement. “Are we going on a mission?”
The fuck?
“You’re staying in the car,” I order, pressing my foot on the accelerator a little harder. “You leave it and die, welp…” I let my sentence purposely trail off because it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
“I’ll stay inside the car,” she mutters as we speed through the streets and arrive within ten minutes.
My guys are surrounding a shitty van with bumper stickers of being a proud parent of an honor roll student. Something similar to what Torin and I caught Bay in the first time.
One working streetlight hangs over my head, pointing out the rusted bumper and the lack of care but I don’t miss the woman leaning up against the hood of the car with long, dark hair and her back to me.
Putting the car in park, I turn it off and steer my full attention to Vivian. “Do you remember what the fuck I said?”
“Yes,” she answers softly. “I’ll stay here.”
Exiting the vehicle, I jerk my head for one of my dudes to tell me what’s up. The tallest one immediately comes over, already clued in on how I like to conduct business.
“She cut us off and that’s when we noticed the black hair,” he tells me, I think his name is Patrick, and points to her. “Thought it was weird that she was heading on this street and toward the outskirts of town, so we stopped her.”
I nod. “You did good. Find anything?”
“A shitload of cocaine.”
“ Cocaine ?”
“Yes, sir.”
I didn’t realize that Wallace was upping his game on product, but it’s not like we have weekly calls to shoot the shit.
Ambling toward the woman who’s about to have her ass handed to her, that’s when the first gunshot goes off.
Crouching down on instinct, a few more go off as I sprint toward the van to take cover. However, I’m maybe four steps in before I’m not.
“ Black .”
You’ve got the be fucking kidding me…
Swiveling, the woman who was standing idly by the hood walks toward me, but it wasn’t her voice I heard.
It was male.
Yet, my attention is locked on the woman who just stepped into the light and displayed to me that she’s not Bay Astor.
“I’m disappointed. I thought you’d know what I looked like by now.”
I snarl out in frustration as a curvy body comes around to my left. And I come head-to-head with the real Bay Astor who just used a fucking decoy to pull me into this shitshow and steps into my line of vision.
“Hi, jail mate.”
I glower at her. Her black hair drapes down one side of her shoulder, illuminating the picture-perfect color of her skin, and I’m very tempted to mark it again. “Am I going to turn my head and find my men dead?”
She gives me one of those exaggerated smiles, and that’s when I whip out to wrap my hand around her throat. But the loud click of a hammer sounds right next to my head before the hard metal of a gun shoves right into my skull.
“What the fuck did I tell you would happen if you touched what was mine, Black?”
I rock my head against the cool metal because I simply can’t believe I fell for this shit. “You kill me, Wallace, my boys won’t be very happy.”
“I wouldn’t think so,” he vouches flatly. “Especially since one is babying a gun wound from my girl.”
Trust me, I’ve been hearing about that shit for days.
Regardless, maybe this will teach Torin, once and for all, to leave her the hell alone.
“I see you haven’t blown up yet,” I acknowledged. Which seriously is a pity.
“All safe and sound,” Wallace vows. “But I’m really upset that you haven’t come to check up on me.”
I silently scoff. “The fuck do you want?”
“I thought this was our thing. We meet up, knock dicks around, and fuckin’ talk. Maybe throw some lead around…but I just did that with your soldier boys. I think”—he drives the gun deeper into my head—“one of them might still be alive.”
“I’m gonna take it that you’re not going to let me take him to the hospital just yet.”
“You’d be right.” The weapon disappears from my skull before it’s bashed into my head, sending a sharp and rattling pain through—I swear—my brain.
I pull in a labored inhale, trying to keep my focus on the undertaking of getting out of here and digging up what Wallace wants.
It definitely wasn’t a social call.
Raising my head, my eyes fall on light blue jeans that squeeze Bay’s thick thighs and curvy waist. Her skin shows up next underneath a rolled-up Levi’s shirt—how fucking fitting—and then those haunting ass blue eyes.
“I told you to leave me alone,” she taunts, as though she has a right to. That she holds any fucking power and maybe she fucking does.
Just the same, I’m unable to retort with anything because Vivian’s screeching voice is the next thing I hear before she bumps into my body with hers and wraps her long fingers around my bicep.
“Don’t touch him, you animals,” she huffs, inserting herself into a situation that I’m now hoping Levi takes action on.
Killing someone.
One of Bay’s brows perks, her regard locked on the blonde at my side.
“Feel free to shoot anyone still breathing who’s not me,” I mutter, receiving back those blue eyes.
“In a fight?” she asks with a smirk as if we’re in some sort of lover’s quarrel.
“Been in one for over six years.”
Vivian digs her fingernails into my skin but keeps her focus locked on Bay. “It’s not any of your business. What do you want? He’s going to be the King of Wharf Bay and?—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Levi drones then lifts his gun at her. “Get the fuck out of here.”
“ No .” I roll my eyes at Vivian’s dramatics. “Wait…” She loosens her hold on me and squints her eyes at Levi who stands right at Bay’s side. All muscles, tattoos, and attitude. “You’re Levi Wallace.”
“And who the fuck are you?”
Bay crosses her arms along her perfect tits. “Vivian fucking Muncy. Damn, dude…” Her eyes drop down the length of Vivian’s polished body, always dressed to the nines and in brand outfits. “I didn’t think blondes were your type.”
Not currently.
Perfect world, I’d give Bay a spin to see if she could sway me over to the dark side. That’s if she didn’t try decking me every two seconds with her knees.
Vivian scoffs haughtily. “No, he managed to fall in love with someone who wasn’t from the scum of the Earth. And you can stop bringin’ your trailer park ass to hang out with my brother.”
Travis.
Wonderful.
A fucking reunion.
Bay waves her hand dismissively. “Well, if you’ll excuse us, hun. We got some shit to talk to your man about.”
“You think I’m going to leave him with some South Shore whore?”
Bay’s whole face lifts, and I know that face. I’ve fucked plenty of South Shore girls to know it when you get them riled up, it’s a bloodbath full of hair-pulling and flying objects.
“You wanna remove her or me?” Levi asks Bay. “My way is quicker.”
He doesn’t wait for his girl’s answer, yanking on the trigger and reporting a bullet out of his gun.
Vivian screams at the top of her lungs and hurls herself away from me. Except, when I examine her, there’s no blood.
He pulled a bitch shot to which I’m a pro at as well.
“Next one is gonna be in your fuckin’ head,” Levi snarls out, motioning with his Glock. “ Move .”
“Cairo,” Vivian mewls out in fear, stepping forward and then away. “I’m scared.”
“I told you to stay in the fucking car,” I retort through my teeth. “Stay and get shot or fuck off.”
It doesn’t take much more convincing for my ex to sprint back toward the direction of my SUV. In fact, I hope she keeps going.
My eyes meet Levi’s, and we stare off at each other for a second before he finally opens his big-ass fucking mouth again.
“This is a courtesy,” he claims. “A fucking one-time deal. I find you near my girl again, I’ll beat the living shit out of you before I use you as target practice. Then I’m going to run you over with your own ride a few times before I steal it.”
“How original,” I deadpan.
“Tell your boys the same thing. I don’t see you in South Shore. I find your shit through my ports again, I’m sellin’ the shit like I did Ramsey’s.”
“I don’t give a fuck about his shit.”
But it would’ve been nice to have.
Levi lifts his broad shoulders. “Then we’re in agreement.”
I bow my head in the direction of Bay. “And what about her?”
“What about her?” Levi’s eyes clench in warning to not mention her again. “You don’t worry about what she’s doing. Hence my fucking visit.”
“That’s not how this shit works,” I ground out. “There’s a mutual understanding?—”
“I don’t have one with The Landings.”
“Listen, Beefhead, I’ll be head of Wharf Bay soon. There will be repercussions if I keep seeing her.”
“That a threat?”
“A promise.”
Levi huffs haughtily. “Get the Titan seat first and we’ll see about that.”
I avert my attention off the King of South Shore. He’s as hardheaded as his chick. Nothing will come easy with him, but we have to try. I don’t want this gray divide between us in a war we never started.
Yet, Wallace has no problem keeping things as is.
And it’s probably because Emilio is still breathing and walking around.
“You gonna keep talkin’ over me?” I say with zero confidence that he’s going to allow me just that. “Or are you gonna man up and listen?”
“I’d rather you fuck off.” I shrug, finger already skimming the waistband of my jeans as I reach my own 9mm. “You’re armed, we know.”
My lips heave at how perceptive he is. “And I’m not gonna waltz away like a bitch with you giving out orders where I run the show.”
“I see it end up in your hand, Black, and I’m blowin’ your head off.”
“ Don’t ,” Bay orders me, eyes pinned seriously on me, and she must know something I don’t.
And I take the opportunity to appraise her body once more because, damn…such a fucking waste.
However, Torin is on her case. Reeve has a bad episode of puppy-love going on right now.
And I’d rather not with the whole situation.
“Plan something against me, Wallace,” I warn flatly. “And I promise you, I’ll take everything you love, want, and hold dear…and I’ll let Torin and Reeve fuck it.”
I swear I see Bay release a shattered exhale, but that’d be stupid, wouldn’t it?
She’s not scared of me. However, naive and stupid that may be.
“Keep her out of Wharf Bay, too,” I tack on. “That should be a given, right?”
Levi tsks. “You don’t own it yet . Your daddy does. And he’d never fuck with me.”
“Then you better make sure you keep the day count until I am.” I steal one more glance at Bay because I’m through playing nice with this girl. She lured me here and I’ve let her go several times.
However, that’s exactly what she allows me to do when I walk off to my car to report what happened to Torin and Reeve, but not before issuing out to my new rivals with my back turned, “You got five minutes before a new wave of men come this way and your asses are shot.”