36. Reeve
THIRTY-SIX
reeve
I normally don’t do shit like this, but I need to let out some steam. I’m starting to feel that dark, draped existence of mine creeping over me, and when I get down in it, it’s a bitch to get out. It’s when I start fucking up and becoming numb. It’s where my demons, the ones that used to taunt and mock me, begin to crawl out from out of their holes and start messing with me.
I don’t like my alter-ego. I broke up and told him to fuck off years ago. Especially since the weight of my family is starting to fall on me and my fucking mother figure has been up my ass about marrying and taking over my father’s business.
A father who disappeared out of thin air and hasn’t fucking returned when I was fucking fourteen.
That woman has been working in his name for years, acting like he’s still involved with the gun game when he’s obviously not. The smart fucker never signed a predecessor other than me when I turn twenty-one and when I do, I’m shipping her off the edge of hell where she’s put me my whole life.
Meanwhile, a dark-haired South Shore girl has been on my mind for over a week now, and it’s been the best distraction I could hope for while counting down the days of my birthday. However, I haven’t heard from Bay since I plucked her phone out and grabbed her number.
That chick is fucking inferno, and I wanna play in it.
Her swagger is completely badass and the way that she holds herself, fierce and unwavering in who she is—bruh, I want that.
I want her.
A female who acts like a queen in her own right because Bay doesn’t need a crown. It’s in her attitude and pride. I’ve had to quietly watch as Torin warns her away from Emilio, believing that his threats that work on everyday people are going to work.
They’re not.
Especially since Emilio is craving a blood connection and, unfortunately for ol’ boy, he ain’t it.
Clearly, I’m not either, because since my name is linked with the Forsaken Crew, she has me on the do not ride list.
And honestly, I’d do anything to get off it just to break a piece of that sweet ass for me to take a bite into.
The gang-banger lifestyle isn’t what I ever had in mind for myself just like the step-kid who barely tolerates his so-called father. We’re all a bunch of fucked up men who were born into this and, while the money is alright and buys me pretty shit, I don’t like Emilio. Especially when so many of his faces are starting to come to light.
“You know she’s gonna be here, right?” Cairo’s voice mutters flatly at my side as I scroll through the programming on my laptop to look at the last data I received from the quarter-mile shot I took last night. “And you’re competition. We’re supposed to stay away from the chick, not openly seek her out.”
“I’m hoping she’s gonna be here,” I quip honestly, because I’m going through major withdrawals.
In fact, Torin has been going out of his way to make sure I’m not anywhere within her line of sight. Chick doesn’t look like she digs him as much as I do her, though.
Torin’s paranoid ass can’t slow down, wanting to stop whatever she may have planned before it happens.
Meanwhile, I played back-up while my dick got hard watching her parade around in tight jeans and a shirt that showed off all her curves in Wharf Bay.
“She’s trouble,” Cairo grounds out, scanning the people walking around the event. Always on the alert and ready. “She’s got Torin all fucked up with paranoia.”
“She’s…” Every adjective I could ever think up in my head. And she seriously has nothing to worry about with my being here because I’m not winning shit when it comes down to this elimination race. I almost didn’t enter because of that prick Matteo De Leon. I fucking hate the ghetto motherfucker but the hundred grand in my back pocket to play with, in case I needed it in the future, wasn’t gonna hurt either.
Even though it’s a long shot.
My car isn’t primed and run much. You got assholes out here with turbos and nitrous shots ready to blow other cars out of the burnout puddle.
I just wanna blow off some aggression and maybe see my little vixen walking around.
“Back off,” Cairo chides. “I don’t want any more bullshit with Wallace right now. I got enough to deal with.”
I blow air through my mouth and rattle my lips. “You two fuckers worry about nothing, man. She’s South Shore…she was born to hate us.”
“And that’s good for you because…”
“I got charm and a huge dick for days, brother,” I reply confidently. “Chill. I don’t need the pep talk. Save it for Torin and his suspicions.”
“They’re not suspicions when she’s jackin’ my shit.”
I blow out an exasperated exhale because this is all of what it is—they’re intimidated and she’s something they’ve never had to deal with. “So she stole, big deal. How many cars do you have?”
“ One .”
Oh, that’s right. Torin is the little shithead who has like nine.
“And she’s a chick with an obvious soft spot in Emilio’s heart,” my brother continues. “He wouldn’t have approached her if he didn’t want her involved in what we’ve built.”
“And you think she’s going to dethrone us all.”
“She’d be in a perfect position to do it.”
He has a point. He really does. Except it’s not the vibe that I get from her at all.
“Bay doesn’t like rich people. Shit, she doesn’t even like me and I’m lovable as fuck.”
“’Cause you got power and a gang backin’ your ass. To that girl, you’re a fucking annoyance.”
I turn my body to prop my arm and hip on the side of my Toyota Supra, finding Cairo with his normal nothing bothers me facade. “If she’s trouble, and something doesn’t vibe well, then it’s obviously off.”
Cairo frowns. “What’s off, exactly?”
“My wooing her, of course.”
“Reeve.” My name is a dip in his ever-longing calmness, but this girl has him as fucking rattled as Torin. I can’t say that I’ve ever really seen them on one like they are with her. “I know her.”
I roll my eyes. “Enlighten me. What did you see in your crystal ball last night, Cairo?” I drop my voice. “You fucking nut job.”
“I mean when we were kids. I’ve met her before…in jail.”
My face twists in deliberation and absorption of any small detail he has. “And you didn’t think to mention that shit before?”
“Didn’t matter.” He shrugs as if that just brushes this off. “It was one night, and she was a kid. I stopped her from getting us in trouble with a pig, that’s it.”
“And?”
He quirks a brow. “And what?”
I motion with my hand for him to give me more because sometimes with Cairo, it’s like pulling teeth to get anything out of him. “Did you date her or some shit?”
“Never saw her again.” My chest immediately deflates with relief. “Why?”
I lift my shoulders and turn back to what I was doing before. “Because I told you. I want her.”
“You?” He’s silent for a moment before continuing with, “You can’t keep your dick in your pants for longer than a day. There’s already been three chicks who have come up to you wanting you to fuck them in the woods over there.” He points to them, and then chuckles, deep with merriment in his tone when he sees that I’m not amused.
“Have faith, brother.” I glimpse over my shoulder to wink at him. “Once I wear on her, she’ll see nothing else.”
Cairo only laughs harder, and I roll my eyes, the fucking prick. I mean, I’d have to keep my cock in my pants. Bay is the kind of girl that would take a baseball bat and a lighter to my ride.
Then she would chop my whole junk off and make me eat it.
“What are you laughing about?” Torin hands me over a numbered card to place in my window and glances over at Cairo, waiting for him to answer him. “Got you all checked in.”
“Thanks, man,” I reply. “You see Bay?”
He immediately frowns. “Why?”
“Geezus, Christ.” I go back to my laptop resting on top of the car and begin looking at the details of my last run. “Why is that the question for the last two minutes?”
Torin shakes his head next to me and fixes me with one of his famous I’m not gonna let this go and beat it to death glowers. “Stay away from that chick, man. She’s trying?—”
“To get in Emilio’s pants allegedly, yeah”—I jerk my head to Cairo— “the Italian Stallion over here just told me and you about a million and one fucking times. Still highly doubt that, bruh.”
“You’re a sick fuck,” he transmits back with a look of disgust. “Emilio is her dad, dude.”
“And apparently your family, so just drop the shit, Torin. You think she wants everything. Next, you’re going to tell me she wants you.”
“You dumbass. Are you really that fucking stupid that you don’t think she’s going to try to take us down?”
“Have you found any evidence that she has?” I steal a glance at him, still wearing his I hate the world look. Dude needs to smoke more weed. “Thought so. Stop terrorizing the girl and let it rest. I’m not going on any more of your scare runs. You keep pushin’ her, she’s gonna push back, bruh. Already has. If you haven’t noticed, you have a hole in your leg that’s still healing.”
“Regardless of what you think, I’m not taking a chance to?—”
“ You .” That voice has all three of our heads turning from the impact of that fucking sexy ass tone.
I couldn’t miss it if I was deaf as fuck.
And there stands the most sultry and alluring female I’ve ever laid eyes on—Bay Astor.
I ignore the heavy glare coming off her sky blues and drop my gaze to the white crop top that shows the tiniest amount of a leopard-printed bra underneath. High-waisted jeans with holes at the knees and even higher-waisted fishnets that wrap around her belly button. Those long wavy locks stop at her perfect, rounded tits and my dick immediately comes to life.
“I thought we had a thing where we stay out of each other’s sight.” Her light blues are already transformed into a death stare, her peachy skin pinkens at how pissed she is.
She’s hot as fuck.
And holy hell do I want this girl.
“And apparently you don’t know how to listen, because here you are,” Torin imparts back like the asshole he is. Always pushing buttons, always goading someone. Always being a prick.
“This is my world.” She points at herself and gets me to resolve back to staring at the leopard fabric that teases my view. “You don’t race, Wildes.”
“I’m not here to race, he is.” I see him jerk a thumb at me from my peripheral, but I’d rather look at her than him.
I’ve seen him too much recently, and I don’t get the hype.
“And then you bring the arsonist with you?” I’d roll my eyes at her, but I’m too interested in how nice her tits are underneath her bra. Cairo was livid when he found out the dipshits that Emilio brought with them, wannabe members of The Void, locked her in that bar and lit the bitch on fire.
They’re dead now.
I notice the bold black lettering across her tits that says Savage across it and, yeah…I’m gonna marry this girl one day.
“ Reeve .” My eyes snap up to hers narrowed at me, clearly still pissed and jacking with my future plans in my head. “Why are you here now?”
“The money, baby,” I vouch honestly. “And you’re just the added bonus.”
She strides closer to me, ignoring the other two and that boosts my ego. “Get out .”
It’s stupid, I know, but Torin has the whole my dad is head of the Forsaken Crew and Cairo with his Italian suave looks and family comes first vibes. I might have old money, back in the day my ancestors or whatever dealt in gunpowder and shit, but I don’t have a mental-sounding setting. I’m feening for stability and someone to call mine. I want to pry myself from my family and I don’t give a shit if I have to work and make it on my own, I just want a life.
“Have to,” I finally tell her.
“Why?”
I spread my arms. “Everything and everyone is here.” She frowns like I just told her she wasn’t getting a pony for her birthday. “But, if it means that much to you, McQueen…I’ll split the money with you.”
Her features harden, and I realize then it was the wrong thing to say.
It’s no secret Bay has nothing. That she’s more than likely had a shitty life, and I’m not trying to insult her here. I’m trying to date the fucking woman but she’s not making it easy, and my name is crucified with a group she can’t stand.
“Stop being so prideful, McQueen,” I say when she doesn’t respond with anything but boring daggers into my forehead. “It was an open race. Anyone could apply to join.”
She blows out a breath as if she’s trying to steady herself and averts her blues from me. I’m right and I’m sure she needs the money, but don’t we kinda all?
“What’s it worth to you, Bay Bay?”
Her eyes bounce between me and Torin. “You two think you can just buy me off and threaten my family?” She flashes a glower to Cairo. “And you think you can kill me?”
Cairo’s jaw ticks. “I didn’t try to?—”
“Hold up.” I close the distance between her and I, leaving a tiny bit in case she decides to punch me in the face. “I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t judge you from where you’re from.”
“How about it’s worth you not getting your ass kicked by every trailer park?—”
“ Stop ,” I snap, feeling the edges of my temper sharpening. “I want five minutes of your time, uninterrupted.”
“No.”
“That’s what I want,” I continue because I can play the stubborn card too. “Not money or paying you off. I want five minutes.”
“What’s up with you and me?” she carps through her clenched teeth. “I’ve never seen you at a race a day in my life, and now all of a sudden, every time I turn around, I see one of you pricks.”
“You thinkin’ I’m up to something?” She raises both brows, and clearly, that’s a yes. I’m guilty sorta by association and these two fuckers at my side aren’t helping matters. “I am. I want you to go out with me. I think I’ve made that pretty clear.”
“When?”
“Now.”
“Yeah?” She crosses her arms along her chest. “You guys like to share or something?”
My brows clash. “What?”
She nods at Torin. “Pretty Boy.”
“What about him?” Her face lifts as if I’m stupid, slow, or just plain ignorant. “Pretty sure he hates you, baby. No offense.”
Bay inches closer and stops when I can smell motor oil and grease off her skin mixed with something like brown sugar. “I guess that’s what the kids are callin’ it these days. That hate fuck of his the other night was pretty eventful. He wanted me to fuck him raw so he could feel me cream around him. Then the other day at the basketball court…”
My head slowly rolls to the side, violence and jealousy filtering into my bone marrow and head so forcefully that I’m about to break our number one rule—don’t fight in front of people outside of us.
I could literally slam my fist into his throat, but I don’t.
We’re a unit—him, me, and Cairo. If there is chaos amongst us, we’re lost, because we all have the same goal. We are all each other’s got.
However, it doesn’t stop the pending question and dirty look that’s barred and loaded on my best friend. He’s made it perfectly clear that he wants her gone, held a fucking gun to her head, and now he… “Wanna explain what the fuck she’s talkin’ about?”
Because he said nothing happened.
Nothing.
Nodda.
Torin’s hardened expression doesn’t change, one of loathing and frustration toward the woman who shares the same genes as his old man. However, he was just bitching about her and now he wants to slide his dick in what I want?
Yeah, no.
Especially when his fucking ass said that all he did was threaten her, not fuck her.
“So, you’re still thinking about it.”
I turn my body so I’m facing fully him and get my chest into his shoulder. “Start speaking, brother, because last time I checked, you didn’t like her.”
“Don’t need to.”
A mirthless chuckle rumbles in my chest, because while Torin might be an insufferable bastard, I’m a fucking inconsiderable cunt when pissed. All his preaching about staying away from her while he’s screwed her has finally come to light.
He wants to keep his newly found sis to himself.
Yeah, it’s kinda fucked, kinda not when they aren’t technically related, but he’s not about to cock block me so he can sneak in and tap the hell out of what I’ve only clearly stated I was going to pursue.
I notice that Bay doesn’t answer him, and I direct my focus back to her, shoving back my animosity toward the situation.
He and I, we’ll talk about it later.
“I don’t give a fuck about whatever else you got going on with anyone else,” I assert simply. “You give me your time, and?—”
“You must want to die, Stanton.”
Maybe.
My brain immediately recognizes the peril that is Levi Wallace’s voice because, even though we’re on two separate sides of the fence, the fella’s kinda a shoot first, ask question later guy.
Cairo already has his hand on his hip, ready to pull out his pistol in case Levi decides to break the mutual rule of thumb that East Riverside is a neutral zone. No bullshit happens here between us.
“Not particularly today, Wallace,” I respond, pivoting and finding him standing there all muscle, tattoos, and wrath. Next to him are his two butt buddies, Juice Box and Hot Shit, two fucking assholes that always accompany his ass all the time. “Maybe another time.”
Levi isn’t amused by my softening of the hostile situation and narrowed his murky expression at me. “Why would my girl want anything to do with your whore ass? Let alone you being from the wrong side of the coin.”
Huh.
I know what she said the other day when we were trading off Levi and Torin—the dumbass—however, I didn’t buy it.
Still kinda don’t.
I shrug. “I dunno…maybe she’s tired of fuckin’ your ass because she can’t find your dick past all the muscles.”
“And yours hasn’t fallen off yet?”
“Not yet,” I sigh dramatically. “But with the way it’s always being used, it just may.”
A hand swats along the back of my head—hard—and I glance over to find Bay glaring at me. “Are you stupid?”
Sometimes.
I know it’s stupid to want to shove my dick inside someone who’s been claimed by the kingpin of South Shore.
I’m also aware that I don’t care.
Levi Wallace ain’t doing his job if Torin is already giving it to her and, well, he might not have a pecker by the end of the night with his hypocritical ass.
“We didn’t come here for a pissing match,” Cairo conveys with his annoyingly calm voice.
Dude is too calm.
The kind of peaceful that, when it cracks, mayhem falls right after it because there is no happy medium in between.
And I’ve seen Cairo lose his shit before.
“Shouldn’t be here at all,” Levi replies disgruntledly, and I wonder if he and his fuck buddies sharpen knives and axes and shit around a campfire. If they paint their faces like Kiss before they go runnin’ around town. “Don’t you have a match you have to come out victorious on the other side, Black? Matteo De Leon wins that Titan seat, and I’m going to kill you myself.”
“Don’t worry your little head about it,” Torin rebukes. “You have enough problems to deal with at home.”
Levi raises a brow. “Such as?”
“Well, for starters, your girl”—The next thing from his mouth is his grunt and Bay’s elbow retracting back.
I smirk.
Yep, gonna marry this chick. Our children will be bomb ass.
“We’re up,” Levi tells Bay then jerks his head. “Let’s go.”
“A little bossy, aren’t we, Wallace?” I drone. “I’m surprised she hasn’t chopped your balls off with the way you’re ordering her around.”
Levi’s rigid scrutiny falls on me. “Don’t you have a father to find?” His mouth boosts into a shitty smirk. “You have more pressing matters to handle but, then again, he probably left your ass because you were a pain in his. Did he also know you liked it in the ass, too?”
I’m moving forward, my body numb and stiff as I’m bee-lining toward a wall of stout brawn and brains because Levi is no fucking idiot.
But he is for opening his big-ass mouth about my dad.
My shirt is yanked from behind, snapping me into a scenario of three against three but Cairo won’t be able to stop us all. I won’t be able to stop when my fist slams into Levi’s jaw in hopes that I shatter it.
“That’ll do, Reevie,” Bay coos at my side in a hushed tone. “That’ll do. No need to break your pretty face.”
And then she strides away from our group, joining her band of dickheads, where she belongs.
And, yeah, I’m stupid.
Because I still want her.