Chapter Eleven
Jordy
U nbelievable.
After checking into El Juarez Restaurant for my lame-ass dishwashing job, I took care of some shit, including meeting up with Samantha at her hotel. I’d barely made it into Hollis and Roan’s place when someone knocked on the door. Juno showed up with one of his goons, gave me a pimped-out navy-blue Camaro, and told me an address. I’m barely out of the pen, and I’m back to the same old bullshit.
I can’t exactly tell Juno and Rex no, though. It could be worse. They could be asking me to chop cars or deal drugs. Right now, all they want is eyes on baby Wheelhouse. Since he’s all kinds of in love with my fucking girl, it shouldn’t be too hard.
My girl.
In another life.
She’s nothing but my best friend’s little sister.
I have to remember that.
When I reach the address, the street is lined with cars. I’ve barely parked and am climbing out when a familiar purple Mustang zooms past me.
What the fuck is the rat doing here?
I storm after him and have to run when he takes off toward the house.
“Yo, rat, where the fuck you heading in such a hurry?” I call out.
He comes to a screeching halt and whirls around. “Thank fuck you’re here. It’s Charlotte and Roux. Roux called Roan flipping the hell out earlier.”
I stalk past him, no longer annoyed to be here but on an eager mission to find them. The place is filled with a bunch of motherfuckers eyeing me the wrong way. They’re all carrying. I can see it in the way they watch me. I must put off some “don’t fuck with me vibes,” though, because no one messes with us.
“She said in the second bedroom on the right,” Hollis says, ushering me down a hall. “This way.”
We find said door, but it’s locked.
“Roux! It’s me and Jordy!” Hollis calls out, banging on the door.
The next moment, the door flings open. Roux looks like hell. Scared out of her mind and sobbing. I don’t think twice about yanking her to me in a protective embrace. Charlotte sits on the bed, her hair messy and her eyelids drooping.
“I told her I’m fine,” Charlotte slurs.
“You don’t look fine, little mouse,” I bite out. “You look like total shit.”
She flips me off. Hollis sits down beside her and starts snapping at her about being irresponsible. Beneath all his anger, worry ripples from him.
“What happened?” I ask, raking my fingers through Roux’s hair and tugging her head back so I can look at her.
She swallows, drawing my gaze to her hickeys. “She says she wanted it, but, Jordy, I walked in on them doing stuff to her while she was passed out.”
I frown and press a kiss to her forehead. “Who, Little Hornet?”
“Ryan and Isaiah and a kid named Gunther, I think.”
“Want me to kill them?”
Her nostrils flare. “Don’t even joke about that. Not after…” She trails off and her lip wobbles. “I want to go home. Can you please take me home?”
Fuck, I would kill to claim her plump lips and promise her everything will be okay.
But I can’t.
“Let’s get out of here,” I bark out to Hollis.
Hollis tugs Charlotte out of the bed, but she’s incredibly unsteady on her feet. Her brother scoops her in his arms, surprising the hell out of me, and nods at me for us to leave. Roux breaks away from me to grab Charlotte’s shoes and purse.
People stare at us as we leave the party. I follow them to Hollis’s Mustang and hold the door open while Hollis sets Charlotte into the front seat.
“Take her home,” I tell him. “I need to take care of something.”
Hollis’s jaw clenches. “You can’t beat them up, man. There’s like fifty of those assholes in there who look scarier than you. Bad idea.”
“I’m not beating anyone up,” I growl. “I’m going to check on some things. I’ll meet you at your mom’s after.”
“I’m staying with you,” Roux says, tugging on my T-shirt.
“No.”
She starts to argue, but Hollis backs me up, his voice dripping with big brotherly authority he no doubt learned from Roan. “Get in the car, Roux. It’s not up for debate.”
“Be careful,” she mutters to me before slipping into the back seat.
“What she said,” Hollis grumbles.
As soon as they drive off, I head back inside. I’m on a mission to find Cuntingham and knock his teeth in. He’s nowhere to be found, but baby Wheelhouse shows up looking like a fucking shirtless criminal.
His jeans are hanging low on his hips, showing the band of his white boxers. The kid is cut, but I could stomp his ass without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, I have to play nice with this idiot. It’s going to be difficult when I know he’s had his tongue down my girl’s throat and who the fuck knows what else since they’ve been together.
Not my girl.
Still my something.
Not fucking his.
“Where’s Cunningham?” I demand at the same time he asks, “Where’s Roux?”
I crack my neck, ignoring the crowd of losers who come to stand behind him. Most are about his age and I could take them if I had to. “Roux went home with Charlotte. Now where the fuck is that piece of shit?”
Kayden’s eyes narrow, anger flashing in them. “Did he do something to Roux?”
“No, man, but he did something to her best friend. I want to talk to him.” And by talk, I want to fucking head butt him.
“He’s out back,” Kayden says. “Cody, bring him here.”
A lanky kid—Cody—ambles off on a hunt for that motherfucker. I pop my knuckles, my furious glare never leaving Kayden. I may have to watch over him, but I don’t have to like his ass. As I wait, my eyes skim over the crowd. I spot Rex’s crew easy with their red bandanas. It’s a few guys wearing Nike sweatbands that stand out like sore thumbs. Some of Alexander’s crew used to wear that shit. A less obvious way to state they were a part of a gang without bringing attention from the cops.
“What the fuck?” Cuntingham bellows as he storms toward us. “Who the fuck…” He trails off upon seeing me. His lip curls up and he sneers at me. “What are you doing here, convict?”
I don’t flinch. I don’t react.
After a long beat of silence, making him wait so I can watch the panic slowly slide over him like a fog, I lick my tongue over my upper teeth and lift my chin at him.
“You like to fuck unconscious girls?” I ask, my voice low and deadly.
Kayden stiffens, anger bursting from him in hot waves. “What the fuck? You said that shit wasn’t for—”
“Back the fuck up off my nuts,” Cuntingham snaps at Kayden. “You don’t know shit, man. She wanted to try it.”
Kayden’s jaw clenches.
“Why the fuck are you so worried about my girlfriend anyway?” Cuntingham snarls, turning his jealous rage on Kayden.
Maybe it’ll be more entertaining to watch them beat the fuck out of each other.
“She’s my girlfriend’s best friend,” Kayden snaps. “That’s why. You fucked up, Ryan. Get the hell out of here.”
Cuntingham shakes his head like a spoiled child. “You can’t kick me out. Half these people are my friends, not yours, douchebag!”
Kayden steps closer, getting in his face. “And the other half belong to me, motherfucker.”
“We have an agreement,” Cuntingham hisses, his nose bumping Kayden’s. “You choose this fuckface over me and that agreement goes the fuck away.”
What agreement?
Kayden tenses. It must have something to do with Rex.
“I don’t have shit with you,” I grind out, causing Cuntingham to turn around. “This is for little mouse.”
My fist slams into his gut, making him groan and double over. I want to bash his fucking face in, but I know who his dad is. I’m not getting sent back to prison for breaking the nose of a cop’s son.
“Y-You,” Cuntingham chokes out.
I don’t give him a second to get his words out. With a growl, I snatch him by the hair and drag his pussy ass out of the party. He cries out like a bitch when I toss him outside and into the yard like yesterday’s trash. Turning on my heel, I head back into the party.
“Isaiah and Gunther?”
Two guilty as fuck dudes freeze. I don’t have to do anything except glower at them. They rush out of the house without argument.
Kayden easily calms the group like he was born to command people, much like his brother. He barks out a few orders and the crowd disperses.
“Rex sent you to babysit me because some Rockfords are here.” His jaw clenches, irritation present in every tick of his facial muscles. “I can handle a few fucking Rockfords.”
“I just do what I’m told.” I shrug. “Is Cunningham going to be a problem?”
“Nope. He owes me. We have a deal. He keeps his dad and the cops off our asses, and I keep him and his crew supplied.” His head cocks to the side, studying me with obvious distaste. “Are you going to be a problem?”
You better fucking believe it, asshole.
“Guess we’ll find out,” I say instead.
His jaw clenches. “I don’t need you here watching over me. I have this shit handled.”
I don’t sense any threats, so I’m sure as hell not staying. With a clipped nod his way, I turn on my heel and head out the door. I’ve barely made it over the threshold when baby Wheelhouse calls out to me.
“Stay away from my goddamn girlfriend or I’ll cut your throat,” he bites out.
He could try.
I offer him my finger and saunter away from his bratty ass.
“If I found out it was you who left those hickeys on her neck,” he yells after me, “I’ll make you pay.”
I reach my car and turn my head to look at him. He stands in the yard, a new gun in his hand at his side and a murderous scowl on his face. With all the hatred I can muster, I sear my glare into him.
He’s a fucking kid.
I will destroy him if I have to.
And seeing that he’s involving Roux in all his bullshit, I might just have to.
“You know I can’t stay away from her.” I lick my bottom lip, smirking a little. “She’s my best friend’s little sister.” I laugh. “I’m going to see her every goddamn day. All goddamn day. Hell, I might even bump into her at night on the way to the bathroom.”
He storms my way, raising his gun at me, pointing it right in my face like he actually has the balls to use it. I don’t flinch, just eye him up like he’s a piece of shit stuck to my shoe.
“Touch her, motherfucker, and see what happens. I don’t give a fuck what sort of agreement our brothers have,” he snarls. “I will kill you.”
Not if I kill you first, little boy.
“Bye, baby Wheelhouse.”
I climb into the car and peel out, sending gravel spraying all over that idiot. When he raises his weapon and fires into the sky, I laugh.
Then, cold dread settles over me.
This kid is an angry little shit and has his claws deep in my girl.
He’s a problem. A problem I absolutely need to deal with.