Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Tempest
“ A re you mad at me?” I murmured, eyeing the scratches on Mason’s neck across the table at Harley’s Bar.
“No. Couldn’t hurt to apologize to your father though. He’s worried about you.”
“What did you two talk about?”
“I was just kissing his ass so he’ll let me visit,” he grinned, glancing up as the waitress brought us our food.
“Hey, Tempest,” she smiled sweetly, placing our plates in front of us. “How are you?”
“ Who are you?” I asked in a bored tone, making her frown.
“Penn. I’m friends with Luna.”
“Oh, that’s right. You’re Cruz’s plaything.”
“Girlfriend, yes.”
“I fucked him, you know? Maybe I’ll fuck him again,” I answered smugly. I hadn’t touched Cruz, or any of the other guys she was currently dating, but she didn’t know that. Planting the information in her head would drive her mad and ruin her day.
I really was petty.
She just chuckled though, giving me an amused look. “I wouldn’t be surprised. From what I’ve heard, you’ve fucked everyone. Feel free to call Cruz and see what he says. Tell him I said hi.”
She walked off, and Mason’s eyes followed her back to the kitchen. “She’s kind of got you there, Temp.”
“Shut up,” I muttered, stabbing some of the fruit with my fork and shoving it in my mouth.
We made small talk while we ate, and I wasn’t surprised when Landon wandered out from the kitchen and sat beside me. He was becoming good friends with Penn from what I’d heard, so of course he had to come and scold me.
“Hey. Can you be nice?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, eyeing Mason. “Who’s this fuckboy?”
“The fuckboy is called Mason,” I deadpanned. “Mase, this is my cousin, Landon.”
“I’m not a fuckboy,” Mason clarified, making me snort.
“You’re just some guy I fuck. Close enough.”
I didn’t miss the wince, and neither did Landon.
“You’re a bitch. If this one says he wants you, I’d just agree and let him have you. He seems nice,” Landon stated.
“You don’t even know him.”
“If he’s putting up with your bullshit, he’s good in my book,” he scoffed, getting to his feet. “I’d better get back to work. Say hi to my dads before you leave. They miss you.”
“They’ll survive,” I muttered, waiting for him to walk away before speaking to Mason. “Sorry.”
“What for? For having family who care? How dare they,” he teased, leaning back to watch me. “You’re lucky, you know? At least they try. The only one of us who ever speaks to our parents is Channing, and his dad only seems to give a fuck about his wife’s kid. Chan is a lost cause to them. Maeve could never do a damn thing wrong though.”
“Sounds like you guys are the lucky ones. I wish my family would leave me alone. I didn’t know Channing had a sister.”
“Don’t tell him I told you. He fucking hates her. She lives alone in Mount Mercer to avoid everyone, and it’s rare she visits. She stopped by four months ago, but it didn’t last long, it never does. It’s not like they grew up together, their parents got married when they were both in high school, and by then, Channing was already living in his own place.”
“I wish my dad would let me have my own place.”
He smiled but it looked sad. “You could move out today if you wanted.”
“Dad won’t help me.”
“You think Channing’s dad set him up in a house? Temp, we slept in abandoned houses and on park benches. We stole food and sold drugs to afford the things we needed. We only have that house now because we did a lot of fucked up shit to get it. You want your own house and independence? Earn it. Hell, sleep in your car if you want, at least you have that.”
I frowned, my appetite gone. “Why were you all living like that?”
“Not everyone has parents who give a fuck. Until you’re starving, living in dirty clothes, lying bloodied on the floor, or sold, you can’t claim you have bad parents. You don’t have to like them, but they’re not bad. You didn’t see your dad when you left the room this morning. He’s devastated that he can’t help you. A bad parent wouldn’t give a shit.” He pointed to my food, his voice hardening. “Now eat.”
Not knowing his finances, I started eating again, not wanting to waste it, and he relaxed as I changed the subject. “What are your plans tonight?”
“Sorry, babe. Chan needs me tonight,” he answered. “Weren’t you supposed to go home for dinner anyway?”
“I don’t have to.”
“Just do it to appease your parents. They’ll lay off if you meet them in the middle a little. Besides, you can take some sexy photos for me when you’re in bed tonight,” he grinned.
“Or you could sneak in my window later tonight and fuck me?”
“Pass, your dad scares me,” he laughed, taking my hand in his. “Seriously, give me something to watch when I’m alone. Practice for your new porn career.”
“I’ll think about it,” I winked, taking my coffee and downing some. My hand shook slightly, and Mason frowned as he eyed it.
“What are you coming down from?”
“Alcohol. I didn’t take anything else last night, it’s just tremors,” I said tensely.
“No wonder you’re twitchy then. Smoke some weed or something,” he suggested, tangling his legs with mine under the table.
“Want to hotbox the car with me?”
“Absolutely,” he smirked, finishing his food and waiting for me to do the same with mine before he stood, dropping money on the table.
“You seriously tipped Penn? She was rude to me,” I scoffed, and he raised an eyebrow with amusement.
“You were a bitch to her. She brought us our food, so she gets a tip. One day, when you’re a waitress because no one else will hire you thanks to your lack of education, you’ll be grateful for tips too.”
That made me snort. I’d rather do porn than wait tables.
Mason draped an arm around my shoulders and tugged me against his side, kissing my temple sweetly. “Or you could just marry me and I’ll be your sugar daddy.”
“You’ve resorted to bribery now?” I teased, aware that Uncle Alex and Uncle Harley were watching me from behind the bar. “I don’t see a wedding in my future.”
“I’ll just keep fucking you until you choose me,” he chuckled, swatting my butt before leading me towards the door.
“Tempest, wait up,” Uncle Alex called out, making me sigh as I stopped walking. I should’ve known he wouldn’t just let me walk out of here.
“Uncle Alex. What can I do for you?” I asked lazily, and Mason scowled.
“Do you need more caffeine or something?” He looked up at Alex, apology lining his tone. “Sorry. We’re working on her manners.”
Alex snorted, eyeing him. “Good luck with that. Tempest, I heard you’re looking for a job.”
“Where the fuck did you hear that?” I asked, crossing my arms. “Because I’m not.”
“Oh. Arch said you were trying to find one. The offer’s there if you want it.”
“I’d have a job at Wet Dreams if Dad would let me. He won’t?—”
“Your dad doesn’t want you working at his strip club? Shocker,” Alex deadpanned. “I mean it, if you need work, come find me.”
“You expect me to work in your shitty little bar for minimum wage? No, thank you,” I said rudely, amusement flickering across his face.
“We don’t pay minimum wage, but even if we did, at least it’s a wage. You don’t even have one of those right now.”
“It’s alright for you guys, you own a bar!”
“A bar I just offered you a job at and you turned down,” he pointed out, walking away without sparing Mason another glance.
“You know—” Mason started, but I cut him off.
“Shut up. Let’s go,” I hissed, practically dragging him outside.
He’d driven my car, so I climbed into the passenger seat and shut myself inside, waiting for him to get in too. I didn’t understand why people were so territorial over their cars, I preferred being a passenger princess any day.
If someone wanted to drive my car so I didn’t have to, I was all for it.
We didn’t speak until Mason pulled into the parking lot at the skatepark in Blackwater, saying he’d be back in a second before climbing out and walking towards the halfpipe where a few guys were hanging out. Some were skating, but I noticed Channing and Wolfe standing off to the side talking to a couple of other guys.
Mason said something that had them all glancing over at me, and I wiggled my fingers out the window to wave. Channing was obviously annoyed by the way he turned back to Mason and pointed in my direction, while Wolfe started making his way towards me.
He opened the driver’s side door and slid in, shutting the door behind him and glancing at me. “Are you done being a fucking psycho?”
“You like me crazy,” I retorted, my eyes dropping to his belt as he unbuckled it with one hand, not taking his eyes off me. “You came over to blow your load? Charming.”
“It’s the only reason any of us spend time with you, and you know it. You owe me anyway.”
“What the fuck for? Not that I’m complaining.”
“Your bullshit last night. Not many people get to walk out after waving a fucking knife at me or my boys.” He got his jeans undone and pulled his cock out, motioning to it. “Well?”
I smirked, kneeling on my seat to lean over. “Film it for Mase. He needs more material.”
He rolled his eyes but pulled his phone out to record, his fingers threading through my hair to force my head down more when I took too long.
I gagged, my nails digging into his thigh as he helped me set the pace he wanted.
“Look at me,” he bit out, and I moved back to look up at him. “You love being a slut for us, don’t you? No matter what we say or do, you keep crawling back for our cocks.”
“Yes.”
He reached out to cup my chin, running his thumb across my bottom lip in a strangely gentle touch, then he slapped my cheek. “It’s all you’re good for. Gag on me, show Mase and Chan how much you want it.”
My cheek stung in the best way, and I dipped back down to swallow him again, choking as he started thrusting up into my throat. He was rough, but that was nothing new, and I dug my nails in harder when his breathing changed, telling me he was close.
He liked a little pain.
He shoved me down hard as he came with a grunt, holding me there until he was done, then he released me so I could sit back to choke in air. His phone appeared in front of my face, his voice low. “Look at you. Such a whore for my cum.”
“You’re the one who tracked me down, FYI,” I joked as I caught my breath, glancing at the half-open window to find Mason standing beside the car with his forearms on the roof, watching us.
“If you guys are done, can you get out, bro? I have weed to smoke.”
“I hope she’s paying for it,” Wolfe grunted as he finished recording and fixed his pants, almost knocking Mason over as he pushed the door open. “But she’s all yours.”
Mason dropped into the vacated seat and shut us inside, putting the windows up and tossing a baggie into my lap. “Spark up.”
He must have taken Channing’s personal stash since the joints were ready to go, so I took one out and slipped it between my lips to light it, drawing the smoke back into my lungs and holding it for a second before releasing it again.
We passed the joint between us in silence for a while until Mason spoke. “I’ve gotta go with the guys after this. Sorry.”
“Channing has way too much power over you,” I stated, blowing smoke in his direction as I passed the joint to him. “He just wants you away from me.”
“He’s got a point that we spend a lot of time together. I have things to do and can’t just drop it all for some girl I’m fucking,” he said bluntly, making me pause.
“Do you need your dick sucked too? What’s your problem?”
“Nothing. I’ll see you later,” he answered, passing the joint back before climbing from the car and slamming the door, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Guys were way moodier than women, I was calling it.
I climbed over to the driver’s seat and cracked the window, letting the rest of the smoke escape as I started the car. I glanced over at the guys, a weird feeling hitting me when they didn’t look my way. Mason already had some girl leaning against him with his arm around her shoulders, acting like I didn’t exist, and I hated how hurt filled me.
I never gave a fuck about things like that, but this time was different.
I left, smoking the rest of the joint as I drove, having nowhere to go but home.
Ryder
I was covered in sweat, and exhaustion took over as I tossed the bat aside that I’d been smashing things with.
“Feel better?” Marco asked from beside me, and I glanced around at the chaos I’d caused as I placed my eye protection on top of my head.
Going to the rage room had been a great idea. I was so tired that I didn’t even have the energy to be mad or frustrated.
“A little, yeah,” I panted, leaning my back against the nearest wall and sliding down to my butt, resting my forearms on my knees. “Mom comes here?”
“At least once a month without fail,” he answered, moving to sit beside me, mimicking my position. “Hunter usually comes with her, but sometimes a few of us go. Your mood is a family trait, sorry.”
I snorted, giving him the side-eye. “My lack of emotional control comes from my addiction issues.”
“We’re all a little angry. You were pretty placid until you found the party scene, but you still had a temper.”
“It’s hard. I wish I’d never done it,” I murmured, and he nudged my shoulder with his.
“Hey, I say the same thing daily to myself. It’s a tempting lifestyle, and we got too deep.”
“What was your drug of choice?”
“Started as weed and coke, turned into ice. I still cave and have the occasional joint when I’m having a bad day,” he admitted, making me smile sadly.
“Me too. It takes the edge off.”
“Is that why you’re struggling at the moment? Have you been smoking? Took me a while to find the right balance. You’re still pretty new at the sober thing, so you might be pushing yourself too early.”
“I don’t think so. I’m just sleeping badly and I’m unfocused,” I shrugged, and he sighed.
“Because you’re busy focusing on Tempest?”
“Yeah. I’ve put my foot down with her, and I’ll ask you guys to help instead of handling her myself. I don’t want to go back to rehab, but I will if it gets bad again. I’ve come too far to fuck it up over her,” I said firmly, a grin spreading across his face as he ruffled my hair.
“You’re a smart kid. Fuck knows where you got that from.”
“Definitely Mom,” I teased, laughing as he gave me a playful shove.
“Little shit. I need to check in at the warehouse. Want to come?”
I didn’t usually tag along for crew stuff, I had zero interest in it, but I was enjoying spending time with him, so I nodded.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
He got to his feet and offered me his hand to pull me up, then we handed our eye protection and bats back in on the way out the door.
I drove to the warehouse, enjoying the breeze coming through the windows as Marco texted. It was a comfortable silence between us, and after all the energy I’d just burned, it was nice to just relax.
Once I’d parked, we wandered into the massive warehouse and headed to the office, opening the door to find Mom glaring at a stack of papers like they offended her.
“Problem?” Marco chuckled as he walked over and kissed her cheek, picking up one of the papers to run his eyes over it. “This hasn’t been done yet?”
Mom looked ready to murder him over that question, but she paused when she noticed me. “Ry? What are you doing here? You okay?”
“We went to the rage room, and Mark decided it was bring your kid to work day,” I grinned, moving closer to glance at the paperwork. “What’s all this? Didn’t know criminal organizations had paperwork.”
“We have legit businesses,” she replied dryly, motioning to one of the smaller stacks on the table. “Half of this is for our investments. Between taxes, official documents, and expenses, it’s a fucking mess. We moved most of our paperwork here since we do most other things at the shed now. There’s more room here, and it’s quieter to think.”
“Isn’t this where you store all your guns and drugs?”
“Eh, sometimes. We’ve got multiple locations and don’t store things in the same place for long. The warehouse became more of an extended office. I keep most of our real estate paperwork here too. It was organized until it wasn’t,” she huffed.
“Want me to sort it? I’m dumb as shit with taxes, but I can read what's real estate and what's not. I can sort them into stacks of categories for you,” I offered, earning a suspicious look.
“What’s in it for you?”
“You don’t come home mad tonight and glare at everyone, and I get to occupy my brain for a bit,” I shrugged, her face softening.
“You said Mark took you to the rage room? Are you having a really bad day?”
“A little, but I’m better now. I just don’t want to get bored.”
“I mean, if you want to help, I won’t say no. Hunter is swamped with Devil’s Dungeon stuff, I’m needed at the school for a meeting with Noah’s teacher, and Slash and Skeet are already on jobs with Caden and Ty,” she answered, exhaustion filling her eyes.
I hadn’t had anything to do with Noah. He was Mom’s latest foster kid, and he’d been with us for almost two weeks.
With my mood swings and recovery issues to focus on, Mom hadn’t pushed me to get to know the guy.
I hadn’t even known until last week that the kid wasn’t a little boy and he was a sixteen-year-old.
“Where’s Diesel?”
“Overseeing some of the construction of the new community center in the Heights. Luke and Jense are with him,” she replied, moving around the desk towards me. “Lexi called me. She wanted to thank you for last night but didn’t want to bother you.”
“We heard from Archer,” Marco stated, moving away from the paperwork. “They need to get her into rehab.”
“She won’t go because she doesn’t think she has a problem,” I said lightly, and Mom scoffed.
“If he wants to involuntarily send her there, I’ll pay for it. She’s past the point of getting a say in it.”
“You'd put me in there against my will if you had to?” I asked, making her nod.
“If you were like that, then sure. The girl needs a reality check and to be humbled. At least you maintained your respect for your family. She’s out of control.”
“I was too, I just hid it better,” I mumbled, fidgeting with my hands and making her eyes drop to them.
“You’re getting twitchy, so let's shelve this conversation. Feel free to organize things if you wish, but no pressure. I love you,” she said on her way past, pausing as I turned and hugged her.
“Love you too, Mom.”
Her arms wrapped around me to return the hug, and she patted my shoulder before leaving, needing to get to the school. Noah was a good kid, but he was troubled. Cruz and the other Night Thieves had brought him back from Kensington while visiting Cruz’s brother, and Mom warned me he’d been through a lot.
Marco explained the different piles needed before leaving me to it, and I spent the next two hours sorting through the mountain of papers, my mind completely silent by the time I was finished.
“I can’t believe you,” Mom growled as she stalked in, and it took me a second to realize she wasn’t talking to me. A kid walked in behind her, defiance on his face.
“He had it coming! He’s been singling me out since day one!”
“You don’t set a fucking teacher’s car on fire in broad daylight!” she replied exasperatedly, halting the argument when she saw the separated piles of paper all over the desk. “You’re done?”
“Yeah. Whose car? Bet it was that fucking balding bastard from English,” I chuckled, the kid grinning.
“Yeah, it was Mr. Forehead.”
“They still call him that? He was known as that when I first started,” I answered, earning the stink eye from Mom.
“At least when you kids wanted revenge on your teachers, you waited until after dark.”
“The kid’s a rookie, he’ll learn,” I joked, getting to my feet. “I’m going to head home. Oh, the water bill for the shed is due in two days too.”
She cursed, grabbing the stack of bills I’d put aside. “I’ll handle it, thanks. Can you take Noah? I’m late for a meeting with fucking Rage.”
I eyed the kid, and he seemed to relax at the idea of that as if I’d help get him into trouble. He could do that all on his own, I didn’t need Mom’s wrath for getting him arrested or something.
“Sure.”
“Straight home. No detours, hookers, or parties,” she deadpanned, and I saluted her as I walked towards Noah by the door.
“I’ll make sure the dealer delivers to the house tonight then.”
“You’re not funny,” she grumbled, and I motioned for Noah to follow me through the warehouse and out into the cooling air.
It was almost dark, and I unlocked the car and climbed in before speaking. “Mom’s probably proud of you for the arson, just so you know.”
He chuckled, buckling himself into the passenger seat. “Yeah, I know.”
I lit a cigarette and paused before offering him one, and he didn’t hesitate to accept it. I shouldn’t have, but it wasn’t like he was ten.
Once on the road, he turned to me. “You’re like a ghost in the house. I haven’t seen you. Ryder, right?”
“Yeah, the problem child,” I said dryly, resting an arm on the open window and flicking the ash out. “I’ve got my own shit to deal with and no offense, but your situation isn’t really on my radar.”
“I don’t expect it to be. Drake told me not to ask about you,” he said carefully, making me snort.
“Everyone knows about my stint in rehab, it’s not a secret.”
“I heard gossip at the Academy, but usually gossip is bullshit. Drinking problem?”
“Drug problem,” I corrected, not giving a shit about telling him. “Mostly party pills, but I got into the harder shit a few times.”
“I’ve never tried more than weed. Never had the connections to get it,” he said, and I glanced over at him with a firm look.
“Don’t do it. You see the fun side, not the downfall. Drugs turn you into a completely different person, and you set yourself up for a lifetime of struggle. Every day I wake up irritated, I snap at people and say shit I don’t mean just because I’m craving something. I feel like I can’t function without them. Drugs make you feel like you’re on top of the world, but they also alter your mind and destroy your body. I assaulted my sister’s girlfriend, and I can never take that back.”
His eyes widened, his voice quiet. “Luna? You hurt her?”
My hand tightened on the wheel, and I inhaled the rest of my cigarette before flicking the butt out the window. “I didn’t hurt her, I scared her. I touched her without permission.”
“But you seem so nice.”
I laughed dryly, shaking my head slightly. “Sober me and fucked up me are two different people. I’d never wish this shit on anyone. If someone tries to pressure you into anything, walk away. I wish I had.”
We didn’t talk for the rest of the drive, and I was pretty sure I was terrible at hiding my mood on the cameras because when we walked inside through the garage, Tyler appeared in front of us.
“Noah, can you give us a minute?”
Noah nodded, mumbling a thanks for bringing him home before walking further into the house, and Tyler sighed. “What happened?”
I clenched my fists before realizing I was doing it, relaxing my body as I took a breath. “It’s been a rough day. I was giving Noah the anti-drug lecture on the ride home and made myself twitchy again. I’m okay.”
“You’re not, but that’s okay,” he smiled. “Do you need company or alone time?”
“I’m going to have a shower. I’ll come back down for dinner,” I answered, needing some peace for a few minutes.
“Noah’s a good kid, but he’s not a fan of adults. The last one he trusted burned him. I’m grateful you talked to him because he’s likely to listen to you, but don’t do it if it’s going to cost you.”
“He seems alright, but I’ve seen a lot of kids like him. They’re like sheep when they’re trying to fit into a crowd,” I replied with a cringe.
“It happens a lot. Go shower. Jense and Luke will have dinner done in an hour,” he said as he moved out of my way so I could pass. “And, Ry? You might feel like you failed today, but you pushed through. A bad mood we can fix, remember that.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I mumbled, giving him a small smile, and headed up to my room, locking myself inside and stripping off for a shower.
Once I was under the scorching hot spray, I slid to the floor under it and savored the burn, hoping it burned away the day and fixed me.
It never did, but I’d keep trying.