Chapter 2 #2
“No, what she wants is to make the best tactical decision possible. Fucking Ash is just a lil side bonus.” I punctuate my quip with a flirtatious wink and doe eyes dipped in murder.
Alexei’s pale green eyes flash as he steps away from me, yanking a fresh pair of gloves from his pocket and dragging the black latex over his fingers like a condom.
Snap. Snap. Snap. One time for each of his ten fingers.
He sighs and looks around the room. It really is cold in here.
Isolated. Buried in the trees. Rain pings softly against the metal roof. Then hail.
It’s hailing. That can’t be a good sign. I saw a dead crow on the side of the road on the way here, being picked at by vultures. That’s some ominous shit. Goose bumps steal across my skin, and I shift my feet in Widow’s too-big boots. My feet are sweaty, so I kick them off.
Hot, hot, hot. I’m burning up.
“I’ll race as well,” Alexei declares dramatically, and I narrow my eyes. “If we deliver Ash to the family, it’ll put us in good standing. If we associate with the mayor’s son, they’ll doubt our intentions.”
The three of them are powerful when they’re unified like this.
But this isn’t a democracy, it’s a dictatorship and I am the boss.
I won’t lose on the track though, so if that’s a version of rock-paper-scissors that they find fair, let’s solve our disagreements with mud and gasoline.
I cock my head, raven hair sliding over my shoulder. I know what I look like, just the same as they do. I deal my appearance with maximum damage in retaliation. My lips are softly parted. My eyes are heavy-lidded. I look mopey and sexy and adorable.
I have to bring them all to heel. I have to clean house. I must get my affairs in order.
I didn’t want to be a crime queen, but the only way out of this is to become the type of monster I hate.
“I can’t race on Friday though. I’ve got another appointment on the P-Trip track.
” My lips curve up into a dangerous smile.
I don’t feel it on the inside though, not tonight.
Somebody has betrayed me. Somebody sold me out.
Whether it’s Alexis or Ash, it’s pretty bad.
It’s catastrophic. “I’ll kick all your asses on Saturday though. ”
“P-Trip.” Bohnes looks right at me. I rush through an explanation about that weird phone call with Burt Cramer from that stupid talent agency.
If they’re sleazy and not legit, I’ll run ‘em out of town. I love music too much to fuck the producer, you know what I mean? I have standards. “I see.” This is Bohnes’ lackluster response to me finishing the story.
“And you never considered Burt might be a horrible pseudonym for a mob man? A man that works for Archer Realty? For Chief Bolin? For Mayor Jonas?”
“If I can have a second chance at P-Trip, I’ll take it. You know what my hard limits are.” I put my hands on my hips and stare down at the floor. “I assume you have a plan for the mob anyway?”
Bohnes and Alexei look at one another again and then turn back to me. Widow never stops staring at my face.
Their combined intensity is a rush.
“It’s already in action. If you win against us on the track, I’ll tell you.” Bohnes isn’t ready yet. He wants to give me the week to see for myself that his opinions about Ash are true. That’s fine by me. Smug bastard.
“Do what you want. Race at your own risk.” I sneer at them, frustrated because I know they’re not being unreasonable.
Ash being a bad guy makes sense. It makes perfect sense.
But my sister betraying me? That makes zero sense, and I know it’s true.
In my heart, I know it. “But when this all goes south and I’m saying I told ya so, you boys will get on your knees for me.
” I step forward and poke Bohnes in the center of his chest. “You’ll tell me I’m a stupid fuckboy, and I was wrong.
Remember in the beginning when I had to screw a bunch of other guys to keep you in your place?
” I point at Bohnes as he narrows blue eyes at me.
“This is like that. I’ll have to prove you wrong all over again.
Fine by me. Just don’t complain when I make you eat your words. ”
Bohnes sighs dramatically and reaches up to swipe some of his shock-white hair back.
He looks like the main character from a horror video game.
Fuck. He’s so hot. He smears his ghoul makeup in the process, the purple-gray smudges under his eyes turning into dark rainbows across his pretty cheekbones.
“We’ll see about that, my endless and enduring raven.” He pinches my cheek, and I slap his hand away.
I think about the bug detector Alexei gave me.
We used it liberally on my neighbor’s house, but I haven’t had a chance to check my own house.
I’m so stupid and naive. Alexis could’ve seen and heard any number of things in there.
I haven’t been careful. I didn’t think I needed to be around my own family.
Big mistake.
This is Prescott.
“I need to figure out what to do with Alexis,” I whisper, more to myself than anyone else.
“Just because Alexis is guilty, that doesn’t automatically mean Ash is innocent,” Widow reminds me, getting in my face.
“Your obsession with him is going to get us all killed. I can’t let that happen, no matter how much you like him.
We nearly died today because he sent men after us.
Who cares what his supposed reasons are for doing that? ”
“I care. Me.” I point at myself. “I would do what I’m doing for Ash for any of you.
Do you not understand that? Stupid goddamn fuckboys.
But whatever. I love the idea of settling this on the track.
” I roll my eyes dramatically. I know I shouldn’t be angry.
They make a lot of good points. I wouldn’t have kept them around so long if they didn’t.
“Before we go any further…” I turn to Bohnes again, lifting a brow. “What’s up with the gift you sent me?”
Bohnes crosses his arms, the edge of his right lip drawing back in a gruesome half-smirk.
“You mean Chet Jr.‘s severed dick? Do you love it?” My Nightmare sighs dramatically. “If only I could have bottled his screams and presented them to you as well. To the pain, indeed.”
And then Bohnes is laughing so hard that he doubles over, quite the sight in the white trench coat and black eyeliner.
“CJ still alive?” I query and it’s Alexei who answers.
“A necessary evil that’ll soon be corrected.” He places a gloved hand over his heart and offers up an honorable half-bow that has Widow rolling his eyes like I just did. Peas in a pod, me and Adrian.
“The pair of you let a rapist walk?” Widow spits on the ground in disgust. Alexei recoils and snaps one of the latex gloves against his pale wrist. “This better be a damn good plan.”
“He has no dick,” Bohnes says, standing up and wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. “Do you think being alive is a positive for the man? Unlikely.” He waves his hand dismissively.
I pause there, a slight blush coming to my cheeks. It’s the best Kellin will ever get from me. “Thanks for the severed dick, Bohnes. It was…nice. It shows how much you care about me.”
Bohnes cracks his hideously beautiful mouth into a sharp grin. With the makeup smudges and the mussy hair, the bit of blood spatter on his too-white cheeks, he’s a stunning Nightmare.
“Cody Jr. is an important piece in our game. I only wish I could’ve killed him already. We’ll get there eventually though, no worries my dark dove.” Bohnes sighs and looks over at Alexei like he’s waiting for something. Alexei acts like he doesn’t see the look. Bohnes shrugs his big shoulders.
“Take me home,” I murmur, knowing that I have to face my sister. Now. Today. I don’t care who heeds that command. I just want someone to follow it. Bohnes is quick, grabbing me with strong, cool fingers on my elbow. I look right at him.
“Home? You want to go home?” he asks, like he’s going to fight me on this, too. He frowns. “Why?”
“Because Alexis is family.” I gently pry his fingers off. He did give me CJ’s whacked-off willy. I owe the guy some raw honesty in return. “I need confirmation with my own eyes. It won’t take long. I…understand what needs to happen if she is, in fact, trying to kill me.”
“And what’s that?” Widow asks, turning so that he’s fully in my space, crowding up close to me.
He’s like a werewolf, this wild, pacing beast that’s always trying to prove itself a worthy mate.
He’s vicious. “Say it, Scar. If someone—your sister or otherwise—is trying to kill you? What should happen to that person?”
I look at Alexei next, knowing I’m going to find the same willful expression that’s on the faces of both Widow and Bohnes. I’m right. He’s staring at me like he’s trying to teach me a lesson.
Heh. These stupid fucking morons. I’m so pissed right now.
“Then you have to kill them before they can kill you.” That’s Prescott 101 right there.
I’m not going to walk out of this without committing murder many times over.
If I don’t, I’ll be the dead one instead.
I understand that. “For now, I’m going to focus on the next race at P-Trip.
The Pantera needs a lot of work, and Basti will need time.
I can’t get distracted. I’m getting out of Prescott come hell or high water.
” I pull a pair of sunglasses from my pocket and slip them on.
“Wifey will get you sweet boys out of this nasty neighborhood. Don’t fret, darlings.
” I blow them a quick kiss before I saunter up to the rusty metal doors and sling one side open.
“We kill traitors, but we don’t label people traitors without proof. ”
“Sending assassins after the Stingray wasn’t proof?
Emma’s kidnapping wasn’t proof? Hanging up on you wasn’t proof?
” Bohnes hauls the second door open and then pauses as I hold out my palm, lifting my brows.
Widow let me drive. Bohnes should do the same.
With a mean grin, he tosses the keys out and I catch them.
“But fine. Take a few days. Won’t change anything.
If Ash goes into hiding, it’ll be harder for me to kill him. I need to plan this carefully.”
I look past him, toward Alexei who’s obviously hiding something big from me, a fallen prince with fairy-tale blond hair and a thimble full of poison.
I have to be careful not to metaphorically prick myself on him.
He’s connected to the mob. What was I thinking?
I should’ve left him as a client and kept my heart (and my pussy, rawr) out of this.
“Move somewhere else if you want to, but Ash won’t give up this warehouse.
He already gave up Emma’s apartment today.
He’s made enough progress that he can stall safely for a bit.
I’ll be okay this week. It’s Alexei that I’m worried about.
” I shrug my shoulders and tuck my left hand into the pocket of my sweatpants.
“Don’t waste your energy.” Alexei unzips his sweatshirt, like he’s planning on staying in the warehouse. He doesn’t even look at the shower, staring at me instead. That means a lot. I’m the only person Alexei is willing to get gross for. I appreciate that. “It’s you that needs to be careful.”
He shrugs his sweatshirt off, revealing pale shoulders and a muscle tank that shows off the sculpted lines of his body.
He might be a rich boy, but he’s a tough one.
Alexei retrieves his metal thimble from the sweater’s pocket, clacking it against one of his nails.
He was ready for trouble today, wasn’t he?
What is he up to? Him and Bohnes, these motherfuckers.
I slip into the driver’s seat of the Chevelle as Alexei leans down in his serial killer gloves and aristocrat smile.
“I want to take you out on a proper date, Miss Force. Before the race, preferably. I don’t want the results of that contest to influence your opinion of me.” He says that like he expects to win, and it irks me. I use Bohnes’ keys to point at him.
“I have to go on a date with Widow first. It’s like a chain of command sort of thing.” I put the key in the ignition as Bohnes climbs in and Alexei frowns. He looks down at the metal ring on my finger and notices the diamond with a long, tired sigh.
“And you have to get engaged to Ash Kelly before you can get engaged to me? I see.” Alexei scowls as he stands up and then slams the driver’s side door on me.
I see Widow smirking, lighting up a cigarette as he leans back against the Stingray, wearing holey jeans and a dirty smile. He’s stunning. And so sad. Alexis wrecked him hard earlier, accusing him of things he would never do. I’d beat her ass for that disrespect alone.
I have a lot of work to do this week. I bite my thumbnail and realize it’s bleeding because I’ve been chewing it too much. I think about the way Ash bites his thumbnail, too.
“I should’ve stopped Ash from leaving that ring on your porch.
” Bohnes leans back in his seat, relaxing as I reverse his most prized possession out of the warehouse.
I’m wearing Widow’s ring. Ash’s ring. Bohnes is my Nightmare.
Ash is my wannabe sacrificial lamb. I almost punch the steering wheel.
I would, if this was my car. I won’t disrespect Bohnes like that.
“What a sentimental fool, dropping that off on today of all days.”
“Because he is a sentimental fool. He can’t help himself.” I shift gears and take off down the winding dirt driveway, blasting past trees and empty woods. They’ll stay empty. Bohnes is talented and Ash won’t tell. I’m a great judge of character.
Except when it comes to my girls.
I’ve been so careful not to let these boys burn me that I went too soft on the ladies.
Ouch.