CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
STRAY
I was ready to kill this motherfucker. My fist slammed into Noah’s face repeatedly. The sick bastard seemed to enjoy it. He took several hits before fighting back. Guys like him were unpredictable. Unhinged.
In my peripheral view, I saw Codie run. Not that I blamed her. She didn’t want to get caught up in my bullshit. I wouldn’t want to either if I were her. There was a reason most of us were still single.
All right, there were a few reasons. Most of us were players who weren’t ready for anything more than a good fuck. However, there was also this. The lives we lived. Not a lot of women wanted to tie themselves to a guy up to his eyeballs in violence and crime. Codie didn’t want this.
I shouldn’t want it for her either. I was a fool to think I could claim her. Make her mine. I’d never wanted that before. I still didn’t know if I did want that. All I knew was that I wanted her.
Going after her now wasn’t an option. Noah had stabbed a hole in my fucking tire, stranding me in the parking lot. I wasn’t sure why he felt the need to play the hero. He didn’t even like women. This wasn’t about getting Codie’s attention. This was only about pissing me off.
My face was still healing from the fight with Danny a week ago. The bruises had faded significantly. Now Noah was creating new ones to take their place. Adrenaline made it so that I barely felt each blow.
We took turns throwing punches, shoving each other around the parking lot. I’d had more than enough of Venom for one day. I was ready to kick this dick’s skull in.
“What kind of a sick fuck are you?” Noah smashed me in the chin with his left fist after faking me out with his right. “Cornering women in the parking lot? What were you going to do to her? Sexual predators like you are good for nothing. You deserve to be six feet under.”
I’d been called a lot of things in my twenty-two years. A sexual predator was not one of them. I’d never needed to prey on any woman. They were more than happy to spread their legs for me. Even Codie.
“You’re talking out your ass. You have no idea what’s going on between Codie and me. I would never hurt her. I would fucking kill anyone who tries.” Every sentence was followed by a punch thrown at Noah.
He blocked a few before taking a good one in the nose.
He laughed with blood running down his face, pausing to spit some on the ground.
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re a real standup guy.
Everyone knows you love them and leave them.
Moving on to the next girl before the sheets have even cooled from the last one.
I feel sorry for any woman unlucky enough to get involved with you. ”
A surge of fury gave me a boost of strength. I shoved Noah hard enough to send him flying into the back of my car. He flipped over the trunk and landed on the asphalt.
Back on his feet in seconds, Noah lunged at me. I was ready for him. I had a lot of pent-up frustration to release.
There was a shout as Rebel and Casper arrived on the scene. Rebel grabbed for me while Casper went for Noah. They pulled us apart, despite our efforts to keep fighting.
“Chill the fuck out, man,” Rebel admonished. He put himself in front of me, forcing me to back away.
As furious as I was, I wasn’t going to shove one of my best friends around just to get to Noah. Casper wrestled Noah down to the ground, pinning him with a heavy knee on his chest.
“What the hell is going on here?” Rebel asked, looking to me for an explanation.
I gestured angrily to the stab hole in my back tire, which was now flat. “That son of a bitch stabbed my tire. He thought he was saving Codie from me. Getting involved in my personal business.”
“She was trying to get away from you,” Noah shouted from where he flailed against Casper’s hold. “I saw it myself.”
Rebel nodded as he put it all together. Crouching down next to Noah, he grabbed him by the throat, his hand darting out like a snake striking.
“Are you ready to die today, Noah?” Rebel asked. “It’s a simple enough question. Yes or no will do.”
Noah glared up at Rebel. After a moment he shook his head. “No.”
“Good. I’d rather not have to deal with cleaning up your carcass. Casper is going to let you go now, and you’re going to walk the fuck away. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay out of King business. Got it?”
Seething hatred was written all over Noah’s face. Knowing he was dangerously outnumbered, he had no choice but to play along. “Yeah, I’ve got it. Get the fuck off me.”
At Rebel’s nod, Casper stood up, releasing Noah. He scrambled to his feet, snatching up the knife he’d dropped before backing away, keeping his eye on all three of us.
Unable to leave without a parting remark, he shouted, “Your time is coming. Payback will be a bitch.”
Casper’s hands moved as he signed, “Dom was right. Those fuckers are plotting against us.”
I sighed, shoving a hand through my hair as I turned to inspect my tire. It was a goner. Taking out my phone, I searched for a tow truck to take the car to a local tire shop. I didn’t have a spare handy. This was really not how I wanted to spend my afternoon.
“Of course they are.” Rebel stared after Noah as he got further away. “I’d do the same if I were them. They’ll never win this war though. They’ve got to know that.”
I made the call to the tow truck. Every time I looked at my tire I wanted to explode. I’d been getting somewhere with Codie. She started to open up, revealing some of her true feelings. Then that fucking asshole had to come along and ruin it.
“Goddammit,” I swore, kicking the flat tire. I didn’t care that my jaw ached from the fight. I didn’t even care about having to pay for a new tire. What I cared about was that I’d been getting somewhere with Codie. Breaking down some of those walls she’d built between us.
Knowing her, she was working hard to build them right back up again. Doing everything possible to shut me out. She could try. I knew what I wanted, and I would have it.
“You really have a thing for that girl,” Casper signed. “It’s adorable.”
He smirked at me, his expression saying more than his hands ever could.
Usually, I was ready for this shit from the guys.
Ready to fire back at them. Not this time.
I leaned against my car, pulling out the last joint I had on me.
It’s not like I would be driving any time soon.
Might as well get high and take the edge off.
“Yeah, I feel really fucking adorable.” I puffed on the joint, sucking the smoke deep into my lungs.
Rebel chuckled, leaning against the car beside me. “It’s about time someone else gets their balls busted. I’ve had enough over the last several months.”
“Yeah yeah. Let me have it then. Stray the manwhore has met his match.” Tipping my head back, I stared up into the blue sky, watching the fluffy white clouds drift past. A plume of smoke billowed above my head.
“What’s going on between you two anyway? It’s obviously more than fucking.” Rebel helped himself to my joint, swiping it from my fingertips.
“I’ve only fucked her once. She’s not like other women I’ve known.
Codie has a dark streak a mile wide. I fucking love it.
She likes it rough and dangerous. She doesn’t like me though.
Not really.” Why did I have to sound so fucking pathetic?
I wanted to knock myself out if only to make myself shut the fuck up.
Rebel puffed on the joint for a minute before saying, “That’s not what Storm thinks. She hasn’t told me much but she made it sound like Codie was asking about you. Those girls have their secrets. I’m sure there’s a lot they don’t tell us.”
Casper tapped my arm to get my attention before signing, “If Noah knows you’re involved with her, then you need to be careful. Remember what happened to Storm?”
That thought had already crossed my mind. Venom had gone after Storm, kidnapping her with the intent to kill her and pin it on Rebel. There was no underestimating them. Noah had just vowed revenge. I wouldn’t put it past him to target Codie.
“River got exactly what he deserved,” Rebel said. He had absolutely no regrets nor should he. “The rest of them must know they’ll end up the same way if they push us too far.”
I sure as hell hoped so. If being involved with me put Codie in the line of fire, I would never forgive myself.
Casper and Rebel hung out with me until the tow truck arrived. I watched with my temper simmering as my car was hooked up and taken away. Being unable to go after Codie was making me crazy.
“Take a break from Codie for a while. Come with us tonight. We have a simple drop. I think it will be good for you to get out for a bit.” Rebel clapped me on the back, steering me over to his car.
I had been spending a lot of time and attention on Codie lately. Neglecting my role in the Kings was not something I wanted. Our business and our friendship was important to me. Essential. A night out with them doing what we did best would be good for me.
The three of us handled the job without Dominik and Auryn. All five of us weren’t required for a simple drug drop. A batch of pharmaceuticals to a regular client. Nothing too concerning.
We waited until dark before loading up the goods from a storage locker where we kept them after receiving a new delivery.
Our meeting would be at the graveyard like usual.
On the way over, I checked the tracking device on Codie’s car.
It was in the parking lot of her building, right where it should be.
She hadn’t yet figured out that I’d put a tracking device on her car, and I hoped she never would.
Casper leaned forward from where he sat in the middle of the back seat. He ogled my screen and laughed. Shoving his hands in front of me where I could see them, he signed, “Are you tracking that woman? You’re a goner, dude.”
“Eat shit,” I muttered. “Better watch your ass, man. You might be next.”
“What’s going on? What are you guys talking about?
” Rebel was focused on driving, unable to pay attention to Casper’s signing.
He also wasn’t as adept at understanding it as I was.
Casper often had to type shit out on his phone for Rebel.
Auryn too. Lazy bastards. They could have made a bigger effort to learn.
“Casper thinks I’m a goner because I have a tracker on Codie’s car. Honestly, it’s because she’s a bit of a flight risk. I’ve caught her up to no good more than once. The girl is a danger to herself.” My explanation sounded good to me.
My friends weren’t buying it. Rebel snickered. “Welcome to the club, Stray. How does it feel to be obsessed with a woman you can’t get enough of? It only gets stronger. It might make you crazy, but it’s the best fucking kind of crazy.”
With a groan, I let my head fall back against the passenger seat. “Don’t tell me this shit, Rebel. I don’t think I can handle it right now.”
I’d barely scratched the surface with Codie.
The rush she got when I pressed a knife to her throat or a gun to her head while fucking her was no different from the rush I got while doing it.
We would probably never have what Rebel and Storm had.
I would have to live with that. Still, I wasn’t turning my back on this now.
I hadn’t gotten nearly as high on her as I believed possible. I needed another hit.
I knew what I had to do.
Glancing over at Rebel, I said, “Do me a favor, would you? Talk to Storm when you get home. Get her to make plans with Athena tomorrow night. Anything it takes to keep her out of the apartment so Codie is there alone.”
As he pulled to a stop at a red light, he gave me a curious stare. “What kind of game are the two of you playing? Is this like a predator and prey thing?” When I didn’t respond but merely continued to stare at him, he said, “I’ll talk to Storm. I’ll see what I can do.”
Keeping Athena out of the apartment tomorrow night was essential. I would be paying Codie a visit. The night I held a gun to her head was nothing compared to what I had in mind.