58. Bay
FIFTY-EIGHT
bay
Avena Black is the picturesque version of the perfect wife. She’s gentle, patient, and welcoming as she greets Ellie and Mae with Cairo’s two insanely gorgeous sisters. The stark contrast between Paisley and the now obvious reason why she never liked me in the first place.
I wasn’t her daughter, and she didn’t want me to be.
Mae and Ellie receive hugs and praises for how much they’ve been missed. I stand idly by, watching the scene unfold, soaking in the quickness of their vibe and comfortability.
My sisters were only with the Blacks for maybe a week and a half at most, but they’re brought in like long-lost family, and the Black women appear enamored to have my sisters back.
There’s no awkwardness—except me standing here like a freak—while they talk and catch up with each other. Carina and Luisa are also picture-perfect with Ellie and Mae, and I almost feel inadequate with my knowledge of how to be a good sister.
I suck.
Right down to my constant recklessness and ongoing drama. They’d be better off without me, however, I’d never let them go.
“Quit comparing,” Levi grumbles through my thought, brushing his arm against my body as he settles in at my side. “You’re not the same.”
“No shit,” I deadpan, glimpsing around the enormous family room. It’s beautiful, with mauve walls and a giant fireplace Torin and Reeve are currently camped at. They’re sitting across from each other in two plush leather chairs next to a roaring fire. Candles are lit every which way to give it a homey feel as they move their hands around, signing their secret messages every which way.
“You’re not the same as in, they could never be you,” Levi retorts, stepping in front of me to block my comparison of myself to everything. “Don’t start doing this shit.”
“Doing what shit?”
“You know exactly what shit,” he replies as I meet his scowl. “You’re much more interesting.”
“For now.”
Levi steps closer and the moment he does, Ozzy shows up at his side. Two strong men on different levels, with alternate personalities and a thousand tattoos.
Both openly stare at me, light green versus light blue eyes.
Levi’s taller and more bulked out—with his steroids and all—but Ozzy is faster and observant.
And my God, they’re both gorgeous as hell.
“What?” I press evenly, crossing my arms along my chest against their intense gazes.
“I think Oz is in support of this.”
I glance at said man and shrug off Levi’s words. “I’m fine. Stop making this weird. And stop hovering over me like I’m having a nervous breakdown, and I need one of you to hold my hand.”
“We talk to Lorenzo,” Levi states. “And then we’re out.”
“I bet she has a ten-course meal waiting for us.”
Ozzy bows his head, making my stomach drop a bit, but Levi comes in for the rescue. “We didn’t agree to dinner.”
“Levi Wallace.”
My best friend moves his body to look over, giving me enough space to find Carina moving toward us. She moves with grace and elegance, dressed in a simple black dress held up by thin straps and ruffles that start at her hips and go down to mid-thigh. It doesn’t appear she threw too much effort into her appearance, but she’s stunning anyway.
Her dark brown hair is long and slightly curled as it bounces off her slim shoulders. She smiles, big and bright, and it’s then I remember Luisa teasing Levi about her older sister and how they may have known each other in some way.
“I never thought I’d see you so grown up,” she surmises lightly, closing the distance between us.
“Why?” I hear him rumble in that deep voice of his. “Did you think I was going to die?”
She stops at Ozzy’s side, and I notice he doesn’t flinch back or move. “Not at all. I just thought you would’ve run away from all this by now.”
“I never run away.”
“I see that.” Her light copper eyes gleam up at him. “Still…a girl could’ve dreamed.”
About what?
“It’s good to see you, Carina,” Levi emits, not sounding at all annoyed, however, I’m beginning to. “I never thought I’d seen you so grown up and still living at home with your parents.”
She chuckles lightly, not sounding at all put off by Levi’s small amount of shade. “If you were around at all, you’d know I don’t.”
“Wharf Bay isn’t my thing.”
“Maybe it was a one-night thing, then.”
The temperature of my blood spikes at her innuendo because I’m not an idiot. They’ve fucked, and he’s come here—to Wharf Bay—and I want to rip her perfect hair out of her beautiful head and throw it at her.
“Bay…” I hear Ozzy mutter, trying to calm my rising temper, but I don’t allow it to wear off.
I’m pissed.
I have no right to be, no pot to piss in or leg to stand on when it comes to it, but I am. Levi and I weren’t a thing. He had a life, and I had mine. Even though they intertwined, and we’ve always been together, we didn’t sit down every Sunday and discuss who we fucked the week before.
Nonetheless, the last thing I want to see or hear about—even think about—is Levi fucking her.
I can’t compare to Carina’s grace and beauty if it was shoved down my throat. That girlie-girl shit wouldn’t be something I’d ever be able to nail down.
And it’s always what I pictured Levi with.
Someone who would be super sweet with a bit of bite to her but always down for her man. Who would be in cute dresses, baking some stupid shit for him to chow down like an animal and always there to support him and what he does.
Accepting.
And Carina comes from a powerful family, knows how to ride or die, and is perfect for the job.
Warm skin gently brushes against my knuckles, causing my immediate focus to slice right over to Ozzy.
His blue eyes are calm, collected, and obviously fully aware of what’s happening in my head.
Maybe it’s my resting bitch face.
Maybe I was scowling.
I hear Carina speak, but I don’t register the words when I’m deeply lost in my husband’s line of sight. He controls the narrative when he has me like this. He doesn’t need words or anything else besides my name to take full control of me.
Normally, it’d be a pain in my ass.
But right now, I can’t throw down over shit that happened only God knows how long ago.
Levi has a past.
So do I.
And he’s been patient as fuck with me while I navigate my shit, these boys, and he still wants me anyway.
I nod, acknowledging I’m aware of what Ozzy wants me to do.
He wants me to chill.
And I’m trying—ish.
“Mr. Wallace.” A male voice illuminates the space, breaking mine and Ozzy’s moment as we both watch Lorenzo Black gingerly limping through the living room from the foyer with a cane for support. “I appreciate you coming by.”
God, how badly was he hurt?
I remember the blood and him being in and out of consciousness, but I didn’t think he’d turn out this badly.
He gestures toward the two sets of couches as his wife approaches his side, probably to be of assistance if he needs it. “Please take a seat.”
“I’ll stand,” Levi replies but jerks his head. “But I’m sure you need to rest.”
Lorenzo scoffs off a chuckle. “You have no idea. Getting shot isn’t what it used to be.”
Avena frowns, but Lorenzo turns his attention to Ellie and Mae with a friendly smile. “It’s good to see you girls again. I had the cook make up those cranberry bars you liked and some chicken pasta. The one with the spicy—” Mae takes off like a bat out of hell out of the room, clearly remembering where the kitchen is.
Meanwhile, Lorenzo glances over at me with a shrug. “I was going to say if it was okay after that sentence.”
“It’s fine,” I deadpan, looking over to Ellie. “Go ahead, babe.”
“I’ll go with you,” Luisa chimes in, wrapping her arm around my sister’s shoulders. “I have some new makeup and clothes I wanna show you when we’re done.”
I watch them saunter out, muttering amongst themselves as I begin to feel overwhelmed.
This is everything I wanted my sisters to have.
Comfort, a safety net, and people who wanted to do things for them. Something to fall back on just to have.
“Can I get you a drink, Bay?” Carina asks me with her sweet, idealist hostess voice. “I make a mean sweet and sour.”
Be nice. Be nice. Be nice.
“Thanks,” I grind out as equally sweet as I can. “I’d love one.”
She smiles at me—of course she does—and waltzes away. Meanwhile, I’m caught between wanting to get the hell out of here and being a responsible adult with getting all this Titan shit over with so my sisters are safe.
“I gathered you all today for our next steps,” Lorenzo announces to the room, slowly sitting in a chair Avena grabs for him. It’s stiff, so he can get out of it easier, and he strums his fingers along the top of his cane. A temporary one, I hope. “Wallace, since you’re dead to the world, I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Was already the plan,” Levi replies. “However, I fail to see why I’m here in the first place and possibly being seen.”
“Ramsey and Bay with that Titan seat,” he deadpans, not bothering to look at me but continuing to keep his gaze on Levi.
“It’s not going to happen.”
“It will if he scoops up six of your men. We both know you only need twelve witnesses. It doesn’t have to be a grand affair like it was for Cairo.” I search for him, noticing he’s still not here. He set up this meeting, and he hasn’t shown up. “He’s going to kill her, and we both know it.”
Geezus.
My face skews with the lack of confidence Lorenzo Black just bestowed on me, but I don’t come back with anything.
It’s pointless to argue with a Black.
“And you’d suggest what?” Levi presses evenly. “She stays here with you?”
“It’d be ideal. But we both know that’s never going to happen.”
“Not when I don’t have full access to her at all times.”
Lorenzo nods. “You’re more than welcome to sneak in here whenever you wish.”
“Not without being seen,” Levi replies. “Or do your men suck that bad?”
“Come find out and see.” He fixes my best friend with a solemn look, expressing he’s not thrilled at the clapback, but doesn’t engage in any more than that. “Penn Northcott has been silent since Emilio’s death which worries me. I haven’t been able to get through to him, and that’s not normal.”
Levi shrugs. “He in lockdown?”
“I don’t know. No one will tell me shit-all and that’s not normal either. The guards I’ve dealt with aren’t available, and it seems like someone is blocking my access to him.”
“Ramsey,” Torin chimes in, still sitting with Reeve by the fireplace. “He’s trying to kill him.”
“And how do you know that?” Lorenzo inquires. “Has he said something?”
“He knew Emilio was attempting to take it over so he could rule over the other four seats. He’ll take it. He’ll kill me and Bay to destroy the South Shore seat. Cairo will be next and Reeve…” He lifts his shoulders. “He’ll just be the icing on the cake for Bay when he rips him into shreds while she watches.”
“He’ll kill her before it gets that far,” Lorenzo states. “However?—”
“He’s going to get rid of the seats,” Pretty Boy cuts in. “There won’t be any more working together bullshit. He’ll want to run the whole thing. He’s never played well with others. He doesn’t have friends, nor does he want them. All my brother wants is fear, and he’ll get it when he takes over everything.”
“Speak for yourself, Baby Wildes,” Levi emits. “If anyone is safe here, it’s you on my Titan seat.”
“Doubt it,” Torin retorts evenly. “The Nameless aren’t better than the Forsaken Crew and vice versa. We’ve proved that over the years, haven’t we? We’re both alive.”
“We’re both alive because Bay would have both our dicks on a silver platter.”
“You had zero issues almost taking me out five years ago at that party in East Riverside. What were you going to tell her? It was a fucking hitman?”
I steer my attention to Levi, but he doesn’t stop glowering at Pretty Boy. “Nah, I’d tell her straight up it was me. And she’d live with it. I’m sure she’d live with it right now.”
“Your macho-man routine is cute, Wallace,” Reeve admits, leaning back in his leather chair. “But Torin is right. You suck balls as much as I do.”
“You’re going to choke on mine if you don’t shut the hell up.”
Reeve quirks an eyebrow. “I’ve been trying to do that for years. Say when.”
My lips curve into a smile as Reeve steals a glance at me, giving me a quick wink before appearing bored as shit again.
He’s coming back.
“All past history aside,” Lorenzo chimes in, “I need Penn to pull something. This is going too far now, and I need his proxy.”
“I don’t know who that is,” Levi replies. “No one does, as far as I know. But he or she would have to be here somewhere and see all this shit happening. Why haven’t they done anything?”
“What can they do?” I ask. “This fifth seat hasn’t done anything since this has all gone down.”
Lorenzo exhales heavily. “They can exile Ramsey, but I don’t think it would last long. They could nix the Titan fight between you and Ramsey with just a word. And now that Torin mentioned it, Ramsey might be cutting us off from being able to do that.”
“How is he safe in a prison? I don’t get it.”
“Penn owns the prison,” Lorenzo replies. “He owns the guards, the payroll, everything now.”
“Like…legally or?—”
“Nothing is legit,” Levi says. “But Penn can’t buy the judge off. His sentence is cemented, so Penn keeps guards under his payroll to keep him safe and to send off his messages. He also keeps Emilio out—or did.”
Lorenzo nods. “And now he’s gone silent.”
“Which means, his proxy might not be able to get word to him either. Maybe he or she isn’t allowed to move yet until they get word.”
I tsk. “That’s stupid.”
“It may have been sudden,” Levi states in his defense. “Penn is a smart man. However, since Emilio’s discovery of you…I don’t know if he thought we’d handle it or if he was trying to.”
“I want to know your move on De Leon and Ramsey,” Lorenzo orders, cutting right into the thick of business. “My boys will be of service in any way possible.”
“You’re not the King of Wharf Bay anymore,” Levi rebukes with a sneer. “Unless your son is too busy getting into his feelings about Bay.”
“He’s handling business.”
“And what business is that?”
“You know this is going to work both ways.” Lorenzo glances over at me for help. “I think I’ve proven myself by protecting Ellie and Mae, you should know I’m not a threat, nor is my son. If we don’t work together…we’re all going to possibly die together.”