65. Bay
SIXTY-FIVE
bay
Oh, Levi.
You should never take your eyes off me for a second.
The cool leather of his backseat feels amazing against my cheek as I lay and listen to his dual exhaust rumbling through the night.
Juice is still with the girls, and if my bestie thought I was going to chill tonight while he did fuck knows what, he’s got me fucked up.
Especially since Reeve slid into the front seat of the car and said he was riding shotgun.
Then proceeded to be threatened, cussed out, and promised to get dropped off along the border of The Landings because Levi didn’t want to “be bothered with a Forsaken Crew fuck tonight.”
Reeve—bless him—still didn’t tell us why he stopped by. He ate with us at the dining room table and pressed his thigh into mine, but he didn’t speak much. I can’t say I didn’t appreciate the buffer between Levi and me tonight, as well as the comfort.
But I have a funny feeling Levi is going to make a move or has some intel, and I’m looking to be in on it.
“How much money did you put into this thing to?—”
“Shut the hell up,” Levi clips, cutting Reeve off mid-sentence, and that’s my fault.
Well, maybe some of it.
“No need to get hostile, big man,” Reeve emits calmly. “We’re just talking about a car.”
“What was your fuckin’ play tonight?” Levi asks tersely. “You said shit-all at dinner and showed up unannounced.”
“Cairo told me to come check up on McQueen.”
“And?”
“And so, I did.”
“And are you high ?” Levi hurls back in his face. “Because we don’t have time to chase you around again.”
Reeve is silent for a moment, and I inhale a steady breath through the testosterone-filled space. “I appreciate you comin’ to find me, big man. I was touched.”
“It wasn’t for you.”
“I’m grateful for it, just the same. I knew you liked me.”
“I don’t like you,” Levi retorts. “In fact, I wish you would’ve stayed in the shithole you were in.”
“You know damn well she never would’ve stopped.”
“That’s the problem with Astor. She likes lost causes.”
“She likes you.”
“She tolerates me.”
I hear the leather seat squeak, prompting Reeve has, more than likely, adjusted his body in the front seat. “Are you having an episode of self-esteem issues? Because I can tell you, you have nothing to worry about.”
“If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’m going to do it for you.”
“With your dick or?—”
I hear a soft thud, then Reeve’s immediate chuckle.
“Ouch, big man. Don’t do any more brain damage. I’m already low on brain cells.”
“What’s a few more?”
“I’d like to keep the ones that remember McQueen, if you don’t mind.”
“I do.”
“I share. You don’t have to sweat me.”
“I’m not sweating any of you,” Levi retorts with agitation. “It’s that I don’t trust any of you. And I don’t like you around here.”
“Why?” Reeve solicits before his forearm props alongside the edge of the seat. “Do you think we fuck better than you?”
A mirthless chuckle rumbles from the driver’s side. “Oh, yeah, that’s it. You caught me.”
“You didn’t seem lacking to me.”
“If you’re about to say you were staring at my dick, Stanton, I’m going to toss you out of this car.”
“Didn’t get the chance,” Reeve muses. “But I was trying.”
“You’re a freak.”
“I’m bi.”
“I’m not.”
“You sure?”
“Last time,” Levi warns. “Because as much as I’d love to kick your ass, I don’t want blood in my car.”
“Is this your love language?”
“No, fucking Bay is. Next?”
“You weren’t very nice in her bedroom earlier. Fucking Carina Black…damn.”
“That was years ago—what the fuck did I say about shutting up?”
“I don’t remember,” Reeve says easily. “So, what’s the deal? You hate that she wants Torin back?”
“No,” Levi replies. “I hate that she’d kill herself to get Torin back. She doesn’t know what it’d do to me if she does.”
“Why don’t you tell her that?”
“Why don’t you?—”
“Shut the hell up,” Reeve drones for him, sounding bored Levi won’t play with him. “I heard you two seconds ago.”
“Then do it.”
“You need to get better at communicating.”
“You need to get better with reading the room.”
“I like this,” Reeve says with a pep to his voice. “We’d get along well if you’d just let go.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
“To what, exactly? You won’t shut me up with your dick, and obviously, you’re in denial about liking guys.”
“Geezus fucking Christ,” I hear Levi mutter under his breath, sounding at his wit’s end already. “I can’t win with you.”
“Just helpin’ you out, brother.”
“We’re not brothers. And for the love of God, shut the fuck up already. I liked you better when you were high.”
“I’m an asshole when I’m high.”
“You’re also non-communicative when you’re high. I like emo Reeve better.”
“Gave it up,” Reeve emits. “Had to. It’d be a never-ending chase of my brothers looking for me. Running away from problems is ideal but not a good use of my time.”
“And what, you’re all better now?”
“I never said that. I’d fucking shut up if you told me you’d take me to get some blow.”
“But…”
Reeve is silent for a moment, stirring the silence and causing my breath to seize. “I have to be better. For her, for my boys…for my dad. No one is going to take care of him like me. I can’t…abandon him.”
“You abandoned Bay.”
“What do you care?”
“I don’t. But you keep showing up.”
“Cairo told me to come tonight.”
“Did he tell you to fuck her, too?”
“She did that.”
Levi scoffs. “Yeah?”
“You don’t know shit, big man. That little vixen keeps cock-blocking me.”
“Sounds like a real problem.”
“It is when you’re trying to get away from someone who ripped your heart out of your chest.”
“Get over it,” Levi drones. “Your agitation and irritability is the cocaine speaking for you.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“And I say, let’s just be quiet for the rest of the ride. Close your lips.”
“Then what?”
“I swear to God, are you sure you don’t have a death wish?”
“Not particularly, no.” Then Reeve says after a beat, “However, I wouldn’t mind balls deep in McQueen if I have to go.”
“Finally, something we can agree on.”
“You gonna tell her you’re not jealous and?—”
“Do you have an off switch?”
“No, I’m just doing you a favor.”
“Well, don’t. I’ve managed her just fine without your commentary and stupid-ass suggestions.”
“Alright,” Reeve remarks, removing his arm from the bench seat. “Then I won’t tell you shit about how she’s currently in the backseat of your car.”
Levi’s Malibu suddenly comes to a screeching halt, sending my body barreling forward and toppling to the floor in a merciless heap.
Fucking Reeve.
The driver’s door pops open with a promising agitation bound to get me in trouble.
I wasn’t supposed to be here. I snuck outside—through my bedroom window—before Levi climbed into his car.
It was one way of having The Nameless not on my ass, even though I know they’re following Levi right now.
The seat is shoved forward, giving away my position before Levi drags me out of the small space to have it.
He doesn’t let me down on that feat, hooking his hand around my wrist, tugging me from the car and outside with his brute strength.
Thankfully, he gets me to my feet before he begins his full-on bitch fit, but I don’t allow him time. I heard everything I needed to hear during his and Reeve’s conversation moments ago.
He’s my ride or die.
He’s the reason I am who I am.
He’s South Shore.
And that’s home.
Quickly rising on my tiptoes, I wrap an arm around the back of his neck and tug Levi the rest of the way down because he’s so fucking tall.
He comes without argument, and I smash my lips to his before he can register what the hell I’m doing and that he found me like a stowaway in his car.
My tongue teases along the seam of his lips before Levi’s mouth opens, accepting shit for what it is, because I am who I am and that’s a straight pain in the ass.
I’m lifted in the air by meaty hands as I possessively wrap my legs around Levi’s waist and kiss him like I’m never going to get another shot at it.
Sometimes, it feels too good to be fucking real.
We’re the perfect blend of needy and sloppy. A rhythm that has finally found its final chord to make the perfect symphony of notes and song.
Hard, rough, alpha, emo, rugged—my favorite kind of melody.
Levi’s tongue slips between my lips, tasting me like he can’t get enough. He moves us, plopping back into his seat while my ass digs into the steering wheel.
“You two are so gorgeous, it’s stupid.”
It takes both Levi and me a second to register Reeve’s voice. We’re too easily wrapped up in each other that I don’t realize we’re not making out anymore when I can’t find Levi’s mouth.
Reluctantly cracking my eyes open, I find Lev already glowering at Reeve—shocker.
“Do you fuckin’ mind?” he clips out, squeezing my thighs in warning that he’s not a lover of the fan club gathered here today.
Meanwhile, I don’t mind, but I’m biased as shit. I’d love to be a Levi-Reeve sandwich.
“Not at all,” Reeve replies smoothly, gaze descending to where Levi’s hands are. “Do you?”
I lean forward, lightly pressing my cheek into the stubble of Levi’s. “He’s harmless, look at him.”
Reeve smirks, setting off a group of butterflies in my stomach, flicking his hazel eyes up to me in a subtle challenge. “Am I?”
“I don’t see you doin’ shit but getting fucked up,” Levi grinds out. “And you still being here.”
“But she likes it when I’m here.”
“I don’t.”
I do.
Selfishly, having both of them within the confines of this front seat makes me want to see how far I can push Levi to his limit.
To see if, maybe—just maybe—I can get this man to do some naughty shit with me and an audience.
Turning my face, I press a soft kiss to Levi’s cheekbone, then travel south and down his jawline.
Underneath me, I feel him relax just a bit, but not enough to forget Reeve’s still within two feet.
“I got this,” I hear Reeve say, but I don’t glimpse over to see what this is.
I’ve already made my way to Levi’s neck, darting my tongue out to taste the warmth of his skin and smelling his minty scent.
“I thought you said you didn’t get high anymore,” Levi retorts evenly then.
Reeve tsks. “I’m never getting rid of weed. Not in this world.”
Same, boy, same.
I amp my game up on Levi’s throat, sucking on his flesh while his cock twitches needily against my inner thigh.
Now I’m a bit annoyed Reeve spoke because Levi could be balls deep in me right now.
“Light it,” Levi orders in the rough tone that sends a thrill through my veins. “And, if you get ash on my interior, I’m fuckin’ you up.”
“Yes, sir,” Reeve muses, before the familiar flick of a lighter sounds through the air.
I smile, running the pad of my tongue up to Levi’s ear, clasping my lips around it before whispering, “We can save this for later if you want.”
His fingers knead one of my thighs once, alluding that he’s cool. “Now, where’s the fun in that, Astor?”
“You don’t like him.”
He turns his head a bit, the rough texture of his jaw brushing against my skin. “Good thing I like you, then.”
This man is the toughest one I know, but man, when he says shit like this, I melt.
Like a fucking virgin.
“Here,” I hear Reeve choke out as I pull back a bit, finding him passing a blunt over to Levi.
He plucks it from his grasp, placing it between his lips and inhaling, then moving his head to the side to blow the smoke through his window.
“You get your shit from Van?” Levi asks, exhaling more smoke from his lips as he turns the blunt to my lips.
“Tanner,” Reeve emits. “I used to fuck his twin brother.” I mindlessly send a withering glance in his direction because really? Did that just have to be mentioned? “That was way before you, McQueen.”
“If you want to keep your balls, I wouldn’t keep bringing up other people,” my best friend addresses as I take another drag. “Her little jealousy streak comes out.”
“I noticed.” Reeve’s eyes glimmer with half amusement, half cocky as fuck. “I like it.”
I’d love to toss the hollowed-out cigar of weed at his ass, but the shit is good.
And he doesn’t deserve it.
“Careful,” Levi cautions him. “She catches you with another bitch, she might put a clip in ’em.”
My head snaps to him with a scowl. “You just had to bring that up, too?”
“She had it coming, didn’t she?”
I dunno.
I take another drag of the blunt instead of answering. Who am I to judge anyone?
“She was runnin’ with De Leon, wasn’t she?” Reeve inquires, leaning back against the passenger door.
“Was about to flip South Shore,” Levi returns, holding my gaze with ease. “Destroy a town her father built. One he spent his life protecting so his daughters were safe. She told De Leon where I was before the drive-by.”
“Ah.” Reeve slides closer, one of his legs tucked underneath the other. “She had to be dealt with. She almost killed your man.”
He reaches up for me, softly brushing hair away from my face and setting my body on fire with that one movement and touch.
I missed him.
I missed this.
Easy, mellow, and him.
“You can’t play with that shit, McQueen.”
I bob my head a little, my voice low when I say, “I know.”
“Then stop feeling guilty about it because she was your so-called girl. She chose a side. You chose yours. You didn’t feel bad about almost running De Leon over.”
“You heard about all that?”
He smiles. “Cairo likes to give reports and make shit official like so we’re all on the same page.”
“Do I have a file, too?” I scoff because Sinatra is the most annoying motherfucker I’ve ever met.
Levi chuckles, taking the weed from between my fingers and sucking another draw.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Reeve admits. “He’s organized as shit, anal as fuck, and too neat. If that doesn’t call for a good fuck, I don’t know what else does.”
It’s, more than likely, why they’re all put together so nicely. Cairo is the straight and narrow. The serious one. The King of Wharf Bay to gain some control.
Nonetheless, I don’t appreciate him giving a briefing of my past transgressions.
The prick.
“Now,” Reeve surmises, leaning closer. “Where’s my kiss, McQueen?”
Did he just come back to me like that?
It seems unreal that, one minute, we’re going back and forth, then he can’t stand me, and now, he’s with me and Levi like nothing happened.
“How are you like this?” I press, feeling an uncomfortable flutter in my stomach because it feels too good to be true.
“Like what?”
“Normal.” I can’t think of another word to use, but I know he knows what I mean.
“You warned me, didn’t you?” His hazel eyes are calm and lucid, setting into my nerves and demanding they remain still. “I think your exact words were you guaranteeing the exile of my fuck buddies and my utter destruction.”
“Sounds deep,” Levi deadpans.
“She kissed a dude in front of me to prove that point.”
Levi’s fingers suddenly wrap around my jaw, forcing my attention on him and him only.
Shit.
“ Who ?” he fumes out, green eyes already darkened.
“Some rando,” Reeve replies. “Oh, wait, no. It was Bobby .”
Levi doesn’t acknowledge Reeve with a glance but asks, “One of yours?”
“Was. I got rid of him because he seemed to enjoy it a little too much.”
I try to look over at Reeve, but Levi won’t let me. “I want his last name, too.”
“Lev…” I narrow my eyes. “Stop it. Like Reeve said, I was trying to prove a point.”
“What’s next? You fucking someone?”
I roll my eyes. “No. I’m not?—”
“Speaking of fucking someone,” Reeve cuts in, sounding a bit lost in the sauce. “That’s what we’re about to go do. Ozzy and Cairo…they found Wildes.”