Chapter 6 #2
“I didn’t give it.” She bites back, tone even and dry.
Nadia didn’t look away or back down. Shifting slightly, I focus on her, seeing how she’s going to handle the situation and if I’ll have to fight my way out of this or if Em will accept her smart mouth as a greeting.
To my relief, he laughs and pushes his hand forward a bit more, shoulders relaxing, his stance shifting into more of an unintimidating lean that you see between friends.
“Nice to meet you, Smartass. Go on, shake it, let’s see if that attitude matches your grip.”
Nadia doesn’t hesitate, she lets go and slaps her hand in his where he feigns the power of her strength when she squeezes his palm.
He grabs his shoulder and hollers, hissing when his boys rush up thinking she’s doing real damage but he waves them off; delicately shaking her hand after his dramatics.
Em claps his free one on the back of hers and brings it up, kissing the faint scars on her knuckles.
A wave of jealousy rushes through me, settling in my jaw between my gritted teeth—dickhead.
“Alright, death grip, what’s your name?”
“Nadia.”
“Pretty. You Rey’s girl? Or you here to shop? I’m sure any of my boys would love to have a cute thing like you hanging on their arm.”
“If I was in the market for a fast track to the penitentiary, sure.”
A few lurkers hanging behind Em crack up at that, the sounds of their varying laughs mix with their clapping hands and hooting.
Em doesn’t say anything for a moment. You can see the wave of intrigue and a slight bit of annoyance pass over his features but he schools them and smiles at her.
His tongue moves in his mouth like he’s tasting something he has to swallow a few times to get down—pride.
“That’s enough, Nadia.” I chime in. Em snaps his gaze to mine and the mask comes down, covering the violence behind it.
“Come in, we’re about to throw some food on the grill. Celebration, successful run and because we fucking can. Nadia, join us, please. Let me introduce you to some of the other girls and show you that we’re just a big ass chosen-family here.”
“She won’t be leaving my side.” My tone is uncompromising and color me fucking grateful she doesn’t say anything as I speak boldly for her. She can rip me for it later, right now we have an appearance to make.
“Fine, fine, food and good vibes it is!” He relents, both hands lifting in that all too familiar hands up-don’t shoot pose, smirking at my girl.
Cocky asshole. I hope his siblings don’t turn out like him, one Em is enough on this fucking rock.
Reluctantly, we follow him; flanked by riders who are reaching for women as we move across the drive to the open garage-style door.
Grills are lined up on both sides, billowing heat, buffet style and my damn stomach growls when the scent of charred meat hits my nose.
Nadia quietly looks around, taking inventory of our surroundings for reasons I hate as we move deeper inside.
Four feet in front of the grills are folding tables loaded with fixings: tomatoes, lettuce, condiments, cheese, chips, grilled corn, tortillas, plates to my relief she declines and relaxes back into me as much as she can.
Her back pressing against my chest, trying to look like she might belong here, even if it’s only for a moment.
Leaning in, my nose grazes the side of her neck before I speak only where she can hear.
“Sorry, I’ll get us out of here as soon as I can. Em must want me for something or the riders wouldn’t have escorted us in.”
“Whatever,” she clips quickly.
Yeah, sassy pants. I know that tone.
“Rey, we need to talk.” Em states on cue, finding his place on the coffee table before us, too damn close to Nadia.
There are paper plates with food littering the top, beer cans, cups of alcohol, and soda.
I have a feeling he’s trying to intimidate her, ugly for him, he’s barked up the wrong damn tree.
“I thought you might, what you got?”
“Your sister’s boy.”
“Yeah, what about him?”
“He’s made waves—a name for himself here. Thought I would give you a heads-up, hopefully talk her out of having anything to do with him because I need him to focus. He gets lost in his phone and fucks up my shipments instead of doing what the hell I pay him to do.”
Em leans forward, digging his elbows into the tops of his denim-clad knees while he stares at Nadia.
She gives nothing away, even her body language screams ‘nice try’ all while one of my hands kneads her thigh.
I know what the hell he’s doing, he’s trying to scare her off—making her think I also work for him or will, and that her presence isn’t welcome.
He failed with my sister, surely he doesn’t think he will win with Nadia, her attitude and backbone is far sharper.
“I don’t know what you want me to do. He’s a grown man and though she’s only seventeen, I can’t tell her to do shit.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. She can kick rocks or he can go away for a long time. I’m trying to keep my operations open and moving in the right direction and she’s fucking it up.”
“Don’t put this on my sister.”
“Pussy is dangerous. You should heed the same warning.”
“Or you can mind your business.” Nadia sneers.
“Watch it, princess. I’ll wipe the floor with you before Rey can get his pretty ass off the couch.”
“Is this how you speak to all the guests you coerce into your cookouts? You’re not much of a host.”
“Brave mouth on you—and you…” he looks over at me. “You should control your girl better. I’ll let this incident slide once but after that you’re going to eat gravel.”
“Rey, can we go? Looks like respect isn’t a two-way street here.” She goes to rise and I yank her down to me.
“We’re not leaving yet.” She’s about to explode when I move the conversation back to the topic at hand. “I’ll talk to Ximena but there’s no promises, Em. I can only do so much. That’s something you might want to take up with him because I’ve tried to get her to dump his ass for a year now.”
“That’s not good enough, Rey. You know I expect things to be taken care of a certain way and you’re the man that can do it. I better see their relationship disappear before he gets hurt.”
“Hurt him then. I don’t like his ass to begin with.”
Em stalls, sitting up straight. His posture screaming violence, fingers cracking his knuckles trying to rein himself in, eyes dilating like those of a predator. He’s ready to strike but Nadia is in the way and he won’t hurt her.
There’s a long pause in the air, noise dying down momentarily.
Several pairs of eyes shift our way, some hesitant to be nosey, others ready to take count of everything as it unfolds.
This is what he hates, questioning and denying the things he wants done—immediately, might I add.
If he wants to control the world, perhaps he should cozy up to his dad and go the white-collar route instead of the gangster one because there will always be someone who will challenge him.
Em glances to his left, nodding at his right-hand man before he stands. Leaving Nadia’s head right at his waist height—putting her in an uncomfortable position that pisses me the hell off.
“I have a job for you.”
“No, thanks.”
“It wasn’t a fucking request, Rey. Wheels moving in ten minutes. Let’s go.”