Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
SKEETER
Ihad a thumping fucking headache, my mouth dry like cotton, and I groaned as I rolled over in bed to find a bottle of water and ibuprofen on the bedside table.
I’d had a pretty big night throwing myself a pity party, knowing I was working myself too damn hard but not knowing how to take some time to myself without the crew falling apart in the process.
We were in the middle of a war, I couldn’t just take a vacation.
Where the fuck was I?
I slipped out of bed once downing the pills and found my clothes on the floor, so I pulled them on before leaving the room, halting when I recognized Marco’s living room.
“It’s about time you woke up. It’s nine,” Marco drawled as I walked into the kitchen, finding him at the counter drinking coffee and smoking a joint.
“How did I get here?” I scowled. “Did you drug me?”
He laughed, standing to make another coffee. “No, I didn’t. I got home to find you drunk and pathetic. Tucked you into bed and had to fight you off. You get handsy when you’re drunk.”
I frowned, trying to remember. Most of it was fuzzy, but I definitely remembered him being in bed with me and my mouth all over him.
“You seriously got me into bed while I was that drunk?” I snapped, an amused look on his face as he handed me the coffee.
“I put you to bed to sleep. You’re the one I had to fight off.
You were all sad and horny. Trust me, I was a fucking saint because I knew you’d wake up and kill me if I bent you the fuck over.
Not to mention I’m missing visitation with the princess right now for you.
Hunt and Ty left at six to make the drive down to Fairview. ”
“Why am I even here?”
“Fucked if I know. Like I said, you were just sitting in my kitchen like a drunk creeper when I got home last night. I take it you’ve changed your mind about a morning fuck?”
“You’re delusional if you think I’m fucking you,” I growled, and he rolled his eyes.
“Hey, I’m not the one that was shoving my hands under your clothes and leaving bite marks all over you. Was there something bothering you last night? You mentioned Slash a few times and not hating me, but I’m pretty sure that’s not enough to make you try and drunk-fuck me.”
I racked my brain, trying to figure out what the fuck had happened. I didn’t seem to have my keys on me, so I didn’t drive. Unless I left them in the ignition somewhere.
“Drink the coffee. I’ll take you home and see if we can find your car,” Marco stated when I didn’t say anything, and my stupid heart beat a little faster when he ran his fingers through my hair.
I snagged his wrist and he paused, waiting for me to speak.
“Why didn’t you kick me out last night?”
“Because I give a shit about you,” he answered, pulling his wrist from my hold and taking my hand instead, giving it a squeeze. “Things must have been bad in your head if you came here, so I wasn’t going to send you packing when you asked to stay.”
There were too many questions in my head, and I let his hand go like it burned me. He didn’t react, moving back to his seat and lighting another joint.
We didn’t talk while I finished my coffee, and he silently handed my gun and knife over when we were ready to leave. I considered shooting him, but it wasn’t a crime to babysit my dumbass for getting too drunk.
Once at my house, some of the panic kicked in. The McLaren wasn’t there, so where the fuck was it?
“I’ll call D,” Marco offered, and as much as I didn’t want Diesel to know what had happened, my phone was also missing, so I couldn’t call him myself once Marco left.
I gritted my teeth and nodded, Marco giving me a smirk as he pressed the phone to his ear. He knew this whole thing was pissing me off, and his cocky bullshit was back now we’d left his house.
“Good morning. Any idea where your boss’ car is? He crashed at mine and he’s lost it. He was really drunk,” Marco said brightly, making me scowl as I snatched the phone from him.
“Is my car at the Shed?” I asked, hearing him snort.
“Yes, it is. You spent the night at Marco’s? Skeet—”
I hung up and handed the phone back, glaring at him. “It’s at the Shed. Take me there.”
“You sure you want to pull up in my car? People might talk,” he grinned, backing out of my driveway and heading towards the Shed.
“If I gave you the intention we were buddies last night, I’m sorry. Not happening,” I huffed, swatting his hand away when he patted my thigh.
“We felt like more than buddies when my cock was in your hand, but whatever.”
“I did not—”
“You were attacking my chest with your mouth while jerking me off. Not that I’m complaining,” he chuckled, glancing at me. “Kind of mad at myself for stopping you. No one fucks me like you do.”
I reached over to turn the radio on, making him laugh as I cranked it up so we couldn’t talk.
Small memories flashed through my head, and I’d definitely had my hand in his pants. The fuck was wrong with me?
He’d barely stopped the car at the Shed when I climbed out, and I gave him a dirty look when he switched off the engine and followed.
“Go home, asshole.”
“You should be nicer to me, you know?” he hummed, grinning as I shoved him back.
“Get in the car and go. If Hunter’s off seeing Aurora, shouldn’t you be working to cover for him?” I demanded, and he shrugged.
“Most of the guys were organized for today since I was supposed to go with Hunt. You saying your crew can’t function without you? Is this a daycare center?”
“Marco,” I gritted out, and my frustration must have shown because he put his hands up.
“I’m going, chill. If you get lonely later, you know where to find me,” he answered, walking back to his car and giving me a stupid little wave before shutting himself inside the car and starting the engine.
I made sure he was gone before walking inside, Diesel giving me a flat look as I stepped into the office.
“You going to tell me what that was all about?” he asked, leaning back in his seat.
“Mind your own business.”
“I’m worried about you. Sue me,” he scoffed, turning his screen to show me something. “If you don’t want to talk about Marco, we’ll talk about this. Soldiers broke into one of our stash houses last night. It was empty, but they’re obviously snooping. What do you want to do about it?”
I cursed, moving to stand beside him to get a better look, my problems about Marco forgotten. It was definitely Razor.
“We can’t fucking use that place if the Soldiers know about it,” I growled, taking the mouse to look through other footage. None of our other places seemed to be compromised, but that didn’t mean the assholes weren’t looking for them.
“We’ll have to increase security,” he stated, pulling up a list of our current schedule. “We should double the men at the places currently holding the drugs and weapons. Moving it won’t do much if they already know of the other places.”
“Everyone’s already overworked. It’ll piss them off.”
“How many times do a handful of us go days without sleep? They can get the fuck over it,” he snorted, adding more names to tonight’s security and switching others around.
We went over a few other things, like the rest of the week’s business meetings, and Brick appeared with Samuel once we were done.
“We’ve got trouble. Cliff’s car got hit on the way here with Matteo,” Brick said sharply, and I was on my feet instantly.
“Where are they? Are they okay?”
“Back road by the old rail line. Matteo has a few cuts and scrapes from the car wrecking, but Cliff was shot through the back window. Straight threw the head,” Samuel bit out, and I knew the rest of my day was going to be goddamn mayhem.
It had to be the fucking Soldiers.
Tyler
“Do you think she’s okay?” I asked as Hunter parked the car at Fairview Prison, giving me the side-eye.
“She’s fine.”
“How can you be sure? What if—”
“Mark hacked into the system to check last night.”
I glared at him, considering punching him but thinking better of it since he was my ride home.
“You let me stress over this all night and for the entire four hour drive when you knew she was fine? Was there a reason she didn’t call?”
He winced, switching off the engine and unbuckling his seat belt.
“There were a few issues, but she wasn’t the target.
Someone was attacked in the showers. It was planned, and all the clues lead to Rory and Lexi being the attackers, but with no proof, they can’t punish them.
Rory also started a fight and got a newbie put in the hole.
No idea what over though, and Rory made it look like the other girl was the problem, not her. She wasn’t punished for that either.”
“Lexi’s not forcing her into things, right?”
“Since when has it been possible to force Rory to do anything?” he said dryly, making me feel a little better.
“Can we find out today?”
“I’ll ask, but don’t go blurting shit out across the room.
The guards can’t know we saw footage or we’re all fucked, and they can’t know Rory’s involvement,” he warned, climbing out and emptying his pockets.
I did the same before we walked inside together, and Hunter gave me an apologetic look when I was dragged off to be strip searched.
They could look at my cock and balls all they liked. It was probably the best cock they’d ever laid eyes on anyway, and I hoped they were jealous of Rory for getting to have it all to herself.
Hunter was waiting for me outside the private room after he’d been searched too, and he sighed.
“I was wondering how long it would take them to start searching you too. We always get searched, so I’m surprised it took them so long.”
“They won’t do it for much longer when I file a harassment claim against them for you,” I scoffed loud enough for the guards close by to hear.
“Aw, thanks, bro,” he chuckled, nudging me ahead so we could enter the visitation room to wait.
Other families entered, and once everyone was seated, the inmates started wandering in through another door.
My heartbeat picked up when Rory walked out, just like it always did when I laid eyes on her, and she gave me a tight hug as I stood to greet her.