Page 114 of Vega

I placed my hand in the small of Sonnet’s back to urge her forward. “Yeah.”

We all filed out of the house. We kept our heads on a swivel, with Sonnet tucked in the middle of us, as we walked to our rides.

I put her in the passenger seat of the black Ferrari and felt her staring at the interior like she was afraid to touch anything.

On the way to Crown, she glanced over at me. “Can I ask you something?”

“You don’t have to ask.”

“I know you said you don’t have a girlfriend, but are you intimately involved with anyone?”

“Not anymore. I was until recently.”

“What happened recently?”

I looked at her instead of answering and held her gaze.

Her blush came fast. “Oh.”

“Yeah…” I gave her a flirtatious smirk. “Oh.”

She turned toward the window, smiling like she was trying to hide it and failing.

“I never did relationships,” I admitted after a moment. “Not because I couldn’t have one. Because I never met a woman who made me want to stop moving like I had endless options.”

“And now?”

I kept one hand on the wheel and let the other rest near hers. “Now I’m hoping that changes soon.”

Sonnet looked down, full-on gushing now, trying to bite back a smile that had already won.

“You’re dangerous,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“No,” she said, looking at me again. “I mean to me.”

I took her hand and brought it to my mouth, kissing her knuckles once before setting it back down. “Good. Then maybe we’re even.”

SONNET ELLISON

When we pulled up, I had no idea where Vega had brought me. The building was lit up against the night. Music was vibrating from the club through the car. I wanted to ask where we were, but I stayed quiet because beggars couldn’t be choosers. I had been trapped inside houses for too long, and at that point, I would’ve accepted almost any destination with walls that didn’t belong to Vega.

Not that Vega was the worst person to be in hiding with. He was great to look at. Still, beautiful kidnappers didn’t cure cabin fever. I needed noise, movement, strangers, and proof that the world still existed beyond locked doors, security systems, and his intense eyes watching me like I was something he’d decided to keep.

Wise, Prodigy, Lux, and Lowe parked beside us. The moment we all got out, we walked toward the entrance.

Lux and Lowe were already bouncing around and talking shit to everyone. I loved when they came around. They were hilarious. Lux and Lowe looked nothing like Wise, Vega, and Prodigy, which made their place in the family even more interesting to me. Wise, Vega, and Prodigy had that mixed Black and Italian look, sharp features, lighter eyes, and the kind of beauty that made people stare before they realized they were staring. Lux and Lowe were the complete opposite. They were dark-skinned and fine in a more athletic, street-pretty way. Their features were softer but still masculine, with clean haircuts, full lips, sharp cheekbones, and bodies that looked built from sports, trouble, and genetics. They had matching faces, but their energy separated them. Lux had the louder presence. Lowe seemed quieter, more watchful, and less reckless, though I could tell he was just as much of a problem when he wanted to be. Together, they brought a different kind of flavor to the group. They were younger, flashier, and more playful, but still carrying that same Street King aura that warned people not to mistake pretty for harmless.

“Lux, don’t start no shit in here tonight,” Lowe said.

Lux sucked his teeth. “Why y’all always putting that on me?”

“Because last time you told two friends you were taking both of them home right in front of their boyfriends,” Prodigy chuckled.

Lux grinned. “What the fuck was those niggas gon’ do?”

Wise laughed and shook his head. “That’s exactly why we said don’t start no shit.”