AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Bow the fuck down,” I imitate her raspy voice easily.
We both explode laughing.
“The nerve you have to talk like that to Bianco’s fighters. You’re gonna get what’s coming to you, I swear.” I keep on laughing and it feels so good, it’s better than a good high.
“I getwaytoo confident on coke. I need a break from it,” she cackles. “Please protect me, I don’t want Billie to kick my ass.” Laughing tears break from her eyes as we keep on joking about things we know would never happen.
Ozy and I are too sheltered. Nate, Sam, they’d never let anyone from NSC touch us. It’s sad, but in our own fucked up world of petty gangs and organized crime, we’re the privileged ones. And, ultimately, Bianco would never let anyone lay a finger on Rose. That’s what scares me the most.
Our little lighthearted moment is quickly crushed when the music stops, and Xi’s voice resonates around the house.
“Everyone, everyone. Listen!” There is way too much delight in his voice.
I’ve been ignoring him the whole night. The moment I saw him kiss Jamie when I arrived, I should have rearranged his dentition. But Nate was right there, and Sam. Watching me, making sure I keep my end of the bargain. So I let it slide, crushing my teeth and trying to stop my hands from trembling. But when Billie told me they had snuck into the bathroom, just the two of them, I couldn’t control my body. Jamie’s mine. She should know, he should know. Everyone should know. I might not be able to get close to her, but if she thinks I’m gonna make her life easy, letting her sleep with random gangbangers, she’s got another thing coming.
Selfishness truly runs in my blood.
My eyes are sharp on Xi as he grabs some girl’s upper arm tightly, right below the tattoo she has of a huge crown, showing her off to the crowd like some product he’s trying to sell.
“Look who came to us!”
The crowd laughs, the ‘ooh’ and the hateful words being spat at the girl make my brows furrow. Ozy and I give each other a look that asks who she is but we’re both clueless. The girl looks like she wants to flee the scene. The bite in her jaw and the fear in her eyes show she is determined but that this wasn’t how she expected it to go at all. She tries to shrug Xi’s hold, but his grip tightens.
I feel Rose shuffling next to me and I glance to see Sam settling behind her, a hand between her shoulder blades. I always think Ozy is tall until Sam gets next to her. He’s a fucking monster. I don’t know, six-foot-five or something.
“Let’s go,” he says low enough in her ear that the rest of the crowd won’t hear. They’re all too focused on Xi and the girl anyway.
“What? Why? Who is she?” Rose asks him.
But Xi answers for him. “King’s very own sweet, beloved daughter came to us. Shecametous, guys!”
The crowd cheers as I put two and two together. The King family, that’s NSC’s rival; the North Shore Kings VS the North Shore Crew, always. What is this girl doing here?
“Guys, guys, listen to this,” Xi mocks. “She came to ask, in the name of herdaddy, that we put our rivalry to sleep. In peace. I’m not even fucking with you. She asked that all of this goes down infucking peace.” His voice is now low and serious. “Is that what they do on the King’s side? They send their women to try and sweeten us into a good deal?”
Everyone laughs at the girl. She only toughens up from it.
“Hey, Kayla,” he addresses her. “Is that why you wanted to keep it between you and me? Cause you’re ashamed of what they’re making you do?”
“They’re notmakingme do anything,” she growls through gritted teeth.
I can see Billie and Emma making their way through the crowd and I know that nothing good is coming for the girl.
“Shit, Jake, do something,” Ozy says as she watches them, probably thinking the same as me. It’s not like she’s scared to defend the girl herself, she just knows I wouldn’t let her.
“Emma!” Xi exclaims in delight as both Billie and her go to the coffee table Xi is using as a stage for everyone to see. The sisters stop right in front of him and Kayla, their faces hard and angry. “Emma, remember when Kay and her girls beat Billie to a pulp? They waited for her to be on her own, they lured her away from us. And they left her for dead.”
I can see the struggled gulp against Kayla’s throat. She still doesn’t move though.
Xi pulls Kay closer before he starts talking to the crowd again. “King’s crew beat up our girls, they shot our guys. They took over our turf. And now that we can finally defend ourselves, they want to leave in peace? They want it all to die down quietly?! I say fuckNO!”he roars.
The guys in here are getting angry. The crowd is shouting threats at Kayla, and I notice her feet shuffling slightly away from the edge of the table. The girl is shit scared and she’s still holding their gaze like a queen about to be guillotined.
“Let’s go.” Nate’s voice behind me startles me.
I was too focused on Kayla. I look at my brother, his usual bun is disheveled, the top buttons of his shirt undone, skin slightly flushed. Guess we know whathe’sbeen up to while a girl is on the edge of public execution here.
“You can’t leave. They’re gonna kill her, Nate,” I argue.
