“I was in deep,” she whispered. “I owed my dealer. Even if I’d wanted out at that point, I couldn’t get away. My addiction had a hold on me…and so did Sam.”
“That night Kane’s place was raided,” Blue said.
The words hung in the silence that followed. Cruz rolled the filter of his cigarette between his thumb and index finger. Tears continued to streak down Kiss’s face, and Blue leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
Cruz stared at me. “We know you’re not a narc, Rizz, because the guy who ratted out the Kings was at Kane’s crib that night. You went down for shit that had nothing to do with you.”
My heart pounded and my knees weakened. I slid down the dresser and sat on the floor. I braced my elbows on my bent knees.
Blue continued the story. “When he showed up, we bounced.” He glanced from Kiss to Cruz. “Me, Kiss, Cruz, Kane, and Sam.”
“We crawled to a vacant trailer,” Cruz said, “and broke in to wait out the raid. SWAT, K9, and just about every fucking cop on the force was there.”
Kiss climbed off the bed and sat on the floor across from me. “I was so disgusted with myself. I knew Blue would hate me because of the things I’d done for my addiction.”
“You’re good now,” I said. “One day at a time.”
“I am good now. But I wasn’t then. I hated what I’d become. I couldn’t let Blue see me dope sick. I was afraid he’d walk away from me, so I ran first. I’ve been known to make some bad decisions, and someone always seems to pay for my mistakes.”
Blue crossed the room, sat next to Kiss, and took her hand in his. Then he turned to me. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Fuck.” He closed his eyes and tipped his head back. “This was supposed to be behind us. I told Rogue no one would know what went down at the trailer.”
“Rogue doesn’t get a vote in this.” Cruz came around and squatted down next to Blue. “I’m always going to have your back, Blue. I love you, bruh. What you have with Kiss, that’s what I want with McKelle.” He stared at me then turned back to Blue. “It’s what I want with Ryatt. I can’t have secrets from him, especially when he’s involved.”
Cruz continued, “If anyone has to go down for that night, I’ll take the fall. I made a promise to you,” he said to Blue. “But I promised her, too.” Cruz glanced at McKelle. “I can’t keep this from her, not when Ryatt’s paying the price for what we did.”
Kings thought I was the narc. Their dealer was dead, and Kiss’s dealer was a King. The picture was becoming clearer.
Blue nodded, and Cruz settled on his ass next to him. Somehow, we’d all ended up on the floor, only a couple feet of space between us.
Cruz smiled at me, but it wasn’t the devious, devil grin that made him appear a bit unhinged. This was sharing a secret between us. We’d been in that bathroom. We’d changed. I knew whatever he had to say was because of whatever this was between me, him, and McKelle.
“What did you do?” McKelle’s voice was barely a whisper in the quiet room.
Blue exhaled long and slow. “I threatened to kill Kiss’s dealer if he ever shot her up again, and then I found him in the bathroom putting a needle in her arm. He died in a bathtub of an overdose we forced into his veins.”
“Oh my god.” McKelle covered her mouth with her fingers.
The acrid taste of bile climbed into my throat. Anxiety hit my bloodstream, and I could feel a trickle of sweat sliding over the pleats of my spine.
Cruz’s mouth hardened into a tight line. “Kings, cops, and anyone else would assume Sam died of an overdose. Another dead junkie.”
Kiss’s head dropped and tears dampened her cheeks.
“Fuck.” I couldn’t breathe. My ribs burned as I tried to suck in a breath. I stood, wrapped an arm around my ribs, and paced across the floor.
“Ryatt,” Kiss scrambled off the floor. “I’m sorry.”
I wanted to rail at her, but this wasn’t her fault any more than it was mine. A series of unfortunate events led me here. It was hard to know how to feel. I took a calming breath. Sobriety was a fragile thing, and shealready carried enough guilt. “It’s okay, Kiss. Blue’s right. This isn’t your fault.”
But it wasn’t my fucking fault either, yet I had the Kings after me for shit I didn’t do. This was so fucked. No, I hadn’t killed their dealer, but that wasn’t the only reason they were after me.
“Who’s the narc?” I asked because that asshole fucked my life.
“A skin who goes by Tone,” Cruz said. “He hasn’t been around in a while. My guess is he bounced once Kings pinned you as the narc.”
I turned to Kiss and forced a smile. “I could never be angry with you. My life was fucked long before your dealer died in a bathtub.” Careful of my ribs, I turned to Blue. “I would’ve done the same thing. I’m glad you told me.”
They left, and I was alone with Cruz and McKelle with one bed and more unanswered questions.
