“I can handle that part,” Royal chimes in now.
“I know you can. Good money riding on it, too,” he adds.
“No shit. And I plan on bringing it home.”
“Where does all your money go? From what I saw, you make pretty good.” That might not have been the right question to ask him. I see the way his eyes flash with darkness.
“None of your fucking business,” he growls at me.
“I’m a part of this now.” Royal laughs darkly, shaking his head.
“You think you’re a part of this now,” he says.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re free to leave anytime. We’re not holding you here. You can make your own way,” Royal tells me. I cross my arms over my chest and stare at him.
“I’m not fucking going anywhere.”
Chapter 13
Royal
We went and got food and liquor. That’s about all the money I have left until tomorrow night. Win or lose, I make money fighting. Winning is always better, though, it brings in more money.
Now we sit on the roof of the abandoned warehouse, drinking. We take turns passing the bottle around as we just talk shit.
“You remember Kelly?”
“That ugly bitch?” I ask when Jeremy asks.
“Yeah, that one. Saw her the other night. She’s tweaked the fuck out now,” he says.
“Didn’t think it would be long until she got into the hard shit,” I add.
“What’s the hard shit?” River asks. I’ve avoided her. I’ve tried anyway. She’s like a fucking drug I want more of. Just her kiss was addicting, and that’s saying something. But I know I’m not good for her. Look at me. Look at my life.
“Drugs, rich girl. Coke, meth,” I tell her.
“Stop calling me that,” she snarls at me before taking a long pull from the bottle, before Jeremy takes it.
“Why? It’s what you are. Poor little rich girl.”
“I mean it, Royal. Stop.” Is she warning me? It sounds like a warning and one I’m not willing to take. I like it when she’s likethis. Feisty. It shows a different side of her than the one I’ve imagined.
“What are you going to do about it, River? Huh?”
“Keep saying it and find out,” she snaps, keeping her glossy eyes glued to mine. I stare back at her and smirk.
“Rich girl.” That was all she needed to hear. We stand at the same time. River lunges for me, but I move out of the way. River yells like she’s being killed.
“Oh fuck!” Jeremy yells, jumping to his feet when I turn to see what’s happening. My heart hammers in my chest when I don’t see her.
Jeremy and I rush to the edge of the roof and look over, expecting to see her dead on the ground, but she’s not. She’s clinging to a pole just inches from the rooftop.
“Don’t move,” Jeremy tells her. I start to climb over the edge when Jeremy grabs me.
“What the hell are you doing?”
