“I dunno,” I claim with a slight cock to my head. “How long are we going to wait until you tell me what happened with Nessa?”
Her blue eyes soften a bit at her name.
Bay can try to be as hard as she wants about it. I know it rattles her.
She might deny and debate inside her head about why she did it. I’m not saying she’s entirely wrong for wanting to take Nessa out, but it was Nessa.
It was her girlfriend who went shopping with her and shot the shit. It was something Bay needed.
“Sheknowshow much I wanted those damn brownies,” Juice’s voice suddenly grumbles down the hallway, breaking into the slight tension building up in the room from one of the many conversations we haven’t been able to have yet. Then he steps inside the room. “What’s a man gotta do, get shot?”
“Shut up,” Hot Rod chides, stepping in behind him and smacking the back of his head. “Go buy some.”
Juice huffs like he can’t afford it, but we know it’s because he’s lazy as hell and hates grocery stores as much as he loathes arguments. He leans against the wall with his arms crossed as if this is the biggest dilemma he’s going to have today. “It’s not the same.”
“You two got everything in place?” I inquire, ignoring their back-and-forth and pushing forward with the task at hand.
Bay has to take the South Shore seat. She has to be queen.
With her status comes danger but not any more than she’s already in. With De Leon running wild and reckless and Baby Wildes taking out his father, she needs the power.
Hot Rod nods, stealing an unamused glance at Bay before answering, “Yeah.Shejust needs to agree.”
She shifts her weight. Not because of Hot Rod being pissed at her, he’s more pissed at himself because he underestimated how far she was willing to go to avenge me. But because she could’ve been killed.
That nags at his conscience more than anything.
It’s been on mine since I became semi-conscious after being shot. It’s currently why Rod and I aren’t on good terms right now. Speaking one sentence answers and sizing each other up, waiting for the other to throw a word or punch that’s going to result in a battle.
I can’t because I’m not exactlywellafter the drive-by.
However, it doesn’t mean I’m going to forget either. It’s not all because of Bay’s actions but because he wouldn’t let me out of that damn warehouse.
At first, I thought it was to keep me safe—it was. Nonetheless, I have to pull my trump card out and remind him I’m King of South Shore and he’s been in a mood ever since.
It’s not one I particularly like to play. I’m not so doped up on power I need to remind everyone around me. It’s just that Rod is fully aware of how I can get when it comes to Astor.
The same as her.
Stupid as hell.
“She will,” I reply confidently, not needing any confirmation from her. She will because she has to. “What’s the word on De Leon?”
“Stowed away somewhere like a bitch,” Juice states sourly. “Per usual. Dino set half the woods on fire to draw him out.” He shrugs. “Oops.”
“Are you guys out of your mind?” Bay suddenly carps out. “You may have killed animals and a bunch of their homes.”
Hot Rod flicks his gaze to her. “That was the point.”
“Keep pressure on him,” I order to stop them from arguing. “I’m moving underground after tonight.”
Bay’s head jerks over. “Tonight?”
I don’t look at her because I can’t.
It’s another goodbye.
Another way I can’t protect her.
