“Bullshit,” he mutters confidently. “We all know I’m your favorite.”
Only because he lets me get away with everything.
I bristle in his hold, but I don’t pull away. “Cairo Black is here.”
“Oh yeah?” His forearm slides against my shoulders as he steps in front of me. “What for?”
“No idea. But I had Shorty escort him back to the border so I can?—”
“Why?” My lips part because I thought I was doing the right thing. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Why not? The guys obviously don’t like him, and we still haven’t made an official alliance?—”
“Don’t worry about that,” he mumbles. “We’ll handle the inner workings of their head.”
“Hedidn’t,” I surmise. “Do they…do they know?”
Juice shakes his dome, and I feel like a shithead. “He didn’t want to risk it.”
"We’re all going to hell.”
He smirks again. “I thought we already were.”
We definitely are now.
“I’m sure it’s hard enough to lose their leader,” I reply. “Now they have to answer to a girl who?—”
“A woman who loves South Shore as much as he did.” He sighs and gives me a little shake. “This isn’t like other guys. This is different. This isn’t The Void or the Forsaken Crew. They follow who they trust. And they trusted Levi. So, in turn, they will follow you wherever you want to go.”
I don’t buy it.
I’m not Levi, by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t even know how to do this shit.
Juice and Hot Rod would guide me, but what do we do? Are there monthly meetings? Do I hand out gold stars? Do they know what they’re supposed to do, or did Levi tell them? Is there a to-do list? How many guys are even in The Nameless? I’m not entirely sure if I can speak to a bunch of guys in white masks seriously.
“Shorty!” Juice yells, retrieving his sprinting frame back into the midst of the garage. “Bring Black here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Geezus,” I mutter. “When did they get so polite?”
“What do you mean?” Juice asks with amusement. “How often have you hung around?”
Touche.
“I’d rather still be outside of the realm of all this. It’s overwhelming.”
“It’s temporary. You have other things to worry about.”
Like being pregnant.
Something no one knows but Cairo…and Ozzy.
When is the right time to bring it up to the guys?
“Hey—um, when do I get to see…” I look up at Juice, aware he’ll fill in the blanks of what I need. We’ve obviously been careful with what we say and who might always be around. I’ve followed their lead with the secrecy, and now I understand why.
“Soon.”
