“Juice and Hot Rod have him on a leash. And Torin knows what this is. He’s less of a proxy than I was. They won’t let him make any moves without my approval. They promised me.”
Levi grunts, and I’m not entirely sure if it’s a dismissal or the simple truth that he hates this. “I fought the prick once before for my seat, remember?”
“Peer Pressure Point. First person to bail lost.Rebel Without a Causeshit. I remember.”
“And you handed it to him without receiving something back.”
“I know what I’m doing. I’d never put South Shore at risk.”
“You could’ve thrown Ozzy on.”
I shake my head. “I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Besides, I knew Torin wouldn’t feel warm and fuzzy taking it. And the boys already have his number. They’ll watch him like a hawk.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to. But it still makes you look dead, doesn’t it? And Rod told me not to put them on. So, why’s that?”
Levi grumbles something under his breath, then says, “They’re on some stupid bullshit about feeling weird about it. Rod won’t touch it with a ten-foot pole, and he knows you have pull with being Roger’s daughter. No matter if you are or aren’t the Queen of South Shore. You never needed a title. The town will follow you everywhere. And Juice won’t leave my side for more than five seconds because he has some weird obsession with my safety.”
“Then I chose the next best option.”
“I wouldn’t saybest, Astor.”
“I would want them both by you anyway. It makes me feel better.”
“What would makemefeel better is you not being anywhere near a Titan fight.”
I nod. “I know. That’s the plan. I’m not trying to play martyr, Lev. Ramsey can’t sit on The Landing’s seat. If he does, he has power. If he does, he’ll try more shit?—”
“He already will because he’s a fuckin’ twat.”
“Would you rather him have the seat or not?”
Levi grunts. “Of course, I don’t want him to have the seat. But I don’t want you to be the main object of his focus. And you are, Astor.”
“I promised I’d stay safe. I meant it.”
“I know you did. I just don’t know how long I can do this…this whole being away from you when you’re out there.”
“You’re my wild card, remember? I’m going to be alright.”
“Are you?” I don’t answer the question because the answer doesn’t mindlessly come. “You don’t have to be a hardass right now.”
“Don’t I?” I shift on my bed. “I can’t afford to be anything else, or I’ll lose my mind.”
“Please don’t. Last time you did that, you killed a bitch.”
I glance over at the wall for no apparent reason other than I don’t know the full story. “Tell me what happened…between the two of you.”
“Not much from my end.” He sighs. “I thought it was inncent flirting. It’s what she’s always done, so I didn’t think much of it. That turned into subtle hints of fucking, and I thought she was fucking with me. She—uh…caught me at a party about a year back. I was fucked up on tequila and weed when she cornered me in the bathroom. Again, I didn’t think too much of it other than her being annoying.”
My nostrils flare off pure jealousy and the fact I didn’t know. “She try to get you to fuck her?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“And nothing happened.”
