Not that it’s much.
Levi kept his so-called death a secret to get the upper hand—end of story.
“Put your seatbelt on,” Levi grumbles out, clutching onto the steering wheel a bit hard. “For thesecondtime.”
“I just don’t wanna miss anything,” Cairo hedges haughtily, steering his heavy concentration to me. I’m not looking at him, but out the window, yet I canfeelhis glare. “Were those all fake tears, Little T? I must commend you on your outstanding performance that had me thinking you were absolutely heartbroken over this motherfucker.”
“I said put yourfuckin’seatbelt on,” Levi repeats with more steel to his tone, stealing a look at Cairo for a second over his shoulder. “Or I’m going to put you out on the floor and whatever happens, happens.”
“Do it,” Cairo taunts with a lift of his shoulders. “Maybe when I come to,shecan convince me that I was dreaming up this whole thing.”
He’s high as fuck and it shows.
Cairo would never in a million years have kept on like this if he wasn’t hurt. He’d sit silently in the backseat and not utter a single word. He’d keep the shit to himself.
He’ll get over it.
That’s what I keep telling myself when he sees why and that I promised Levi. There would never be a day in hell I would put Levi’s life at risk.
Ozzy seemed to understand.
I think.
And Cairo is King of Wharf Bay… Status is everything around here. Heshouldunderstand when he comes to.
“Astor,” Levi grinds out, alluding that he’s beginning to reach his breaking point. “If you don’t get his ass to sit, I’m putting him through the windshield.”
Lovely.
Quickly mustering my resolve and whatever ounce of courage I have left, I glimpse over at Cairo, and he’srightin my fucking face.
Dark orbs of brown eyes stare back at me with so much conviction in them I might as well just punish myself.
“Sinatra,” I say as gently as I can. “I’ll answer all your questions when I get you back at the house. Just sit back…and relax.”
He doesn’t move, just continues to hold my focus, and it makes my skin crawl.
This is just another fight, another problem, I really didn’t want to start tonight. However, I promised Levi no more crazy, stupid, solo shit.
And that meant bringing him with me.
Cairo finally pushes himself back and disappears within the confines of the dark space of the backseat, giving Levi what he wanted but setting me up for a long-ass conversation with a drugged-up Cairo Black. And I haven’t seen one of those yet.
Don’t believe I ever wanted to, either.
Within another five to ten minutes, we’re arriving at my place, and Cairo pops out without so much as a fuck you or thanks. He disappears in my garage, and that’s it.
“I’m coming in,” Levi says flatly. “This isn’t going to end well.”
“I got it,” I reply even though I make no move to get out of the car. “You need to get back. You’ve been out too long.”
“The mask, Astor. It does wonders.” He pops his door open, prompting me to do the same because I can’t sit in the car by myself.
Or can I?
I am fine.
It’s this situation that isn’t fine.
