I straighten my spine and rid myself of thoughts of Zane being a decent human. “You have two options here, Playboy. You work for me, feeding me information, or I turn you out and tell everyone on Concrete Row that you’re an informant.”
I threaten it, but I’ll never do it. This kid would be shot on the spot and doesn’t deserve that.
His eyes widen. “What about Z-Mack?”
I roll my eyes at the nickname. “I’ll handle Z-Mack. What’s your choice?”
“I’ll work for you. I don’t want to die.”
I nod, walking to the door. “I’ll get you into rehab first.”
“No!” he yells, making me turn back around. “Please don’t send me back there.”
“You can’t work for me while you’re doping,” I tell him. It’s mynumber one rule. Several of my guys have been killed because they were high and didn’t react to a bad situation fast enough.
“I’ll get clean by myself. Please! Don’t send me back.”
I look at Gerald and see him softening toward the kid. “He can stay here,” he tells me with a shrug.
I turn back to Playboy. “I want you clean. I want you to treat G and Boone with respect. If I catch even a hint you’re using again, I’ll come back as the person you saw yesterday.” He nods comically again, remembering what I did in Xander’s garage. I pat Gerald on the chest. “Congratulations, it’s a boy.”
He laughs, leading me back out of the room. “We went from no kids to three in a short time, Lessie.”
“You sure you don’t care, G? I can find somewhere else for them to go.”
He shakes his head. “Nah. Boone likes having the twins around, and Playboy will come around.”
“Just Boone likes having them around?” I tease. I saw the respect they gave Gerald.
“Okay. So, it’s nice having them here.”
“Yo! That car is sick!” Landon says as soon as I walk into the living room. Leo is sitting on the loveseat where I left him, giving me a soft smile when I walk in. Heat flashes through me before I can stop it, remembering him fucking me on the hood of my car. I don’t know what came over him, but I’ll take it over and over again as long as he offered.
“Thanks,” I tell Landon with a laugh, sitting beside Leo. He pulls me right back under his arm.
“Those cars are hella fast. Like no fucking joke,” Lucas says, fist-bumping his twin.
“Language,” Boone warns, walking into the living room, and I can’t stop the giggle that escapes. Boone has the mouth of a sailor, and he’s fussing at the twins for cussing? He gives me a fake glare. “Something funny, Lessie?”
“Nope,” I answer, popping the ‘P’. “Nothing fucking funny at all,” I say because I can’t help myself.
Lucas and Landon crack up while Boone narrows his eyes at me. “Still a smartass, I see.”
“I learned from the best,” I say with a grin. I was raised primarily around men, and every single one of them was smart-asses.
“What did you do to get that car? Because I need to knowallthe secrets to have one of those bad motherfuc…” Lucas trails off, shooting a look at Boone. “Mofos in my driveway.” It spoke to the level of respect they already have for G and Boone that he would listen to the language warning.
“I can’t give my secrets away,” I say and nudge Leo with my elbow. “Can I?”
Leo shakes his head. “If she told you, she would have to kill you.”
Landon’s mouth drops open. “For real?” I shrug as an answer, enjoying messing with them. “Damn.”
“Are you Mafia or something?” Lucas asks with a laugh, fist-bumping his twin again.
Leo hides a laugh with a cough, and I hear Boone and G chuckle. If they only knew how right they are.
“You are, aren’t you?” Landon says, taking in the faces in the room. “That’s so freaking cool!”
