I stroke my chin and watch Leo laughing and talking shit with the other guys. “He’s with Les.”
Squid frowns. “I thought you were.” That’s a common misconception even when we were younger; we usually just let people think what they want. But now I can answer that question differently.
“I am.”
His frown deepens, and I almost laugh at the look on his face. “You just said he was.”
“He is.”
“Are you fucking with me, asshole?” Squid asks, turning to face me.
I shake my head. “Nope.”
“So, you’re both dating her? How the fuck does that work?”
I sigh. “We’re all dating her. Together.” Squid’s eyes widen comically, and I bust out laughing.
“You are fucking with me!”
“No. I’m not. She’s dating me, Leo, Gage, Dex, and Holden. We are all in it together.”
Squid finally picks his mouth up off the bar. “So, you’re telling me I still have a chance?”
I turn narrowed eyes on him. “A chance to fucking die if you say some dumb shit like that again.”
“Come on, man. What’s one more?” he asks with a grin.
“Do you want to choke on your fucking tongue today, Squid?” I ask, standing up straight.
He holds his hands up. “I’m good,” he laughs. “Let me kick your ass in pool.”
We all play several rounds before I decide it’s time to go. Squid walks us outside, and we are just standing on the sidewalk bullshitting when Leo knocks my arm to get my attention. “What are they doing?” he asks.
I squint at a black SUV rolling slowly toward us. Before I can react, the SUV speeds toward us with a squeal of tires, and a guy with a ski mask hangs out of the passenger side with a semi-automatic.
“Get down!” I yell, jerking Leo beside my Explorer, Squid diving with us.
The bullets spray against the side of the car, littering us with glass from my windows.
“Motherfuckers,” I growl, jerking my Glocks from my holster. I wait until the gunfire stops before jumping up from beside the car. I walk forward, emptying both clips at the SUV before they speed away.
“Get your guys, and let’s fucking go,” I bark at Squid, walking to the back of my SUV. I jerk the hatch open and get the spare clips I keep out from under the spare tire, grabbing two more for Leo.
Squid comes running out with six of his guys loading into their cars while Leo and I slide into mine. I pull out with a bark of tireswith Squid right on my tail. I glance at Leo; he looks like he’s trying not to laugh. What the fuck?
“We just got fucking shot at. What’s so damn funny?”
“Alessa’s going to kill you!” he says and then starts dying laughing.
He isn’t wrong.Fuck.So much for a simple trip. Not only did we get shot at, but I’m also taking him deeper into gang territory to find these assholes. It’s not like I can hide it, either. Both driver’s side windows are gone, and so is the front passenger side, and I have bullet holes all down the side of my Explorer.
We go to where Squid told us and drive around aimlessly with no sign of them. We check a few more places before I tell Squid they are probably lying low and we would come back to help him take care of them.
I turn around to head back to the house when I see the SUV that the guy shot out of parked down an alley. I signal for Squid to pull over. We all stop and unload with weapons already in hand. I go to tell Leo to stay in the car, and he’s already getting out, pulling his Glocks from his holster. Alright then.
We all converge on the car and open fire. It doesn’t matter if they are in there or not. This is a warning that we will find you no matter where you hide. I signal for everyone to stop firing and creep to the door with my gun raised, jerking the door open. The driver slides out of the car, blood running from his mouth, his body littered with bullets.
“You know him?” I ask Squid.
