She was the first to break our entranced stillness, grabbing her notebook to write something in it. When she tore off the paper, handing it to me, it felt as if she was giving me a piece of herself before I even read what it said.
Isla.
One word.
Four letters.
Even her name was unique, not matching her Gothic exterior, making me think it was all part of her facade.
One thing was for sure.
One thing never changed.
She trusted me first, and I never let Kraven forget it.
We found this silent language between us, and at that moment, it meant more than words.
“Yo!” Gerald exclaimed, bringing me back to the present as I drove into his warehouse on the other side of town.
I played this role too well. Almost forgetting this wasn’t who I was, this was never who I was supposed to be. Somewhere along the way, I lost myself to survive the cards that were stacked against me.
“You’re late,” he addressed, standing by the entrance.
I kicked the stand on my bike, turning off the engine. Shifting my gaze to meet his, I challenged, “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
This wasn’t our first standoff, and it wouldn’t be our last. Gerald was always on a kick to prove he was the one in charge. He’d yet to figure out this wasn’t a way of life for me.
This was just a means to an end.
He cocked an eyebrow, looking me over for a second before he added, “You know… you’re lucky I like you.” He laughed me off.
His laugh didn’t lighten the truth.
I didn’t hesitate to remind him, “The only thing you like is that I sell your drugs.”
And that…
Was all that mattered to either of us.
CHAPTER
EIGHT
ISLA
The rumbleof Julius’s bike engine vibrated off the walls, and I smiled. He’d been gone all day. I couldn’t sleep. I was never much of a sleeper, and I preferred to crash on the couch more than I ever did on a bed. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t accustomed to having one, and I didn’t want to get used to the comfort.
This wasn’t a permanent stay for me. It was only temporary, and I never allowed myself to forget that. I was trying to figure out where I went from here, but for the life of me, I had no direction. This roof over my head was the only thing I had going for me, and I didn’t want to mess that up. I made sure to do my part in cleaning the house. It was the least I could do in return for his kindness.
The cops hadn’t come looking for me, and Julius still hadn’t asked me about it. I think that was probably the most surprising thing about him. He hadn’t pushed for any information. He was the first person I ever willingly gave my name to, and I didn’t second-guess myself about it.
I still felt horrible about that morning, and I couldn’t shake the memory of Julius’s face. I had to give him something when I practically forced him to open up. It wasn’t my intention at all.
For the past month, life was nice. Probably the nicestit’d ever been. I had peace in a house that didn’t offer the same gift to the brothers. I think it was part of the reason Julius stayed busy, and Kraven, I didn’t know what he was up to, but from Julius’s worry, it wasn’t any good.
When I did run into Kraven in the house, it was always the same hatred directed right at me, and it was why I made sure to keep my distance, not wanting to piss him off more than I already had. Thankfully, he wasn’t there much. I spent a lot of my time alone, and I was used to that. The only exception was that I didn’t have to look over my shoulder behind their concrete walls.
They’d become my fortress, and I guess you could say, Julius was the guard while Kraven was the executioner. They constantly butted heads over me, and I hated that just as much.
