“Keep walking,” Andy muttered under his breath, but his voice cracked.
Kelle glanced sideways at him, brows pinching. Before she could say anything, Diego pushed off the wall as they approached.
“Well, well.” His smile cut sharply across his lean face, all angles and shadows. “If it isn’t Bing.”
Andy froze. The nickname hit him like a punch to the gut. He hated the way it rolled off Diego’s tongue—mocking, claiming. When Jimmy had used it at the hardware store, it was like a joke between coworkers or friends. From the gang leader, it made Andy’s skin crawl.
He didn’t bother pretending enthusiasm. “What do you want?” he asked, his voice flat.
Diego’s grin widened. “Relax, man. Just saying hi. No need to get all jumpy.”
Andy said nothing, keeping his stance casual even as his pulse kicked. He wanted nothing to do with Diego or his crew—not after the last time, when their idea of “hanging out” had ended with flashing lights, shouting, and his wrists in handcuffs.
Diego’s crew slid away from the wall to block the sidewalk. On Diego’s right was Jax—about fifty pounds heavier than Andy, and a pale scar slicing through hiseyebrow. His smile was slow and deliberate, as if he were daring Andy to flinch. Toad was the other asshole, his broad shoulders straining against his hoodie, and his fingers flexing as if he couldn’t stay still. His eyes darted constantly—he was probably high as a kite.
The three of them fanned out, claiming the stretch of sidewalk as theirs.
Kelle stiffened beside Andy. He didn’t look at her. If he saw fear in her eyes, it would only make it worse. Instead, he stepped in front of her, trying to keep her hidden from the punks.
Diego’s gaze slid over Andy’s shoulder toward her anyway, his wicked grin stretching wider. “And who’s this? Your girl?”
“She’s none of your business,” Andy snapped. His voice fractured again, betraying him, and heat crawled up the back of his neck. Annoyance flickered through him—at Diego, at himself, at the whole damn situation.
From their left, Jax smirked. He reached out, fingers angling toward Kelle’s hair.
Andy’s pulse spiked. Before he could react, Kelle slapped the hand away with a sharp crack that echoed off the brick.
“Touch me again and see what happens,” she said, her voice steady even though her shoulders rose tight.
Pride swelled in Andy’s chest, but it wavered when he caught the tremor in her exhale. She was bluffing, justlike he was.
Toad chuckled and shifted a step closer, angling toward Kelle. Andy squared his shoulders and shifted slightly, enough to block her with his body. But she was within Jax’s reach again. They were surrounded. While the street was busy, only a few people were in Andy’s line of sight. None looked likely to help—a woman with a stroller, an older man walking a Chihuahua, and two preteens weaving by on skateboards.
His fists tightened, nails biting into his palms, but he forced them to stay at his sides. He wasn’t stupid enough to swing first—he knew exactly how that would end.
“Relax,” Diego said, but there was nothing relaxed in his eyes. “We’re just saying hello. And maybe letting Bing know he’s got potential.” He tilted his head. “Computers, right? Fast fingers. A brain like yours could make real cash if you weren’t wasting time stacking shelves at some old hardware store.”
Stacking shelves at a hardware store?
How did the asshole know where he worked? Andy’s stomach knotted. “Not interested.”
Diego leaned closer, and Andy caught the stink of cigarettes on his breath. “Not really asking. Next time I come calling, you’ll want to be smarter.”
Andy’s throat dried out. He wanted to shove him back, but his body stayed locked in place.
Then an engine growled down the street. A patrolcar turned the corner, headlights sweeping across the sidewalk.
Diego’s smile flattened. He tapped Andy lightly on the chest, a mock-friendly pat that made Andy flinch. “We’ll chat again soon, Bing.”
With a sharp tilt of his head, he motioned to Jax and Toad. The three of them slipped into the alley, their footsteps fading into the narrow space between buildings until they disappeared completely.
Andy stayed frozen, his fists still tight, his pulse hammering. Only when the car rolled past without slowing did he feel his body again. He risked a glance at Kelle. She clutched the strap of her bag like it was the only thing holding her steady.
“You okay?” His voice came out rough.
She nodded, though the shine in her eyes betrayed her.
Andy swallowed hard, forcing air into his lungs. Diego hadn’t been bluffing.
