were supposed to be high on the beach. Talk, laugh, cry, and then sleep.
“Have fun,” Gia teased as she walked away.
I sighed and gritted my teeth.
Talon stood and faced me, dressed in all black, his lips together with that cocky smirk of his, knowing he was messing things up.
“What?” I asked.
“You two were hugging.”
“Oh, right. Let me guess… in your sick fantasy world you’re picturing one of us making a move, right? Then what? We kiss, touch, what else?”
Talon shook his head. “I just noticed she was crying. Over a guy.”
“How much did you hear?”
“I heard what I heard, Winter,” Talon said. “She going to be okay?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “As long as she doesn’t know the truth about you. Or me. Or any of this.”
“I’d still like to know what’s going on,” he said. “What happened to her.”
“Maybe later,” I said. “What the fuck are you doing here, Talon?”
He stepped closer to me.
My mind teased the images of he and I in my bedroom.
That was nothing. That was just a momentary slip. A moment of need. And he didn’t even really touch me. It was just…
“I’m here to collect my payment,” Talon said.
“I didn’t call you. Text you. I didn’t tell you to come over.”
“Yes, you did,” he said. “I’m here to fulfill your wish.”
“Meaning what?” I growled.
Talon smiled again. “We’re going to go blow something up.”
Not only did I have to pay Talon for his services, I also had to drive.
Which really sucked because I was enjoying my high with Gia. But being near Talon for more than a minute took the high away. Even if it was really stupid to drive. I told myself I had him next to me just in case I started to drive stupid.
There was no way he was driving Tank Two.
Fucking Trocs.
They were leeches.
This was why everyone hated Trocs.
And they hated us Bumps because we had our own resources.
Talon sat in the passenger seat of Tank Two.
I told myself that when this thing was over, I was going to find a way to have Tank Two crash without me in it so I could get Tank Three, which would be Troc free.
First, of course, I had to figure out what this thing was and where it was going.
It was really dumb not to have an end game here, but after seeing Noah and Easton ready to fight each other, I liked it.
Noah was rattled over the arrest. He lost his edge over Easton’s joking about sleeping with me. And for Noah to suggest he and I did anything other than maybe talk, he was crazy.
“The easy one here is your boy Xavier,” Talon said.
“Nobody is my boy,” I said. “Or my guy. Or my man. Or my anything.”
“What about me?” Talon asked.
“You’re my nightmare, Talon. And you know what? Where the fuck did you come from that night I was going to trash Noah’s car? Huh?”
“I was your guardian angel, darling,” he said. “You’re lucky you had me.”
“I don’t think we agree on what lucky means,” I said. I waited a few seconds. “What were you saying about Xavier?”
“That’s what I thought,” Talon said. “I’m saying that he’s the easy one. The shop is full of fun. Things we can fuck with and drive him crazy. I had an idea for Easton, but you wanted to blow shit up. Remember?”
“Yeah,” I said.
My body tingled as I thought about that conversation.
Talon hovering over me. His right hand pressing against me…
My inner thighs trembled and I squeezed my legs shut extra tight.
I didn’t care how hard I hit my head or how desperate I was, a Troc was never getting into my panties.
“What’s the plan?” I asked.
“Plan is already set,” Talon said.
“What?” I asked.
“What the fuck do you think I do?”
“I don’t know.”
“You pay. I work. See, that’s something about you Bumps I don’t get. You’re so fucking judgmental of everyone. Including yourselves. And you think us Trocs are just lazy pieces of shit. Right? You picture us walking around in dirty and ripped clothes. Living in houses that haven’t been cleaned in years. Houses that don’t have electricity. What the fuck is that? Why are you so obsessed with it? Oh, that’s right, it’s because you all secretly hate yourselves and you need a target for all that hate.”
I swallowed hard.
“Hey, Talon?”
“What’s up, Winter?”
“Fuck off.”
Talon simply laughed at me.
Chapter 21
boomin’
“Pull over right here,” Talon said.
I cut the wheel and he put his hands to the dashboard.
“Fuck, darling,” he yelled. “Do you seriously