finally stepping to my side and out from the shadows.
“Bitches or boys?” He smiles at her.
“Boys who Truth called bitches.”
He laughs. He’s got a good laugh, too. “Is that so?”
“Technically, I told him I’d planned to make him my bitch but decided he already was one.”
“Laces …” Frank chuckles. “You amused the hell out of me from day one, but you gotta remember to put your shit in check when you’re out-sized and outmanned.”
“We have a crew,” Brisa tells the guy with the man bun.
“Well, where the hell are they?” He laughs.
“Sometimes we gotta have girl time, you know?” She crinkles her nose at him … blatantly flirting. Then she looks between me and Frank. “Wait—How do you know Truth?” Brisa asks as we start walking down the middle of the street.
“He owns the shop where Kiki bought Brand’s rings,” I answer for him.
“She’s a tough negotiator, this one.” He picks fun at me.
“Glad you were there. I wouldn’t have wanted to deal with Shades.”
Frank flicks his smoke into a nearby puddle, making me want to go pick it up and find the nearest trash can. Littering? Gross. Old man crush? Extinguished.
He clearly doesn’t care and tells me, “Kid’s got a piss-poor attitude, but he’s gotta hustle to get by.”
“Sure, but he could do it with some manners.”
Manbun laughs. “Says the girl who wanted to make a boy her bitch.”
“You’ll understand why when you meet his entitled ass.”
Frank chuckles. “Says the rich girl with a wad of hundies at my store.”
“I work in the summer,” I defend myself.
“I bet you do, Laces, I bet you do.” Frank smirks.
I look behind me and see the other long hairs. Both skinny and older, and unlike Manbun, they look like they’ve missed more than one meal, while my ex-old-man-crush is somewhere in the middle.
“You sure you wanna do this?” I ask Frank.
“We’re heading in the same direction, Laces. And the boy already offered our services, free of charge.”
“Wait—you are like paid security, too?”
“Only for assholes,” Manbun calls from over his shoulder. “Little old ladies and wannabe badass chicks who get themselves into shit bigger than they are, we do quid pro quo.”
I’m hoping he means pro bono but, whatever.
“Thanks. Just two houses up.”
Frank chuckles. “Yeah?”
“Don’t let the place fool you. They’re silver spoon fed assholes. The biggest one being the owner.”
In the background, I hear a bunch of engines blatting like Billy goats, just like Dad’s Harley that sits literally on a pedestal in the garage, and look over my shoulder then up at Frank. “You expecting company?”
He nods lazily. “We’ll get you girls squared away; no worries.”
“Thought it was your dad, too?” Brisa giggles.
“He wouldn’t drive his in the rain, or the cold.”
“Smart man,” Hotty McManbun tells me.
“This is the place.” I step in front of them. “Just hang back. I don’t wanna start a fight if I don’t have to.”
“A girl who doesn’t like fights obviously hasn’t seen enough of them,” Manbun jokes.
I knock on the door, hard, too. I want them to know I’m not fucking around. When they don’t answer, I bang on it some more. “Those assholes.”
“You try the door handle?”
“That would be rude.”
He smirks in response, and I nod.
“Gotcha.”
I open the unlocked door and look around. They’re all gone, but “Remember The Name” by Fort Minor is playing in the background and is pretty loud.
I turn around and whisper, “Brisa, you find the keys. I’ll go grab my phone off the charger. You guys, just wait here.”
“You’re a bossy little shit.” Frank crosses his arms and leans against the doorjamb.
“But I’m cute,” I tell him then hurry toward the bedroom door.
I hold up my hand to knock, but Brisa stops me. “Really? Now you’re going to worry about knocking? Just get in there before they come back.”
“Oh my God, fine. Get the keys,” I whisper, turning the knob and walking in.
The music is louder in the pitch black room, and I can’t see a damn thing, except light coming out from under a door.
“Fuck yes, right there, Tobias. Harder, dammit.”
“You like me wrecking your pussy, don’t you, Dee?”
Oh my freaking God! I cringe inwardly.
“Yes, yes! Oh, God, yes!”
Oh, God, no, I think as I feel around for my phone.
The music stops, the door opens, and I drop to the floor like a freaking rag doll.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” he roars, stalking over to me, towel in one hand, covering his dick. He grabs my arm and pulls me up.
“She’s a little late for