I took my arm off the back of his seat and grabbed the steering wheel. “Oh? And what time is it?”
“Time to pay for this personal Uber service.” He did his best beefcake and flexed his biceps.
And that made me laugh enough to take the tension down a notch. My phone started buzzing in the cupholder. Taylor was connecting to video chat.
“Shit. I forgot she and I had a planning session.” I looked at my phone a few times. I couldn’t do it now.
Ruffian picked the phone up and slid the screen to unlock Taylor’s face.
“Whoa.” I saw Taylor out of the corner of my eye. She was wearing a facemask and had her hair in a towel. “Wrong number?” I could hear the puzzle in her tone.
“No, it’s me. I’m here.” I waved my hand in front of the camera then I set my attention on the road.
“Hi. I’m Ruffian. I’m Teddi’s new brother. And you must be the hottest girl I’ve ever seen wearing mud.” He gave her a blinding smile.
“I feel like I might be high and I didn’t take anything.” I stopped at the red light and watched Taylor tap her phone’s screen.
I turned the phone a little so she could see me. “I’m driving right now. Ruffian picked up for me. I’m giving him a lift.”
She looked me up and down. “You in Austin’s car?”
“Yes.” I let go as the light switched from red to green.
“Your brother is so hot. I’d pay money just to lick that steering wheel.”
The audio of my phone connected to the speakers and Taylor was much louder.
“Thanks. You’re pretty pushy, but you’re also just straight pretty.” Ruffian was pointing the screen at his face again.
“I meant Austin, new guy.” Taylor sounded like she had her hands on her hips from her sass level.
I laughed a little as I got on the on-ramp for Route 5 to get to Midiville.
“Teddi, like, what the hell is going on here? Are you being kidnapped or something?” Taylor’s surround sound voice boomed. I lowered the radio from the touch controls on the steering wheel.
“She’s driving. How can I kidnap her? Maybe you should worry about me a little more, Taylor.” Ruffian put his hand on his chest like he was appalled at her suggestion.
“How did you know my name? This is some shady shit right here.” Taylor looked like she was angry, wiping off her mask with a washcloth when I got a peek at her.
“Your name comes up when you call and try to danger-talk to Teddifina while she drives.” Ruffian started slowly shaking his head like he was a disapproving dad.
“Oh. But still. You okay, Teddi? And her full name is Theodosia, wise ass.” Taylor was my girl. She had my back.
“I’m good. Here of my own free will and all that. So sorry I forgot about our meeting. Do you want to do it later?” I had to keep my eyes on the road. There were a few people flying up the fast lane.
“We can. I just want to know what the theme is to set up the Insta shoot? Did you get that together yet?”
I did know. “Candy Land and glitter. So we should be able to pull some nice stuff together. I spoke to a few of the Paulville seniors from last year and they had props from their Candy Land prom they’re going to get me.”
“That is legit the cutest theme we’ve done yet. Okay, I’ll get the girls to pull together some vision boards and we can see about maybe a dress.” Taylor sounded like she was clicking away at a computer.
“Thanks. We’re going to need the ring lights and the backdrops to make sure the pics are the best, you know?”
I listened for her answer before Ruffian supplied, “Her connection is lost.” He held up the phone where the image of Taylor was fuzzed out.
“It’s okay.”
My phone buzzed.
“Text message from Taylor, dropped call. Tell that weird guy I’m tracking you and you better be just fine. I’ll text you random questions throughout the day that only you would know the answers to.” Austin’s car read the message to me.
“Can you text back for me, please?” I pointed at the phone he was still holding.
“This weird guy is so hot; I won’t have time for questions.” Ruffian texted and talked outloud.
“No. Don’t send that.” I tried to snatch the phone from his hand and drifted into the other lane briefly.
“Teddifina Rebecca. You need to keep your eyes on the road. Do you think Austin wants his car back with a dent? And people will blame me even though you are driving.” He put the phone in the cupholder located at the bottom of the passenger side door.
I huffed at him but put both hands on the wheel. “Neither of those names belongs to me, Ruffian Jessica.”
“How did you guess my middle name? Damn, girl. You’re good.” He tapped his fingertips on the dashboard.
I decided to change the subject. “Where in Midiville are we going? Downtown?” I focused on a sign in the distance.
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know when we get closer.”
He settled back as if it was totally normal to not actually have a destination when you were headed somewhere.
And then he closed his eyes. Ruffian napped for about twenty minutes while my phone buzzed away with notifications in the cupholder.
There was no hope getting to it, and nor would I chance it on this road anyway. It was full-attention-scanning-the-mirrors kind of driving. When we finally made it to the Midiville exit, I couldn’t go any more without more direction.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Wake up.” I touched his shoulder and he opened one eye lazily. “Now where?”
I pointed to the exit sign that announced our off-ramp in less than a mile. Ruffian stretched his hands above his head as far as he could in the small car.
“You pick.” He stretched his neck from one side to the other.
“What?” I took both hands off the wheel to gesture.
“You pick. Where does your heart want to go?” He smiled like I wasn’t eating up pavement at sixty-five miles per hour.
“Ugh, I wanna go where you need to be.” I slowed down as I got off Route 5 and eased toward the stoplight.
“Just pick, Teddifina. I’ll know people no matter which way you go.” He pointed every which direction with his index fingers.
I slapped the indicator to the left, toward downtown. I’d driven that way more in my short driving history.
“You know people all over the city?” If we hadn’t been together all morning, I would assume he was high.
“I sure do. This way will work. The other way was better, though.” He nodded and his hair flopped more into his eyes.
“Why wouldn’t you say that?” I glanced in my rearview mirror and was able to switch lanes and my indicator so we were now going right.
“You seem like more of an uptown girl with your Insta photoshoots and your brother’s fancy car. Just want you comfortable. I can get anywhere I need to be.” He cracked his knuckles and picked up my phone. “Shit. This thing has been busy. Damn. Did you know Holden and Selena hooked up last night? Taylor says if she wasn’t dating Brutus she would be a whore for your brother. Man, she’s going hard for your brother. Does he even swing in her direction?”
I tried to grab my phone, but he switched it to his other hand.
“Austin likes people for who they are. He doesn’t make decisions on perceived gender. And give that back.” I had to follow traffic. We were headed to the part of town that I had never been on my own. The arena that held some of our cheer competitions was here, but no one was allowed to walk alone or leave the complex.
“Okay, a left. Then a right. Stay to the right, then, now a left. At the liquor store take another left.”
Finally, some direction. This guy was going to get me buried deep in the city here, and with all the taxi cabs and Ubers, I was really getting deeper in than I had the experience for. I could use the GPS to get home, though. I gripped the steering wheel hard. We were sitting at a light and I had somehow gotten behind a double-parked vehicle. Now the cars be
hind me started to honk. I was trying to get a second to move around the obstacle, but the drivers around me were far quicker to jump into the traffic flow. I started to feel like we would be trapped here forever. I glanced at Ruffian and he was stock-still watching a group of pedestrians navigate the crosswalk. I could feel my pulse starting to race. Why did I think this was okay? I’d never been confident at city driving. I was way better in our suburb. I looked at Ruffian again and he reached over. For a second, I thought he was going to give me a comforting pat on the back, which I would have gladly taken at this moment. Instead, he gently tugged on my hair tie until my hair fell from its ponytail and down my back.
He’s going to kiss me? Here? Now?
Even in the crazy, I felt the fluttering in my stomach. I would take a kiss from him.
Instead of leaning in for a kiss, Ruffian used the holder to put his floppy hair into a hilarious ponytail at the top of his head.
“This is great. Thanks. See you at home later. Drive safe, Teddifina.”
And then he got out of the car. Just got out of the fucking car and closed the door, like, right here, right now was exactly the place he needed to be. He took off between the lanes, jaywalking, and ran dodging the vehicles coming in both directions. I gasped three times when I thought I was about to see him get hit. Instead, he made it across the road and out of sight.
And I was stuck living in angry city traffic forever. Amen. Goodbye.
Chapter 12
RUFFIAN
I WAS ON the hunt now. I felt all the rage that simmered under my skin since my mom died. I hadn’t had an outlet, but now I did. I was never thankful for assholes that messed with Lucas. But today I almost was.
Lucas had a tough time. He was part of our woods community—tent city. He also had Down syndrome. His mother, who was really his grandmother, was the one that helped him. It sucked for them, mostly like it sucked for all of us, but Lucas had it harder. If we didn’t hang in a crowd, then the more vicious of the city inhabitants would try the vulnerable. Lucas’ grandma/mom was a force. She was mean to everyone. Sometimes it seemed like she was mean to Lucas, but it was just how she worded love. She wasn’t good at it, and I knew she would hand Lucas her beating heart straight from her chest if it could help him in any way.
I never saw Lucas alone. She was always in sight. But the crosswalk had just Lucas and a crew of Cokes, the red bandana wearing gang that was hyperaware of territories. And Lucas had on his favorite blue shirt. I could see what was going to happen to him as if I could look into the future. I had to abandon Teddi. She had a car and money and good looks. She would be fine.
Lucas, on the other hand, was getting agitated. I triple stepped up my speed, catching up to the crew of six guys following him.
“Those new kicks, baby?” the one with the widest shoulders taunted. “What’s a guy like you do to get kicks that cool?”
Lucas did, in fact, have new shoes. They were white and had Velcro. His fine motor skills were a work in progress, and Grandma/Mom was in charge of sourcing his clothes, unless I was able to pull in a haul from a heist.
As I hopped a fence to get to Lucas faster, I had the passing thought that Mom would have to talk to Grandma/Mom and tell her to ask me for advice about what Lucas might look cool in. And then my emotions fell into the sand trap again. Gone. She was gone.
Time to do her proud anyway. I was looking forward to the fight I was about to pick. Getting a punch in the face was better than getting one in the heart.
I knew Lucas would be flustered—hell, I was flustered. These guys were marking him as prey, so I didn’t engage him. Once I was step and step in line with the crew, I tripped the one closest to me. My idea was to make a distraction enough for Lucas to get away. I didn’t plan past that, other than the beating I would get. But it wouldn’t be the first, or the last, I was guessing. The Cokes were assholes, but they weren’t quick to kill without a beef. Now, after this? We would have a beef.
“Shucks!”
I stepped over the one I had tripped while his buddy shouted his name. Shucks sucked at falling unexpectedly. He hit the ground face-first.
The crew slowed their pace, instantly aware of their surroundings. It was like this for gang kids. No one could afford to seem weak, so me starting something with them had to be handled.
Shucks put his hand to his mouth and came away with a tooth and a palm full of blood.
“You asshole.”
The guy standing next to him helped him to his feet. I turned and looked over my shoulder to make sure Lucas had gotten away. He was standing there, pointing at me.
Shit.
“Ruff! Where were you? I was looking for you. Grandma/Mom was looking for you. Where…”
I turned quickly and bloody Shucks was right in front of me like a jump scare.
I ducked when he threw his first punch and then weaved when he followed it with another. Shucks had for sure done some fighting before. His stance was money. He was fast. And most importantly, his gangmates were hanging back, as if they wanted to watch the destruction.
I turned my head slightly and shouted to Lucas, “Hey, man! Head home!”
That cost me my edge and I took an uppercut to the jaw. I remembered to pull my tongue in so at least I didn’t bite it off.
Home was a misnomer. I meant heading to the place where he was staying now.
Lucas wanted to explain more to me. “Grandma/Mom went to the ladies’ shelter and they said I’m too old to stay with her. Then she had to go to the doctor. So I didn’t know where…”
I lost track of Lucas as I threw a few punches at Shucks. I only half landed one. I wasn’t actually trying to win this fight. I was hoping to lose long enough for Lucas to get safe.
Shucks lifted an eyebrow as another guy clued into Lucas’ and my conversation. “His grandma is his ma?”
I bobbed and weaved. “Mind yer bidness, Shucks. You can’t even walk on two feet reliably.”
His crew started making fun of him then, egging him on.
The tallest one got next to Lucas and grabbed his arm.
I did my best to keep one eye on Lucas and the other on Shucks. This was about to get wild. And my heart broke hearing Lucas try to make friends with the guy that held his arm.
“Hey, man, that hurts. You got a real nice hat. That’s a nice hat. Did your grandma/mom get you that hat?”
Lucas was stumbling with his words, trying hard to get them right. Instead, he inadvertently made fun of the tall guy.
“What the fuck did you just call me?” He leaned toward Lucas.
“I’m pretty sure he just said that you’re wearing a grandma hat.” The other Cokes started in, laughing. “You know, Match, your grandma is fly as shit.”
I ducked and weaved a few more times as Shucks half-heartedly attacked. He was half-listening to the same exchange I was.
“You little crackhead.” Match growled as Lucas tried to make himself small.
“It’s cool. You look cool. Sorry I made you mad.” Lucas stared at the sidewalk like it held the answers to his problems.
And then I wasn’t playing anymore. There were too many guys here for me to win. But I wasn’t watching this asshole intimidate Lucas who was clearly alone, while his grandma/mom was in some sort of distress.
I turned my head and focused. Some kids were good at basketball. Some were good at math. I could kick some ass. I planted my feet, squared my shoulders, and narrowed my gaze. It wasn’t about stalling. It was about taking out as many as I could before they killed me. Shucks was good, but I had height on him and I never stopped moving. Down and under his jabs, backing up and luring him in. Just when he overextended, I swung in with a right hook that turned his lights off. He went down like a melted ice cream.
I didn’t wait for the Cokes to react. I stepped up to the one closest. He was out with a three-punch combo and I kicked him away from my feet. The next two knew what was coming and started for real.
One pulled out a switchblade an
d the other slid on a pair of brass knuckles. I was glad I had stolen Teddi’s hair tie so I could see them all clearly. Two on the ground, one holding Lucas, and three in front of me.
The odds were shit now that they were paying attention.
“This way!” a female voice shouted. I didn’t look, but watched as the three I was about to fight changed their stances. The weapons were tucked away.
I heard the jangle of what I already knew was a bunch of cops. At least three.
“There he is!”
I had no choice but to change my stance and turn to face the girl. I already knew it was her.
Teddi.
“I followed him out here, and now these guys are fighting him.”
She stood there like a girl that expected right things to be right and wrong things to be wrong. It was not going to be easy for her to understand what was about to go down.
“I don’t even know her.” I immediately put on a face like she was a deranged stalker. You don’t snitch. It’s not done. It’s way more dangerous than throwing punches. She could get the entire Cokes gang on my community. And I wasn’t there to help anymore.
“You don’t know me? You just slept in my bed, Ruffian Jessica. And your brother is my brother.” Hands on hips. Insulted.
Sweet fucks out loud.
I made a show of helping a disorientated Shucks up off the ground. “You got it wrong. I’m just hanging with my friends.”
The cop with a military haircut took a deep sigh and held up his hands. “Wait, how did he get hurt?” He pointed to Shucks. Luckily, the other guy I knocked out was being held up by two of his gang members. I hadn’t drawn blood, just turned off his lights.
Match spoke up, still holding Lucas, “He’s got one of those blood disorders. And lost a tooth. Has to put it under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy and shit.”
Teddi looked around and put it together faster than I gave her credit for. She was freaking gorgeous. There wasn’t a dude that didn’t follow her as she sashayed over to Lucas.
“Hey, you were supposed to meet me at the coffee shop!” She threaded her arm through his and pulled enough that Match had to let go.
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