by Naomi West
“I heard you get up,” he said. “So just say so if you don’t want me to come in.”
Better to get this over with sooner than later. I wasn’t worried about anything bad happening—something about Dakota made me feel like I didn’t need to worry for my safety.
“Um, come in,” I said.
The door opened slowly, revealing the tall, slender, but built form of Dakota. He was just as good-looking as I remembered him last night. He was dressed in black jeans and a black T-shirt, the sleeves rolled up and exposing his thick, defined arms. His ink-dark hair was tucked behind his ears, and that same intelligence in his eyes sparkled the same way it had last night.
“Morning,” he said, standing at the threshold. “You decent?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I think so.”
He stepped into the room, his black boots thudding on the oriental rug that covered the ground. He took a seat at the chair at his desk, the surface of the desk covered in more stacks of books.
“How you feeling?” he asked.
I paused for a moment, trying to keep in mind that Dakota, despite the feeling of comfort I got from him, was still a stranger. At any moment, he could show his true colors and do God-knows-what he might have in mind with me, and I’d be powerless to stop him.
“Not good,” I said. “What … what happened?”
“You passed out in the middle of the party,” he said.
“Oh my God,” I replied, feeling ashamed and scared. “Did people see me?”
He clasped his hands together and sat forward.
“No,” he said. “Everyone was too busy paying attention to all the shit happening out front. When I saw you there, you looked like you might’ve been just sitting down, but when I got closer, I could tell that you were totally out of it.”
“And then what happened?”
“Some friends of mine in the Infernal Names were getting the hell out of there, so I got you to come to enough to get on your feet and come with me. I couldn’t really leave with you on the back of my bike, so they drove us back here.”
“And we’re at your place?”
It was a silly question, but I wanted to make sure.
“Yep,” he said. “My humble abode.”
I glanced around again.
“Lots of books,” I said.
He chuckled dryly.
“Yeah,” he said. “And these are just the ones in here.”
“You have more?” I asked.
“Lots more,” he said. “Got a bad habit of buying books before I’ve read the ones I’ve already got.”
He shook his head, as if trying to get himself back on topic.
“Anyway,” he said. “I don’t mean to daddy you, but that wasn’t a good idea getting so drunk last night. The Names are good guys for the most part, but you never know.”
“I didn’t get drunk,” I said. “That’s the thing. I had maybe half a beer and a tiny puff of a joint in Suntree’s room. And that was it.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You were in Suntree’s room?” he asked.
Now I felt silly for having done that.
“Yeah,” I said. “I went up there with Bonnie.”
He snorted.
“Not surprising,” he said. “About Bonnie, that is. She seems like the type.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Well, you noticed that there were plenty of other girls in the room with him, right?”
“No way not to notice,” I said. “And they all looked like they’d follow him off a cliff.”
He nodded.
“Suntree’s got a magnetism to him,” he said. “And when you’ve got magnetism, it has two effects on people, depending on if they’re a guy or a girl. For guys, they’ll follow him into any battle, no matter what the odds.”
“And for girls?” I asked.
Not sure why I did—the answer was obvious.
He grinned.
“They’ll follow him into any bed.”
I hated the idea of Bonnie being just another one of those girls. But it wasn’t my call to make.
“And you smoked some weed in his room?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “And I got totally woozy after that.”
“What about your beer?” he asked. “That ever out of your sight?”
“No,” I said. “Except when …”
He raised his eyebrows, guiding me on.
“Except when Thorne opened it for me,” I said.
He sat back and crossed his arms over his flat belly.
“Huh,” he said. “That sounds suspicious, but anyone who’s in the Names knows that pulling a stunt like that would be grounds for immediate dismissal—and that’s if they’re lucky.”
“And what about Suntree’s pot?” I asked.
“That’s weird, too,” he said. “Suntree doesn’t need drugs to get girls to follow him. Any chance that maybe you just got overwhelmed by everything?”
I didn’t like that suggestion—it made me feel like I was some delicate flower who swooned like some Victorian woman.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But what happened last night when you got me back here?”
“I asked you where you lived, and all you could manage to say was ‘Angel City.’ Not exactly the most specific directions. So, I brought you back here.”
“And … where did you sleep last night?” I asked.
“On the couch in the living room,” he said.
There wasn’t any way to know if his story was true or not, that he’d simply found me and brought me someplace where I’d be safe. He could’ve been making it all up out of whole cloth for all I knew. But it jived with the impression that I’d gotten from him so far.
“Well … thanks,” I said.
“No problem,” he said right back. “And whenever you’re ready, I can take you back home. But …”
“But?” I asked.
“I figured you might be hungry. Come on and get some breakfast.”
9
Hazel
I followed Dakota out of the bedroom and into the living room. Sure enough, the room was packed full of books. More stacks were piled here and there, and the space reminded me of an old-fashioned study. There was even a high-backed leather armchair, perfect for reading by the window while sipping some coffee or tea.
“Do you feel hungover?” he asked as he led me to the small round table near his kitchen alcove.
“I don’t know how I feel,” I said. “Kind of like I’ve been sleeping for a week. What time is it, anyway?”
“A little before nine,” he said. “Which means you’ve been out for almost ten hours.”
“Damn,” I said. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve slept for that long.”
“Means you needed it,” he said as he approached his coffee pot and poured two mismatched ceramic mugs full of steaming coffee.
“Or that I was in a drug-induced coma,” I said.
“Or that,” he said. “How do you take it?”
“Black is fine,” I said.
“Attagirl,” he said with a grin as he set the mug in front of me. “And I’m making some eggs and sausage—hope that’s fine.”
“Sounds great,” I said.
And it did. Whatever had happened to me last night had made me feel drained and depleted. I needed some food in my belly, and fast.
Dakota went to work at the stove, the smell and sizzle of cooking food soon filling the air. I closed my eyes and savored it in anticipation.
“So,” he said. “You have fun last night?”
I didn’t even know how to begin to answer that question.
“It was … interesting,” I said.
“‘Interesting’ is how people describe things that they’re not sure about,” he said.
He had me there. Whoever this Dakota guy was, he was pretty sharp.
“I mean, it was scary,” I said. “And when we showed up and I saw what kinds of guys were there, I was al
most convinced that I’d made a huge mistake. Part of me wanted Bonnie to take me home right then and there.”
Then a thought occurred to me—Bonnie.
“Hold on!” I shouted, bursting from my chair.
I rushed to the bedroom and found my phone charging on the nightstand. Dakota must’ve plugged it in for me last night. The screen was full of texts from both Mom and Bonnie, both wanting to know where I was. I lied to Mom and said I was at Bonnie’s, and told Bonnie that I was fine and more interested in where she was. I imagined her in a big pile of naked women on Suntree’s bed, just one among many.
I tucked my phone into my pocket and came back into the kitchen.
“Everything okay?” asked Dakota.
“Yeah,” I said. “Just making sure people know I’m not dead.”
“Good call,” he said with a smirk. “Important information.”
Then he regarded me with a curious expression as he looked up from his pan.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said. “You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
I was learning very quickly that Dakota was an exceptionally good reader of people. Sure, it wasn’t a far-fetched guess to think I had plenty on my mind. But he seemed to know that, right at that moment, I was preoccupied.
“Thinking about Bonnie,” I said. “My friend.”
“Oh, I know Bonnie,” he said. “Lots of girls like her come through my scene. Rich girls wanting a taste of the dangerous life their parents try to keep them away from.”
“And what happens to them?” I asked.
“They either run scared back to mom and dad, or …”
He trailed off.
“Or?”
“Or they get sucked in. The Names aren’t really the type to get girls hooked on drugs and turn them into little followers, but plenty of other crews are like that. And Suntree …”
Now I was interested. He was on the same page as me.
“What about him?”
Dakota looked away for a moment, as if trying to figure out how much information to give out.
“Like I said—he’s got a way about him. He’s charismatic and naturally draws people into his orbit. Especially wayward girls like Bonnie.”
“But she’s from a good family,” I said. “She should know better.”
“By ‘good’ do you happen to mean ‘rich’?” he asked.
He had me there.
“I guess I do.”
“And what about her parents?”
“Her mom’s a well-known psychiatrist in the city,” I said. “And her dad’s some big business guy.”
“And are they around?” he asked.
“Not really,” I said. “From what I hear, at least. This has actually been the first time I’ve really talked to her since high school. Still seems like the same girl though. And has the same relationship with her parents.”
Dakota nodded as he pushed around the eggs in the skillet.
“Makes sense. People without parents tend to find them wherever they can. Most of the Names are like that.”
“Does that mean you’re like that?” I asked.
He smirked.
“That’s nothing you need to know about.”
I’d pried a little too much and felt silly. So, I changed the subject.
“It was so weird to see her there last night, just another one of those girls hanging off that guy. And I think she wanted me to be one of them with her.”
“And what stopped you?” he asked.
“I … don’t know. It’s like there was this little voice in my head telling me that something was wrong, that I needed to get away.”
“Good instincts,” he said. “And maybe good parents, too.”
I sipped my coffee and spoke.
“Maybe,” I said.
Part of me knew there was some truth to what he was saying.
“My mom is always on my butt to make sure that I’m not doing anything stupid.”
“And dad?”
“Dad’s … not in the picture,” I said. “Couldn’t even tell you what he looks like.”
He nodded.
“Then that means your mom’s doing double duty.”
Again, there was truth. But I still couldn’t believe how open I was being with him.
“Okay,” he said. “Food’s ready.”
I heard the sound of a spatula scraping against the skillet, followed by the clattering of plates. Dakota then emerged from behind the counter with two plates in his hands, both piled high with steaming eggs and sausage.
“Nothing fancy,” he said, setting the plate down in front of me. “But it’ll get you through the morning.”
Hunger hit me as soon as the plate was put down. I took bite after bite, savoring the delicious, greasy taste.
“Good?” he asked.
“Really good,” I said, my mouth full of food.
After I’d torn through about half the food, I set down my fork and sat back.
“And there’s more if you want it.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Really.”
As I let the food digest, images from last night came back into my mind. I remembered the men bursting into the party, roughing up the younger guys and trying to break up the party.
“Last night,” I said. “What happened?”
“A lot happened last night,” said Dakota. “You’re going to have to be specific.”
“I remember now that, right before I passed out, these older guys showed up and started giving everyone trouble. Was that some kind of fight?”
Dakota shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth, chewing and swallowing them before washing it all down with coffee.
“You could say that,” he said.
“Can … you tell me what it was?”
He set down his fork.
“There’s some power realignment happening in the Names right now,” he said. “Nothing that you need to worry about.”
“Maybe I do need to worry about it,” I said. “I mean, my friend might be caught up in the middle of whatever’s going on now.”
Sure, Bonnie wasn’t exactly my BFF. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried about her.
“Fair enough,” he said.
A thoughtful expression formed on his handsome face as he prepared to speak. It was an interesting trait to Dakota—most people seemed to just shoot off at the hip when they wanted to talk. Dakota, on the other hand, appeared to weigh his words carefully, to always make sure he was going to say exactly what he meant.
“Those guys who showed up at the party were other Infernal Names,” he said.
“What?” I asked. “And they fought with you guys.”
“Not really ‘fighting,’” he said. “They’re the really old-school guys, and we’re the younger recruits. The Names were exclusive as hell for a long time, not letting any new blood into the club. Then, when they realized that if they didn’t change their ways, they’d die out, they finally started accepting new recruits.”
He went on.
“And now we’ve got a generation gap problem. We’ve got guys in their late forties and fifties, then a huge jump down to guys who’re early thirties at the most, all the way down to guys like Thorne and Diesel who look like they’re hanging out with us after classes at college get out. Suntree’s part of the new crew. He’s thirty-five, I think, and between that and his personality, it’s enough for him to take charge of the next generation.”
“And the older guys don’t like that?”
“Nope,” he said. “They’re old-school and like to do things their way. And Suntree wants to do things another way. And when we throw one of our ragers like last night, the old crew doesn’t waste any time coming in and knocking heads.”
He waved his hand through the air, as if dismissing the topic.
“Just a bunch of bullshit politicking,” he said.
“What do you think is going to happen?”
&nbs
p; “Suntree’s going to take over, no doubt about that. He’s got most of the crew on his side, and the current leader, this dude named Jay Jay, has lost a step or two, to be nice about it.”
“I see,” I said.
“But you don’t need to worry about any of this—you’re about due to get back to your real life.”
He was right. But part of me was totally intrigued by this strange new world I’d gotten a glimpse of. Not to mention wanting Bonnie not to get sucked down into it.
I cleaned my plate and sat back, full and feeling much better.
“So,” he said. “One of the guys in the Names was cool enough to ride my bike back here for me.”
“Yeah?” I asked, a tinge of excitement running through me.
“And I’m ready to ride whenever you are.”
“Let’s do it.”
10
Hazel
We left Dakota’s apartment and stepped out into his neighborhood. The sun was warm, and the sky was clear. The area around us wasn’t the nicest place in the world, but it was leagues better than the area where the party had been held last night.
And, just like he’d said, a gorgeous motorcycle was parked out front. I’d never really been a girl who cared about motorcycles or cars, but the sight of Dakota’s bike was enough to make me reconsider. It was a sleek, modern-looking ride, gleaming with chrome and accented with black trim. It wasn’t one of the bulky, massive bikes that I’d pictured when I thought of motorcycles, and as soon as I laid eyes on it, I wanted to be on the back.
On the back and with my arms wrapped around Dakota, that is. Despite everything, I still felt drawn to him. He was gorgeous and kind and seemed to actually give a shit about me. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how attracted to him I was, how I’d been attracted to him from the moment I saw him at the party when he’d stepped in to look out for me.
“You cool with riding on the back?” he asked. “Don’t exactly have a nice Kia to drive you around in.”
“That’s fine with me,” I said, doing my best to suppress my smile.
We approached the bike and Dakota took the helmet that was locked to the handles. Once the lock was undone, he handed the helmet over to me.