He leaned up on his knees and pulled my hips toward him, impaling me, settling himself to the hilt with each movement. “God, you’re so fucking beautiful. Kobe. You’re mine, there is no fucking way”—he sank deep inside me—“anyone is going to get a taste of you.” He pulled out to almost the tip and then thrust in again. “You’re mine. Kobe...”
Every nerve in my body tightened as the string inside me, the one that held me together, broke and I was flooded with my release and his.
I blinked against the blinding sun as the sound of wind chimes filled the living room.
“Easton?” I said and sat straight up.
I ran my hand over my naked body and pulled the soft white blanket over my chest. I didn’t remember falling asleep on the living room floor.
“Easton?” I called again and stood, clutching the blanket around my body. My heart sank as I realized I was utterly alone. I couldn’t believe he’d leave without saying goodbye.
I reached for my cell phone on the coffee table and cringed at the stiffness in my shoulder.
“Ouch,” I muttered and turned my back to stare at my reflection in the mirror: a purple bruise bloomed over my shoulder blade. Scowling down at my phone, I shoved my hair from my face and wished he’d had the decency to at least be here when I woke up, or text. Well, Easton or no Easton, I had to get going or I would be late for kickboxing with Ridley.
I paused and let out a groan, remembering that Easton had brought me home last night which meant my car sat in Sasha’s parking lot overnight.
Kobe
Sweat dripped down my face as I adjusted my stance. It had taken less than a dozen punches to knock the pins loose that had held my stray hairs that wouldn’t stay in my ponytail, a fact that only added to my foul mood. I was considering chopping it all off again, but high school flashbacks jumped to the forefront of my mind.
“You’re doing great, Kobe,” Ridley said as she lowered the crimson mitts.
I didn’t feel great, though. The gym was my go-to when I found myself exhausted, hurt, confused, or any and all of those things, which was exactly how I felt today. After everything that happened with Easton, not to mention the continual proximity to the DT Coyotes. Well, let’s just say that it had been emotionally taxing, and I really needed to hit something.
I gave Ridley a run for her money, which was apparent by the flush in her cheeks, and I grinned at the breathlessness of her voice.
“Okay, let’s go,’’ I said as I readjusted my stance and counted the beats in my head, ready to slam my fist into her mitts once again. They landed solidly, and the jolt that reverberated from my knuckles all the way to my shoulder was as intoxicating as it was addicting, it was better than any drug I’d ever had.
A low whistle came from somewhere across the gym, not a catcall, but one of awe as I drew my fist back and counted one, two, three, four. My fists landed with such speed even I was impressed, and it drove me to fight harder against the invisible enemy within.
“I don’t know what Ridley did,” my coach called, his voice, a distant echo behind the roaring in my ears. “But my money’s on Kobe.”
“My money is on Kobe too.” Ridley laughed, her face caught somewhere between amusement and concern.
“What the hell did you do?’’ Bennett called beside coach. “Did you steal her boyfriend or something? Forget to pick her up from a bake sale. This is why girls don’t belong here, you both should be home fixing sandwiches for your man.” Bennett looked around the gym to try and garner admiration from the other men.
That was it. I lowered my hands, bared my teeth, and rounded on Bennett. I no longer cared that he was probably a head taller than me, or that he was just some dumb eighteen year old, barely out of high school, and trying to impress the other men at the gym. He was going down and I was out for blood.
“Whoa, hold up there,” Ridley jumped forward and wrapped a long toned arm around my waist and pulled me backward.
Ridley was taller than me, hell she could probably bench me, but I was fast and determined. It took two of her arms wrapped tightly around me to keep me from leaving this blue mat, and pressing his smug young face into the concrete.
“Calm down, he’s not the only one who doesn’t think women belong here, let’s not give them something to talk about,” Ridley whispered in my ear.
I inhaled deeply and relaxed as she lifted her brows, surprised by my reaction. I knew deep down that she was right, his stupid face wasn’t worth risking being banned from the gym.
“Women,” Bennett sneered, and I fisted my hands at my sides and flexed my glove covered fingers.
“And breath, two, three, four,” Ridley said, half joking, half sincere as I inhaled through my nose.
“Okay, smarts,” Coach said, “Go do five laps.”
“What?” he groaned, and I smirked at Ridley.
Bennett didn’t have to do that, of course, but if he wanted to keep the best coach in the city as his personal trainer, he was going to have to do everything he was told.
“So,” Ridley said and adjusted the mitts on her hands, “do you want to tell me what all that was about?”
“He needed someone to knock him down a few pegs.”
“That’s not exactly what I meant,” she said.
I knew what she was talking about, but it was hard to open up. Especially because the person I was closest to, I lost. No one has been able to fill that void, not that I had given anyone a real chance either.
“It’s just Bennett,” I said, not meeting her eyes.
“Yeah, you know, I don’t think it’s just Bennett.” She huffed, brushing her bangs from her eyes. “You came in here in a mood, and don’t say you didn’t because I feel like I’ve spent enough time with you over the past two weeks to know that something is wrong. I can see the weight of the stress you carry on your shoulders. My cousin Harley does the same thing,” Ridley said as I struck for the first time.
“In what way?” I asked, mildly curious, and punched again.
“You’ve got that look in your eye. You look like someone who is hell bent on revenge,” she said with a casual lift of her shoulder.
“What?” I lowered my hands and looked at her.
“You see, Harley was really sweet, funny, and outgoing. One day, Harley had to face a nasty decision.”
“What decision was that?”
“She had decide whether to die or kill her father,” Ridley said with such seriousness that I knew she wasn’t shittin’ me.
“Whoa, what?”
“Yeah, Harley was little, she had just witnessed her cop dad beat the life out of her mother.”
I chewed on my lower lip, and contemplated the woman before me. “What happened to her?”
“Harley is still alive and she is a deputy. You see, what was on her shoulders was justice. She wanted justice for her mother and every other battered woman out there. And I get the feeling that’s something that you’re going through right now,” Ridley said
I nodded, appreciating the understanding on her part.
“My mom and Harley’s mom were sisters, so Harley came to live with us. We’re close, but I still see that same look in her, that look to serve justice to abusive men. So, believe me when I say, I’m well versed in angry women. Do you want to tell me what the issue is?”
I frowned down at my red knuckles.
“Don’t tell me that Bennett’s right, and it’s about a boy,” Ridley said with a quick grin. “Just kidding. I’m kidding, a man is plenty of reason to be pissed.”
I nodded. “Well, that’s true, and it is kind of about a man, but it’s also about my brother.”
Ridley said nothing and waited for me to explain. I stood in silence for a moment as I slid back on my boxing gloves. Punching was something I was more comfortable with.
I raised my fists and hit hard, relaxing at the sting of impact against her. “My brother was murdered by a member of DT Coyotes,” I said, and her lips parted in shock. “He was murdered, a
nd they haven’t caught the killer because no one is brave enough to speak out against those bastards.” I cleared my throat, willing the tightness of it to go away.
“Is that all?” she asked with a chuckle, and I had to smile at her.
“I also slept with my brother’s best friend last night. He was gone when I woke up.”
“Well, fuck,” she said and lowered her mitts.
“Yep.”
There was something soothing about working out, it released all of the pent up stress. Maybe the fact that I had Ridley to talk to, also helped.
Before we left the gym, we decided to exchange numbers. It was the first time I had a friend, a real girl friend.
Easton
Sweat beaded down my neck, I was under the interstate overpass of I4, all senses were on high alert. This was the first time I had been in this situation. Sure, I had prepared myself for what to expect, but actually being here for a major drug deal was fucking alarming.
Mostly because the DT Coyotes were the real thing. I was not working with some teenagers who thought they could earn some street cred, selling weed on a street corner. Nope, this was oxy, and if this deal went sideways, and the cops showed up, we could be facing twenty years in prison. I wouldn’t be shocked if the DA tried to get us on RICO charges since the oxy was coming from outside of Florida.
I tried to focus on what was going on around me, but at the same time thoughts of Kobe played through my head—hell, she had been there all day. I hadn’t heard from her, but in all fairness, I hadn’t reached out to her either. It was for the best really, what happened between us was stress and pent-up unresolved trauma from the murder of Jared. I was angry because she wouldn’t quit Sasha’s, that was all, that was all last night was, it was an angry fuck. Yeah, that had to be it. At least, that was what I had continued to tell myself.
“Fucking, motherfucker, what’s taking them so long?” Spider asked as he shifted his weight uncomfortably and wiped his brow on the back of his hand.
Obviously, I wasn’t the only one feeling the heat tonight, which gave me some comfort, I was sweating. Mine wasn’t so much heat as it was nerves. We were all on edge. I knew some people lived for the thrill of this, but I’d rather get my kicks at a gun range, or driving just a little too fast on my motorcycle.
“They’ll get here when they get here,” Crow snapped and pulled out his iPhone and began scrolling.
“Get here when they get here. What kind of saying is that?” Spider asked, irritated.
I sighed heavily, one of the most frustrating things about working with these people was the bitching among each other. I was shocked that they were constantly ratting each other out. Whenever Dante wasn’t in a room, it was like spending all day with a bunch of teenage boys with too much testosterone and Mommy issues.
“Just try to take your mind off it,” Crow said and slid his phone back into his chest pocket. “Think about everything we’ll do. You’ll probably get five thousand dollars to blow at the next strip club. Maybe we can ask Dante to give it to you in singles.” He teased, and the other men joined in the laughter.
“Ha ha, fuck you. I’m not going to spend it all on strippers. Just a small portion of it, enough to get my baby Crystal to come home with me.”
I shook my head, the man was so delusional. Crystal was one of the highest money makers in the area. She worked at Diamante’s, it wasn’t a popular hangout for the DT Coyotes since the place attracted local businessmen as well.
“What are you gonna do with the money, Crow?” I asked as I leaned forward on the handlebars of my bike.
“I’m gonna take me a week-long vacation to the Bahamas, hang out, and pass out on the beach in an alcohol-induced stupor with whatever pretty local I can scoop up that night.”
It wasn’t a bad plan, and I found myself wishing that I could take a certain brunette on vacation with me as well. Something told me that Kobe had spent entirely too much time concentrating on Jared’s case. It would be good for her to get far away, relax, and just be the young woman that she was.
“Know what I’m looking forward to almost as much as the cash?” Spider asked as he rubbed his hands together. “The oxy itself.”
Crow nodded in approval and closed his eyes as if he could already feel it in a system. “You pop oxy, Easy?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“When it hits you, God, it feels great. So high—a euphoria, if you will,” Spider said and smiled at the memory. His thin skin stretched tight over his hollow cheeks, and I wondered if he swallowed more pills than he ate actual meals.
“We’re gonna have to give Easy his first dose. What do you say, Crow?” Spider turned to the dark-haired man who stared at the shadow of the underpass.
“Huh?” Crow said, glancing back at us.
“I was saying that we should let Easy here have the first couple pills. What do you say?” He wasn’t offering to be nice, it was just another test.
Crow frowned as if contemplating. “I don’t care as long as Dante is cool with that.” He shrugged and wiped the sweat from his brow as he continued to stare at the overpass.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Something don’t feel right,” Crow said, and I followed his gaze to the shadows.
“What do you mean?” I asked and squinted into the darkness.
“Let’s get out of here,” Crow said and revved his engine.
Before he could speed away, fifteen police officers marched forward, guns raised.
Crow had kicked his motorcycle into gear so fast that he was the first to speed away, leaving the rest of us in a frenzy.
“That bastard,” I muttered and revved my own engine.
The panicked voices were a roar, almost as loud as the bikes. We clamored to get away, and I held my breath. I had no choice, I just hoped I wouldn’t kill anyone in the process. I drove through the crowd of people and gasped at the vice-like grip that fastened around my forearm. Some rookie cop was actually trying to hold on and pull me from a moving bike.
“Get off,” the cop shouted at me, and I gritted my teeth.
“Not fucking likely,” I said and slowly accelerated.
The cop had two choices: let go or hold on and be dragged onto the blacktop. It took less than a second for him to decide to release me. I continued to accelerate and threw one final glance over my shoulder at the army of police officers. They already had a couple of men on the ground with their hands handcuffed behind their backs. Dante was going to be pissed.
I weaved in and out of traffic, trying to put as much distance between myself and the police officers as I could. We were going to need a hell of an explanation when we got to Dante’s.
I drove another fifteen minutes before I exited for Sasha’s and spotted a few bikes already parked on the side.
“What the hell was that?” I shouted as I turned off the engine and removed my helmet.
No one looked at me because they were too fixated on the argument ensuing between Spider and Crow. The gravel crunched beneath my boots as I strode over to the other gang members, my helmet in my hand. I placed one hand on my 9mm that was tucked in the band of my jeans. Part of me was afraid that I would be their first target if they were worried about a rat.
“You just kicked off and left us there,” Spider said, his hands clenched in fists at his sides.
“Like you would have done any different?” Crow sneered as the other members quietly watched them.
“What are we going to tell Dante?” I asked as all eyes turned to me. “We didn’t get the oxy and there were cops. It was a setup.”
“Damn right it was a setup!” Spider spat.
“Well, who did it?” I asked as I looked around the group, and Spider turned to face me with wild eyes.
“Maybe you, kid,” Spider said, and I snorted out a laugh.
“Kid? Come on, I’m like a year younger than you,” I said and took a step toward him, gripping my helmet tight, challenging him to take a swing at me. I tu
rned my focus to Crow once I realized that Spider wasn’t going to make a move.
“We don’t know who did it, and until we know for sure, we’re not going to go around killing each other,” Crow said, his voice reasonable. “Who wants to be the sorry bastard who takes that pleasure from Dante. If it is Easy,” he said, gesturing to me, “then he’ll get what’s coming soon enough.”
I glowered at Spider, who’s fingers flexed at his sides. “Where are Ice and the other guys who were on lookout?”
“I’m assuming that were taken, they’re not here, are they?” Crow replied.
“Now I know why there was no alert,” I said.
“You think?” Spider snapped.
This guy and I were going to have a coming to Jesus if he didn’t lay off me.
“So, what do we do now?” I asked as sweat rolled down my forehead and stung my eyes.
“I’ll tell Dante what happened,” Crow said with a nod. “Then we will figure out who ratted tonight. Be warned, if it comes out that any of you fuckers have betrayed us—your family,” he said as he clapped a hand down hard on his chest. “I’ll make sure the punishment is long and slow.”
Kobe
The low rattling came from under the hood of my beater Mustang. I really needed to give up on the old girl, but honestly, I didn’t have the money or the time. I was driving across the city to the DT Coyote’s headquarters, also known as Dante’s place. He had a party tonight, and everyone was going. If I wanted to get any closer to solving my brother’s case, then what better place to go than the lion’s den?
I ran an index finger carefully under each eye because, with this heat, I was positive that my eye makeup was running, and then I cranked up the air conditioning. It was no use, the damn thing just continued to blow hot air. Accepting defeat, I rolled down the window and smiled at the warm gust of wind that kissed my face as I exited the highway. It was probably better to arrive windblown than sweat soaked. Adding mechanic shop to my mental to do list, I turned up the radio as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” crooned through the speakers.
Kobe, Bad Blood (Blood Roses Book 1) Page 5