Zero F*cks (Violent Circle Book 4)

by S. M. Shade

  Noble runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. We’ve all tried to talk sense to him, to get him to grow up and handle his responsibilities. I know you’ve had more than one talk with him.”

  “That’s why he calls us Mom and Dad,” I sigh. “What are we supposed to do? I’m not bailing him out.”

  A knock on the door makes everyone jump. Why do cops always hit the door like they’re trying to break it down? Officer Green steps inside with another officer I recognize, but I can’t remember his name. “Denton, I assume you heard about your roommate?”

  “Just now, yeah.”

  “We have permission from the housing authority to search your apartment.”

  Stepping back, I stare at him. “I thought he was stealing money from work.” He’s not going to find anything here.

  “There have been other items missing, from customers and the store.”

  “We didn’t know anything about any of this,” Becca speaks up.

  Officer Green gives her a reassuring smile. “I understand. We’re mainly interested in his room. We will search the whole apartment, but we won’t tear the place apart or anything.”

  It looks like we have no choice, so Trey shows him which room is Kenny’s. I’m not concerned about them searching since I know we don’t have anything illegal. Noble took the last of the edibles home, and it’s been dry lately, so none of us has any weed.

  The other officer starts searching my room. I hover in the doorway, watching him, and Becca joins me. “Are you okay with this?” I murmur.

  “Yeah, I have nothing to hide. I don’t really care.” She peeks up at me. “He sure didn’t act like he had extra money.”

  She’s right about that. He hasn’t been buying new clothes or throwing money around. Most evenings he just spends in his room.

  The officer opens my closet door and takes a step back, a snort of laughter spilling from him. I completely forgot about the dinosaur costume hanging in my closet.

  Becca giggles at the sight of it. “Do I want to know why you have that?”

  “What? You don’t think dinos are sexy?”

  “Oh yeah, especially those creepy little arms.”

  The officer moves on to her room. She seems fine with it as he glances through her closet, but her eyes widen when he stoops down to look on the bottom shelf of the end table between her bed and the wall. His expression never changes, but her cheeks fill with color.

  Officer Green calls from Kenny’s room, and he scuttles out to go to him. Becca responds to my grin with a look of warning.

  “What do you have down there, Bex?”

  “Shut up.”

  “Something that came in a pink bag?” I tease.

  She groans. “You wouldn’t think it was funny if he’d found your porn or something.”

  “Psh, I’m not ashamed.”

  We head to Kenny’s room just in time to see Officer Green pull a small, red purse out of the closet. “Do any of you recognize this?”

  Everyone shakes their heads as Becca says, “It’s not mine.”

  “No,” Officer Green mumbles, pulling out a wallet and opening it. “It was stolen two weeks ago from a customer.”

  You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. He stole a woman’s purse? Who is this guy?

  Before I can process that information, he pulls a shoebox down from the top shelf of the closet. Removing the lid reveals the stacks of cash inside.

  Trey’s jaw drops. “That son of a bitch borrowed money from me this morning for toothpaste!”

  The indignant tone of his voice would be funny if the situation wasn’t so screwed up. Officer Green brushes his gaze over all of us, but he doesn’t say anything, just counts the money, then takes it along with the purse.

  “What are we supposed to do?” I ask, pulling him aside as we step out the front door. “We had no idea he was doing this.”

  “You and your friends aren’t in any trouble. I’m sure you’re aware housing authority has a strict rule written into your lease that prevents anyone with a felony from living here, so I expect they’ll be evicting him.” He slaps me on the back. “Sorry, kid. Looks like you’re going to have to find a new roommate.”

  Trey walks in and flops onto the couch. “Did you know we were selling meth? Oh, and we also might be running a whorehouse.”

  “For fuck’s sake,” I grumble. The rumor mill is running full force on Violent Circle. From the second I saw the small crowd gathered around the park as the cops were leaving, I knew it wouldn’t be pretty. All arrests are reported in the newspaper that comes out tomorrow, which will put a stop to most of it. Until then, there’s no reason to tell anyone anything because it won’t be believed anyway. No one is interested in the truth when the rumors are so much juicier.

  Becca shakes her head. “For a whore, I sure am broke.”

  “Aw, I’d pay top dollar for you, babe.”

  Trey laughs when she flips me off. His lips curl into a grin, and he looks from her to me. “Are you two going to admit you’re screwing around or am I supposed to pretend she didn’t sleep in your room last night?”

  “We’re not screwing around.” I take a seat next to her. “What we have here is a girlfriend situation.”

  “A girlfriend situation,” he repeats, amused. “You realize this is a penalty. Breach of bro code. We all agreed.”

  “I’m aware. She’s worth it. I just ask that you give it a little time for all the other crazy to blow over. We’re already pimps and drug dealers. It’s probably not the best time to be seen out in a dress or bikini or whatever you have planned.”

  “Deal,” Trey laughs. “And congrats.”

  This is what I like about Trey. He’s so laid back, never lets anything get to him, never starts shit or wants to argue. Kenny would be melting down and probably accusing me of cockblocking him when he never had a chance.

  “I’d rather take my time anyway, maybe talk to Noble, see what we can come up with.”

  Becca’s brow creases. “You two are insane.”

  A knock at the door breaks up our little conversation, and I’m surprised to see Kenny’s dad standing there. We’ve met before, and he seemed like a decent guy. He’s pulled Kenny’s ass out of the fire enough times and he must be here to do it again.

  “Gil, come in. I guess Kenny got a hold of you?”

  “He did,” he sighs. “I have a box truck out front for his stuff. Would you boys mind helping me load it up?”

  “You’re moving him out?” Trey exclaims, his head jerking back.

  Weariness flashes in his face as he nods. “He’s in a lot of trouble. He’s moving back home with us.”

  “What about school?” I ask, following him back to Kenny’s room.

  Gil scoffs. “He barely passed his first year. I’m not financing another.”

  Becca lingers in the doorway as we start to pack up Kenny’s stuff. “Is it drugs, maybe?” she asks softly. “I mean, maybe he’s addicted to something and doesn’t want anyone to know. It would explain a lot.”

  Gil gives her a small smile. “No, I just came from the jail. My first question was why. Why would he steal from people? We’re far from rich, but he wasn’t doing without anything. We made sure of that.”

  “It isn’t your fault,” Trey assures him. “Did he say what the money was for?”

  “To buy a small RV and party his way across the country. Follow some hard rock festival tour.”

  You’ve got to be kidding me. We help him get everything loaded into the truck while most of the neighbors watch. “Do you know how long he’ll be locked up?”

  “I bailed him out. It takes a few hours to process him out. I’m going to pick him up now. Past that, I have no idea.”

  Nodding, I step back as he starts the truck. “Okay, um…have a safe trip.”

  I don’t know what else to say. I also don’t really know how to feel as I head back indoors and step inside his now empty room. Kenny was always a pain in the ass, but he wasn’t always
as bad as he’s been the last few months. He was one of us.

  Soft arms wrap around me from behind. “Are you okay?”

  Turning, I pull Becca into a hug. “Yeah, I’m good. Stuff just changes so fast sometimes.”

  “It does,” she agrees.

  “We need to figure out if we’re going to try to find another roommate or if we can swing the difference.”

  “I can manage my part of the difference if we need to. Just let me know what you and Trey want to do.”

  She heads off to take a shower, and I spend a few more minutes in the empty room. I’m pissed. At Kenny and at the world in general. Everything has to be a damn struggle. And it’s always about money. It feels so impossible to just get ahead.

  With a sigh, I text Neal to see if I can get some more hours at the car wash this week. Poverty is like a hamster wheel and if you stop running, you die.

  Chapter Nine

  Becca

  I hate that Denton has lost a friend, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved to have Kenny gone. His constant jabs and leering looks were unsettling, and the place feels a lot friendlier without him there. The guys tried for a couple of days to get in touch with Kenny and see how he was doing, but he wouldn’t pick up. Finally, Trey got a text saying he wasn’t coming back and to leave him alone.

  What a dickhead.

  “The Becker brothers are scheduled for two o’clock,” Sasha says, flipping through the shop appointment book.

  “Yeah, Jason stopped in yesterday so I could get an idea what he wants. I’ve got a sketch ready.”

  “Ugh, why did I have to get Jimmy?” We both move to set up our areas

  “What is he getting this time?” The brothers always come to get ink together and while Jason has some amazing pieces, Jimmy’s are more unique. Judging others choice of tattoos is something I try not to do. Art means different things to different people. Still, covering a grown man in memes and silly catch phrases no one will recognize a year from now is excruciating.

  Laying her head on the desk, she holds up her sketch of a cardboard Chinese food container with noodles and chopsticks sticking out the top. The words “Send Noods” blaze from a banner below it.

  “Where does he even get this stuff?”

  My phone rings with a call from Denton. “You are in so much trouble, young lady,” he says as soon as I pick up.

  “Is this some kind of phone sex fantasy thing? Because I’m not calling you Daddy.”

  Sasha chuckles and turns to busy herself at her work station.

  “Today is your birthday and you weren’t even going to tell me?”

  Oh yeah. That.

  “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. We’re all busy and trying to save money. Honestly, with everything going on, I forgot until last night. How did you find out?”

  “Facebook.” There’s a pause before he adds, “Hang on.” It sounds like a giant washing machine kicks on in the background. It takes a minute or so for the noise to fade, and I wave to the Becker brothers as they enter. “Are you still there?” he asks.

  “Yeah, but I’ve got a client waiting.”

  “Fine, I won’t keep you, but we are absolutely not skipping your birthday, understand?”

  I step into the private room. “Do not buy me anything, Denton.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do, Rebecca,” he taunts, and I can picture the smirk on his face.

  “You can give me the gift of your tongue when we get home, since you’re so talented with it.”

  “What can I say? I ate my pudding cups without a spoon when I was a kid.” Someone yells his name. Probably Neal telling him to get back to work. “I have to go too. I’ll call you later.”

  Jason grins at me. He’s already seated in the chair with his shirt off.

  “Ready?” I ask.

  “All set.” He pulls a picture from his pocket. “I also wanted to run this past you. My daughter will be one year old next month and I’d like to get a portrait of her on my back.”

  Taking the picture, I study it. Portraits are a challenge, but I love bringing them to life because I know how special they are to the people requesting it. “I can do that. It’ll probably take two sessions.”

  “Dara will be surprised,” his brother calls from across the room.

  “It’ll be a good surprise though. Hannah is going to kick your ass for that noodle bullshit, man.”

  I’m not taking sides, but I’m pretty sure Jason’s wife will be much happier with his choice than Jimmy’s will.

  The day flies by and it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Without school, I spend far more time working, which is a good thing, but it seems to make the days shorter. Probably because I get so involved in my work. I enjoy it. That’s not something everyone can say, and I try to keep that in perspective when I remember what a big risk I’ve taken buying this place.

  My phone beeps with a text from Denton just as I’m finishing up a dollar sign tattoo on the back of a man’s hand. He originally wanted it on his face. Every artist has their limit, and my line is drawn at face tattoos. I have seen some skillfully done neck tats, but in my opinion, nothing looks good on someone’s face. I’ve also noticed that people don’t want just one face tat. They end up with multiples. I’m not going to be responsible for making a person’s face look like a middle school desk covered in graffiti.

  After wiping away the excess ink and filling the guy in on aftercare, I check my phone.

  Denton: We have the house to ourselves tonight. Get your ass home, birthday girl, so we can celebrate.

  Me: Will this be a naked celebration?

  Denton: Obviously.

  Me: Leaving now.

  He sends me back three emojis. A tongue, fish, and taco.

  Me: My taco is not fishy!

  All I get in return is a laughing emoji. Sasha has stuck around for the last few minutes to give me a ride home. Denton was right. I shouldn’t be driving my car anymore. It’s parked at home until I make some arrangements.

  Sasha grins at me as we climb into her car. “You’re thinking about Denton.”

  “That obvious, huh?”

  “You two are adorable. It’s a little sickening.”

  She focuses on the road, but I see her stiffen up when I announce. “Trey is going to ask you out.”

  “He…said that?”

  “He asked me what you liked to do. Plus, you know, I’ve been watching him ogle you for weeks. Put the guy out of his misery.”

  She fiddles with the ends of her hair. “I don’t know. After Brody, I just…don’t know.” Sasha’s last boyfriend was her only boyfriend. They had been together for over four years when she found out he was cheating.

  “You don’t know if you’re over him?”

  “Oh, I’m way over him. I just don’t know if I can trust anyone again, or if I even want to.”

  We park in front of the apartment. “I understand. For what it’s worth, I think Trey is a good guy.” I grin at her. “And I know you have a thing for gingers.”

  “He’s cute. And funny and sweet,” she sighs. “I’ll think about it. Now, go get laid so I can live vicariously through you.”

  As soon as I step through the front door, I can hear music playing. It’s familiar, but I can’t place it. A rose hangs from a string inside the door with a note attached. Oh my god, what is he up to?

  Strip, and follow the petals.

  His text said we had the apartment to ourselves. He’d better not be wrong. I pull off my shirt, kick off my shoes and socks, then add my shorts to the pile of clothing. The bra and panties are staying until I see what I’m in for. I’m glad I wore my matching black lace set. I didn’t expect this, so I could’ve easily been rocking granny panties and a sports bra.

  A single rose petal lies in the doorway between the foyer and the living room, but once I step over to it, I see another a few feet away, then another a few feet beyond that. I can’t believe he’s done this. Who knew Denton was a romantic? Smil
ing, I tuck the rose under my bra strap.

  The music grows louder as I follow the petals to his bedroom, picking them up as I go. It’s driving me a little crazy that I can’t figure out where I’ve heard it before. It’s instrumental, and so damned familiar.

  A shiver of excitement races over me when I step into his room. My plan was to toss the petals in the air around me, maybe with some silly remark, but that idea just went right out the window. I expect to find him waiting for me, maybe with some strawberries or wine. I had the strawberries right, but…

  Laughter shakes my body before I can even fully comprehend what I’m seeing.

  A six foot tall dinosaur lounges on the bed, dressed in a bright red thong and bra. It’s massive head is propped on a pillow and it lies on its back, legs in the air.

  “Are you ready to get t-wrecked?” Denton’s voice is deep and sultry, but I can hear him fighting not to laugh.

  “Dent,” I choke out. “What the hell?”

  He waves one of the little arms seductively. I didn’t know that was even possible, but I swear he manages. “Get over here so we can have some hot tyrannosaurus sex.”

  Finally able to fight back the laughter, I reply. “I don’t know. You’re wearing lingerie. I’m not really into female dinos.”

  “I’m all male, babe. A rare breed. They call me a lickalotapus.” He struggles to sit up, and it takes him three tries to get off the bed in the bulky suit. Tears stream down my face, and my sides ache from laughing.

  He waddles over to me and runs the creepy little hand down my arm. “You’re going to be dinosore tomorrow.”

  When he tries to pull me toward him, his tail hits the dresser, sending the bowl of whipped cream covered strawberries airborne. They rain down, splattering both of us with streaks of white.

  “Shit,” he curses, and the sound of it coming from the dinosaur mouth sends me into giggles again.

  “Keep laughing at me and you’ll be a tyranosoreass,” he warns.