WEST
The peace of mind that comes with having the alarm installed at Southside’s is unmatched. As soon as school ended, I walked her to practice, got her key, and then met the installer at her place. To some, that move might seem like some serious, overbearing boyfriend-type-shit, but I don’t give a fuck what people think. As long as she’s safe, I’m good with all the rest.
The next item on my agenda was to bring my brothers up to speed on all the details they’ve missed. I’ve officially done that, and Sterling zones out thinking about it all. I can only imagine what’s going on inside his head.
But when he speaks up a second later, I’m not left wondering for long.
“Damn. This shit’s more fucked up than I thought.”
He stands at my bedroom window, overlooking the city as he and Dane process everything I’ve revealed. His analysis of things isn’t wrong—this shit’s definitely fucked up.
“Guess I get why her hand’s all busted. Hell, I might’ve taken out a whole wall if I’d been her,” Dane chimes in, but then his brow quirks when he seems to have an epiphany right after. “Anyone else thinking Pandora’s last post was about Vin?”
“Oh, it was definitely about Vin,” Sterling adds. “That asshole’s probably trying to flush her out because she outed him about that little pitstop at Southside’s last night. We all know how he gets when something’s out of his control.”
“Think he’ll succeed? He’s got the cash and resources to do pretty much whatever the hell he wants,” Dane points out.
He turns when I shake my head, laughing a bit. “You kidding me? That bitch won’t get found out until she’s good and ready.”
He shrugs, probably realizing I’m right, but Sterling faces us with concern marking his expression.
“Should we even be talking here?” he asks. “I mean, for all we fucking know, Vin’s got this whole place bugged.”
“Thought about that. When I came home to change for school this morning, I checked everything. Pretty sure it’s just the phones—our calls, our texts,” I explain. “So, once we get the new ones tonight, that should settle it.”
“And… where are these phones coming from again?” Sterling asks, shooting Dane a look.
“You fucking deaf? I said I know a guy.”
Sterling laughs to himself before mocking Dane’s answer. “That’s right. You know a guy. Suddenly, I feel so much more at ease. Thank you for clarifying.”
“Why’s it so hard to believe I communicate with people who aren’t either of you two assholes?”
“Let me guess. He’s one of your followers or some weak shit like that. Am I right?”
Dane laughs off the insult, reaching for his phone. When he turns it toward us, he’s pointing at the number representing the army who hang on his every word.
“If nearly two million IG followers is weak, you can kiss my ass,” he adds.
Surprised, Sterling stares at the number in silence. Pretty sure no one’s ever shut him up quicker than Dane just did.
“What time’s this dude supposed to meet you?”
I sound tense as hell when asking, but it comes from not hearing from Southside when she got out of practice. I’ve gotten used to checking in, making sure she’s made it home okay. But now that we know our calls and texts are compromised, we agreed to cut off all communication that’s not face-to-face.
Which fucking sucks.
Dane checks the time. “Soon. I should probably head out in a bit.”
The magic number is seven—three for us, two for Southside and Scar, one for Joss, and one for that dick, Ricky.
Problem with being a triplet is that the other two seem to read your mind sometimes. Especially when you don’t want them to.
“Listen, we know you hate the guy, but it’s looking like we might need him.”
Leave it to Sterling to be the voice of reason.
He takes the football off my dresser, then tosses it. I snatch it out of the air, still zoning out.
“Doesn’t mean I have to fucking like it.”
He nods when I finish grumbling. “Never said you had to like it, but he knows things we don’t and has access to things we don’t. Besides, Southside trusts him, so…”
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” I scoff. “Last thing I need is one of you to start fangirling over this asshole, hanging from his nuts and shit.”
When I pass the ball to Dane with more power than I mean to, he nearly misses it, but mostly because he’s laughing at my grumpy ass.
“Relax. I think Sterling’s just pointing out the obvious—that it makes sense to bring him in on things,” he reasons. “Besides, regardless of whether he’s still holding on to her, everyone with eyes can see Southside’s not into him anymore.”
This just in: I’d level her entire fucking neighborhood if I thought otherwise.
I’m focused on the ball when it soars from Dane’s hands to Sterling’s, then back into mine.
Dane laughs to himself. “If it makes you feel any better, Joss thinks it’s ‘sweet’ that you’re jealous.”
I don’t even respond to that shit, because he knows it doesn’t make me feel better.
Sweet, my ass…
“Where is she, anyway?” I ask when he mentions Joss’s name. She’s been hanging with us so much lately it feels weird not having her around, getting on my case about shit.
“The dance squad got roped into being on the Snow Ball committee,” he answers.
Ah, the Snow Ball—Cypress Prep’s annual Christmas dance, another bullshit way to syphon money out of the student body. My aversion to this time of year means I’ve never been. Not even once.
“Yeah, she can keep that shit,” I grumble, falling back on the mattress after I make a clean pass to Dane.
“She’ll find some way to talk us all into going since she’s involved in the planning. Just accept it. It’ll be less painful,” Dane says.
I don’t even have room in my head to think of all the reasons that sounds about as fun as a kick to the balls.
Sterling moves back toward the window and I know he’s counting down, just like I am. We agreed I should wait twenty minutes from the time Vin got in from work—or wherever the hell he’s been—before heading up to see him. That twenty-minute window is just about closed now, which means I’m about to look him in the eyes for the first time since he visited Southside. And as much as she doesn’t want me confronting him, it’d be out of character for me not to. So, if we want him to keep thinking we’re not up to anything, I have to respond the way he’d expect.
By going off on his ass.
I have to be smart, though. He can’t know specifics—about Southside caving and telling the whole truth, that her brother warned her about the phones.
All he needs to know is that I saw Pandora’s update. Translation: he’s about to know once and for all that he fucked up. Royally.
Dane stands and my gaze rises with him. “You heading out?” I ask.
He nods. “Yup.”
“I’ll ride with you,” Sterling offers.
“Cool. We’ll meet back here when everything’s done. And if I’m lucky, I won’t lose my shit and do something stupid while I’m up there with Vin,” I add with a laugh.
Guess it’s not really funny, though, seeing as how I’d love to light into him.
The guys head out and I’m on my feet, too. It’s go-time.
“Pretty sure I raised you to knock before barging into a damn room, didn’t I?”
I ignore Vin’s bullshit and slam the door to his study behind me. Despite the fact that twenty-four hours have passed, I’m still just as pissed as the second I laid eyes on the image of Southside climbing out of his SUV. He sees it, the rage spilling over, and it has him on his feet, staring back as I charge toward his desk.
“Mind telling me what the fuck you were doing at Blue’s house last night?”
He doesn’t speak, but the slow smirk spreading across his face says it all. It tells me he thinks what I feel for Southside means nothing. It tells me that he sees her the same way he sees every other girl in this town—as an expendable resource.
“I think you should bring the volume down before we continue this conversation, son.”
“Son?” I scoff, wishing I could say more. “Just… answer the fucking question.”
He’s calm—or at least pretending to be—while I’m anything but that.
“You’re clearly hopped up on emotion, but didn’t I warn you about her several weeks ago? She’s toxic.”
I know where this is going and I’m already shaking my head. “No. Bullshit.”
“Think what you want, but I came to you like a man. Even laid my sins bare so we could come to an understanding. But what the fuck did you do? You rejected the truth because, apparently, pussy’s more important than your pride,” he scoffs. “She’s making a damn fool of you, West.”
I look him dead in the eyes, ignoring all the meaningless noise that just left his mouth. “How is it that you just managed to do all that talking, but never got around to answering the fucking question?”
He holds my gaze and then lets out a breath, deciding it’s time to come around his desk and face me.
“For what it’s worth, that post you saw was poorly timed and misleading. It wasn’t what it looked like. I’ve got no romantic interest in her whatsoever. Whatever we had, it’s dead now.”
Does this asshole really think I still believe his bullshit? I nearly laugh hearing the act he’s putting on.
Fucking pathetic.
“Why were you there?”
He lowers his head, and his expression turns solemn. Like he’s deep in thought, troubled. Meanwhile, I’m one hundred percent certain this dick doesn’t even have a heart.
“I was there because she asked me to be.” He sighs, pausing for dramatic effect. “She’s threatened to hurt herself in the past and she sounded unstable, so… I went to her.”
Hearing his excuse, I can hardly stomach it.
“Listen, I’m sure she’s told you a completely different story and, if I’m being honest, she’d be smart to do so,” he reasons. “She’s playing a sick game, West. Whatever she said about me, about why I was there, she’s just trying to protect herself.”
I meet his gaze again and there’s a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“Tell me exactly what she told you.” The words leave his mouth with a calm edge to them, like the psychopath he is.
He presses me with his stare, thinking I’ll cave and trust him, but he has no fucking clue how done I am with his ass. That gleam dims and his expression goes cold. He knows I’m not cracking. So, when I fail to answer, he starts in with the lies again.
“She’s blinded you to the truth! Can’t you see that?” he shouts, causing his face to redden when he loses his temper.
I stare as he begins to pace, and rage shoots through me like a bolt of lightning, forcing me to clench my fists.
“You don’t know when to just… shut the fuck up, do you?”
He’s quiet after I speak, staring with determination in his eyes. He’s not going to stop until he thinks I’ve fallen for his B.S. Problem is, that’ll never happen.
“I’ve got no reason to lie to you, West. What the hell could I possibly gain from you seeing my faults? What good can come from you knowing I was once stupid enough to fall for someone like her?”
And that’s the million-dollar question. Why would you want me to believe something happened between you and Southside? What’s so bad that having me believe this is the better option?
No sooner than I ask the question, I remember what he said to Southside—about how he has the means to make her and Scar disappear, how he’s already had people show interest.
My stomach turns and I have to make myself hold it all in, everything I know about the shady life he leads when he leaves this building every morning.
But then I remember the promise I made to a beautiful girl on the other side of town. One who has so much more riding on this than I do, and I reel in my ego.
“I’m only gonna say this once,” I warn him. “Stay… the fuck… away from her.”
His stare is set on me—stern, angry.
“We’re not done here,” he insists. “It’s important that I know what she’s said. If she’s filling your head with lies, there’s no telling who else she’s feeding them to. Imagine if this shit gets back to Headmaster Harrison! Our family would never live it down. The Golden name wouldn’t mean shit in this city anymore.”
I glare at him and he stares back, waiting for me to respond. Waiting for me to cave.
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing the Golden name already doesn’t mean shit to me.”
He manages to hold his composure, but I’m willing to bet World War III is raging inside him. This man’s name is everything to him.
“Watch yourself,” he growls.
“Or what? I’m not fucking scared of you.”
That sick-ass smirk of his returns. “Yeah, maybe not. But you sure as hell should be.”
There’s a stare-down between us and the only thing stopping me from punching him in his shit is the promise I made to Southside. I told her I wouldn’t provoke him, wouldn’t widen the targets on her and Scar’s backs. This promise is also the reason I decide it’s time to leave before I do something I can’t take back.
The one thing that’s more powerful than pride in this moment is love. It’s ruled every decision I’ve made since the first time the word left my mouth, spoken only to Southside. That girl’s got me wrapped around her damn finger and I’m in too deep to fight it, even if I wanted to. Which is why I may as well just fucking admit it.
When the door to the study slams shut behind me, and Vin’s angry steps trudge across the tile, I feel it in my bones that this won’t end well.
For anyone.
