APRIL
I sit at the bar, a bowl of peanuts in front of me, their shells covering the floor.
Alexa stands across from me, silently judging me. “Would you like another?” she asks.
I slide my empty glass across the bar, and she refills my water. I’m not in the mood to drink. I just want to stuff my face full of peanuts and wallow in my own pity.
“What’s wrong with her?” Derek asks, coming up next to her.
“Grave cheated on her.” She sighs.
“What? You were dating that asshole?” He snorts. “What did you expect?”
“Derek!” She shoves him away. “That’s a shitty thing to say.”
“I told her the Kings were not people to fuck with.”
“Go fucking work,” she snaps at him.
“He’s right,” I mumble. “I should have never fucked him.”
“Jesus,” he hisses.
A figure plops down beside me. “If sex is all you need, I can hook you up.” Jasmine bumps her shoulder into mine playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
I don’t laugh.
“Speaking of sex …” Derek goes on. “You free tomorrow night?” he asks her.
Jasmine snorts. “I’m never free. Always top dollar.”
He smirks, his eyes running over her chest. “How much will a hundred get me?”
“My foot up your ass.”
He wiggles his eyebrows. “I could get into that.”
“Oh, you’ll love it,” she answers.
“You two are disgusting.” Alexa shakes her head.
I grab another peanut shell and break it before tossing the peanut in my mouth.
“I have a solution,” Jasmine offers.
“What is it?” I ask, not really caring.
I miss him. That’s the worst part. I fell for a cheater, and my dumb ass misses him. Telling yourself you’re too good for them is easier said than done.
“This.” She starts gathering her red hair in her hands.
“What are you doing?” Alexa asks.
“I’m putting my hair up. We’re gonna turn on some gangster rap, and we’re gonna cut a bitch.” She pulls a knife out of her Louis Vuitton bag.
“You can’t have that in here.” Alexa gasps.
Jasmine ignores her and looks at me. Her green eyes wide with excitement. “I’ve found if you lick the blood off it, it’s quite effective. Shows them you don’t give a fuck. Most people frown on cannibalism.”
“Give me that.” Alexa reaches across the bar and yanks it from her hand.
Jasmine shrugs. “I tried. I’m not tequila. I can’t make everyone happy.”
“Tequila makes me want to fight,” I say.
“Then tequila it is.” Jasmine claps her hands.
“No!” Alexa shakes her head. “Water and peanuts only.”
Jasmine pouts. “You’re no fun.” Then she gets serious and places her hand on my shoulder. “You know this isn’t your fault, right?”
“It is.” It’s all my fault. My brother getting in trouble. Falling for Grave. I could have prevented it all. “I knew better.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
GRAVE
I SIT IN the dark hotel room with the black shades pulled closed. I’ve become my brother. Is this why he’s always such a dick? Because he loved someone and lost them?
“Numb” by 8 Graves blares through the speakers on my phone.
Cross stands next to the couch, getting his shit ready. He’s the only one I’m talking to at the moment. I threatened him with his life not to tell the others where I’m at. I’ve had my cell off for a few days and cut all outside communication off until today when I messaged him to come see me.
He removes his gloves from his bag and pauses, looking down at me. “Sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.” I’ve always been impulsive. April makes me think, and I fucking hate it. I was fucking drowning, and she was my last attempt at living. She saw my struggle and pulled me out of the water. She gave me life, and I gave her nothing. “Do it.”
“I can’t work in the dark …” He trails off, walking over to the wall and turning on the bright lights.
I lie down on the couch with a growl and rip the blanket off the back, throwing it over my face. Maybe I’ll get lucky and suffocate.
_______________
April straddles my hips, her purple hair falling over her shoulders. She reaches up, running her hands through it and pushing it off her face, flipping it to the side.
We’ve been in her bed all weekend. I’ve ignored every call and text from my brother and the other Kings. I want to spend every second I have with this woman. I haven’t even thought about a hit or a drink.
I run my palm down her chest bone still feeling her heart pound, her skin slick with sweat. It travels lower until gripping her hip bone. She bites her bottom lip while her eyes run over the ink on my chest. They follow the lines of my skull with the tilted crown on my left pec. Then the crossbones underneath. All the Kings have them. “How old were you when you got your first tattoo?”
“Eighteen.”
“I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo.”