Colton slides his hand down her arm, and she glares at him. “She’s just afraid she will like it.” He licks his lips.
“Stop touching me. Who knows where your hands have been, pig.”
“Trust me, baby, I’m not dirty. But I can dirty you up.”
“Pass. Like, hard pass. Now get inside and go handle your shit like a big boy.” She wags her index finger between herself and Colton. “Because this… will never happen.” She turns and walks away, lifting her middle finger in Colton’s direction.
Colton sighs. “How can you say that? You haven’t tried it yet.”
“Come on, charmer,” I say. “Let’s handle this shit. Leave that poor girl alone. She already lost her man. She doesn’t need a rich bad boy giving her a tough time by trying to get in her pants.”
I feel bad for Linda, because life dealt her a hard one when she lost Khalani’s brother, Ramon. Smiley says that was the only man in his sister’s life. The only one she cared about. I can’t imagine losing someone you love so savagely.
We enter the kitchen and sit around the table with Aiden at the head. A phone vibrates and Smiley picks it up and grins. He texts something and places it back on the table.
“Girl?” Leo asks.
Smiley fucks random girls, but he rarely takes the time to text one or give one his number. He says they get clingy, and they want more than he can offer. Since he’s a gang leader, any girl by his side could be a target for retaliation from a rival gang, or worse, a rival cartel who wants to rattle our cage.
Smiley nods. “Yeah, I actually like this one.”
“Like to fuck, or you’re interested?”
He smirks. “I really like her, and I’m interested.”
“Where is she from?” I ask, tapping my finger on the black tabletop.
“She is definitely not from here. I don’t have to worry about her running into anyone.”
Interesting. Where the fuck would he meet a girl that is not from the east? My spidey senses get the best of me. “I’m happy for you, brother. How did you meet?”
He looks my way, rubbing his chin. I’m prying more than usual but he thinks nothing of it. I sense he is contemplating how to answer my question. “We kind of ran into each other by chance. We just met, so I don’t want to talk about it because there isn’t much to tell. I’m getting to know her, but I like her as a person.”
“Is she ugly?” Leo quips.
“Give him a break,” Aiden chimes in. “Dale un respiro.”
Smiley snorts. “She’s definitely not ugly. I think she is one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever laid eyes on. The first thing I called her washermosa. That is how fine and perfect she is. I haven’t found a flaw.”
I nod, thinking about a girl that is flawlessly beautiful hating me right now in her bedroom.
“Southside GuNz, what do we know about them?” Aiden says, taking charge.
“They are taking over southern Arizona with their illegal drugs,” Smiley says. “They popped up around town, dealing and running up on Hillside High School, trying to recruit kids into their gang.”
“Alright, we need to head down south and get as much information as we can on who is running them here and who they work for. I doubt they just formed out of thin air and decided Hillside was their target. Someone is behind this shit, and they are trying to overrun the east. They just don’t know the cartel families run the East Hillside Kings. If they roll up and threaten any of the Kings, east or west, take them out,” Leo says.
“What about Linda? If she’s a target and is at the wrong place at the wrong time…” Smiley trails off, worried about his younger sister.
“Let her hang out with Khalani,” Aiden says. “The football season is underway, and we have games coming up. She is more than welcome at the house and to attend our games.”
“Thanks, patrón,” Smiley says with sincerity.
Colton rubs a hand on his face. “I’ll drive her and pick her up. She’ll attract attention with her car without Khalani. Either way, we will keep Linda out of harm’s way. You have my word.”
I think Colton has a thing for Linda, but I won’t point it out right now. It’s not the time.
“I agree,” I say as I glance at each of their faces. “We need to keep our family safe. Women and children need to lie low until we know what we are up against. When a gang is formed and they want to take over, they hit the weakest links, and that includes women and children. In the meantime, always keep two armed members at the door. Don’t go anywhere alone and always in fours.”