“You gonna tell me aboutthis social worker or not?” Exorcist asked, fixing me with one of his annoying smirks. “Must be something gettin’ you all twisted, and I’m guessing it’s pussy.”
Flipping him off, I pulled one of my fancy Cuban cigars free and lit the end, enjoying the rich flavor of the tobacco before he ruined it with all his chatter.
“Not seen you ever get this hung up on a piece of ass before, so spill it. We ain’t got nothin’ but time tonight.”
“Who are you, my shrink?”
“Nah, just one brother concerned about another.”
Ex was more than that, and he knew it. Closest thing I had to a real brother.
The whole RBMC was family, but Exorcist understood me in a way no one else ever had. He was my best friend. We hardly did shit without one another. Got used to having him watch my back, and I’d be lyin’ if I said his persistence didn’t mean a shit ton to me.
“Not gonna let this go, are ya?” I asked with a gruffer tone than I felt.
“Nope. Stop being a pain in the ass.”
Sighing, I puffed away on my cigar for a minute as I gathered my thoughts. “She’s my star.”
Ex paused as he pulled a blunt from his cut, about to light the fucker up and inhale. “You shittin’ me? She’s the one?”
“Yep.”
“Thought you said she was dead.”
“Yeah, that’s cuz she fucking was,” I snapped, pissed off with the reminder.
Exorcist leaned back, eyeing me like he wasn’t sure what to say. “That’s fucking intense, brother.”
“No shit.”
Trying to keep my cool and my Reaper from shoving his way to the surface, I inhaled and exhaled a few times, relaxing the primal urge to give in to my need for vengeance and wrath.
“How is she still alive then?” he finally asked, torching the end of his joint and taking a long drag. “Didn’t you say she was—”
“I don’t want to talk about that night,” I hissed, fighting back the need to stomp my way over to her room and demand answers.
“Halloween, right?”
“Seventeen years ago,” I muttered.
“No wonder you hate the holiday.”
Snorting, I cracked a smile. Fucker pissed me off, but I couldn’t fathom going through this life without him. Ex was the only one who remembered I hated Halloween. “Can’t you leave shit alone?”
“Why the fuck would I want to do that? Fucking with you is the highlight of my day.”
“Asshole.”
His chuckle was infectious, and I shook my head. “You’re worse than Rael.”
He made a disgusted sound in his throat. “That’s just mean.”
“Like he doesn’t piss you off on the daily.”
“Rael pisses everyone off on the daily,” Ex laughed, and he was right. “Not a single brother that doesn’t know he’s got our back, though.”
“You know it,” I agreed.