Reno released a long exhale, then he smacked my ass hard. “All right. Get your ass up and get my drink. Send me a girl who looks like you but doesn’t think she’s too good to shove her tits in my face.”
With an aching butt cheek, I walked away from Reno. I was furious at my mother and relieved the asshole gangster who’d just been groping me hadn’t allowed her to turn my hole into a grave. Then I was pissed all over again that my mom had made me feel gratitude toward Reno.
As I passed him on the way to the bar, Amir grabbed my wrist, bringing me to a stop. Carina was grinding her ass on his crotch, swiveling her hips like the absolute pro she was.
“Yo, Helen.” Amir sounded casual, like he wasn’t a few scraps of fabric away from fucking the pretty girl in his lap. “You still with that guy?”
“Why?” There was only one guy he could be talking about, and I wasn’t about to give anything up to Amir before he gave something up to me.
His mouth curved into a smirk. “Does he ever go off on a roid rage? You have to be careful. I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”
I canted my head, letting my hair tumble over my shoulder. “What does that mean, dude?”
His thumb stroked the inside of my wrist. The gentleness of the gesture contrasted so starkly with our surroundings and the debauchery going on around us, I nearly laughed. But there wasn’t really anything funny, so I didn’t.
“Your boy’s a juicer, Hells.”
“What are you talking about?”
Amir tapped Carina’s hips, getting her to move off him, then he rose from his seat, adjusting the bulge in his pants while he held my gaze.
“Walk with me.” He took me by the waist, stroking my bare belly with his fingertips. We left the Blue Room like that, making our way across the floor to the bar in tandem. He waited for me to place my drink orders with the bartender, all while holding on to me and pressing into my side.
“You know I’ve always liked you,” he said close to my ear.
I turned my head, but that was a mistake, since it brought my cheek to his lips. “You have?”
“Mmm. Shoulda made my move in high school.”
“I didn’t think you knew I existed.”
He bit his bottom lip. “Oh, I knew.”
“Oh,” I breathed.
Amir cocked a sexy, amused smile. “Yeah, oh. And I hate to see you getting mixed up with a guy like Theo Whitlock.” His back was to the bar, one elbow resting on top, the other arm hooked around me. “That stuff messes with your head.”
“What stuff?”
He leaned down, studying me. “You really don’t know, do you?”
I sighed, struggling between ripping away from him and settling into his warm hold. I did neither, standing straight, but allowing him to keep his hand on my middle.
“I don’t know, no.”
“I’ve been selling your boy dope for over a year.”
“Wait, Theo takes H?”
Amir chuckled. “No, no. Your boy Theo juices up with some fancy-ass anabolic steroids. I supply to a couple athletes, but up until a few months ago, he was one of my best customers.”
“How...what? Don’t they test for that?”
He tapped my nose. “How are you so naive when you come from The Palisades? It’s kinda sweet, not gonna lie.”
“Amir,” I growled. “If you’re not going to tell me, then why bring it up?”
His amusement fled, replaced by a dangerous glint. “I told you, Helen, I’ve always liked you. I see you with a rich boy who uses Daddy’s money to cheat the system, I become concerned. Now, tell me, are you still with him?”