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“So you came to me because you need money. For your family,” Benny says, stroking his beard as he eyes me.
“Dad, you can’t—” Ben’s words are cut off when he’s slapped down to the ground.
My lips tighten into a thin line. I forgot a very important fact in life; you never get something for free.
The depths of depravity I would have to face isn’t worth it. Not with a man who I grew up knowing as my best friend’s father.
If I don’t find the money, Mom will be broke and homeless within a week.
Even with welfare, she won’t be able to dig out of this hole, thanks to my stupid, selfish, piece of shit, suicidal father. How could he take the easy way out and leave all of his secret burdens on my mother? Mom’s still recovering from the car accident they were in over two years ago.
Dang
She’s tried so hard to be strong since Dad ended his troubles with a bottle of pills, but someone can only take so much before breaking.
“Your dad never paid the new year’s tuition. I... I can’t believe he did this.”
“It’s okay, Ben,” I say to comfort him. “Please, Eve. Don’t.”
“Put it on. Drex is waiting.” Who? Ben gasps behind me, and I turn to see his ashen face. With his mouth hanging that way and pure horror in his eyes, I’m assuming this is even worse than I thought.
“You know you can’t do that. Her fath—” “Yeah. I can do it,” Benny interrupts. “Time to offer up some peace.
That’s the real reason he’s giving us this girl. He wants to know which one of his men is a rat. Benny’s so dumb that he didn’t know he had a fed in his crew.
“She’s the daughter of Aaron Marks,” he adds, grabbing my attention, even though I don’t let him see it. “Does that sweeten the pot?” Aaron fucking Marks. That slimy son of a bitch. He has a daughter? How the fucking hell did we miss that?
Birth certificate, STI tests… There are pictures, but I bypass them when I study the part about Marks, the rat bastard son of a bitch accountant. This is actually his daughter. How the fuck did I not know he had a family?
Christ, she looks too damn sweet.
The guy’s eyes go wide as he stares at Benny in shock, feigning innocence. Everyone around him steps wide, distancing themselves from the crazy shit.
“She grew up with my boy. She needed money, I needed this, and your father wants peace. It’s a winning situation all around.”
“In other words, you want between the girl’s legs. Must be a looker. You’re lucky your old man has a soft spot for you, or I’d kick your ass for wanting what’s mine.”
“Fine. Take her. You haven’t ever asked for anything, so this once I’ll give you something. But don’t tell her a damn thing, and see if you can figure out what Benny is after.”
Drex is the Vice President and son of Herrin—President of the Death Dealers—and I’m actually surprised.
“What does Benny want to learn about us?” he asks, his voice deceptively calm. Huh? “What?” I ask in a hoarse rasp, inwardly cringing at how terrified I sound.
Until I decide what to do with you. You can sleep over there.” He points to a leather couch against the far wall of the vast room.
Huh
I don’t want anyone speaking to her when I’m not around. That way I can monitor every tidbit of information she has, and I can figure out if or when she tries to use it against us.
Bruh
“I wonder if he lied to his family and kept secrets from them just as well as he kept them from us?” I ask, more to myself than to him.
I frown as I sit back down. “She’s on my couch until I find her a room. I sleep alone.”
What the… Is she for real? Emotionless. She’s so stoic that it’s actually a little creepy.
This whole master/servant thing isn’t doing it for me. “Whatever they bought. You just can’t wear your shit. Too many questions will rise. Now, tell me why you’re about to cry.”
“I’ve never seen anyone die, I left my family, and… I swear I’m okay. Don’t send me back to Benny.” Her voice stays steady throughout that little explanation. Until she reaches the last sentence. That’s when it breaks.
Is she scared of Benny? Does he have something on her that I don’t know about?
Duh nigga
For two weeks, we’ve discussed mostly my life—every detail of it. I think he’s trying to trust me, which is improvement. I want to know about him without knowing everything.
I made that call two weeks ago. When he grabs my arm hard enough to bruise it, I snap. My body reacts before my mind, and I bring my knee up too fast for him to react. It collides with his crotch, and Dash goes down like a ton of bricks, groaning when he collapses to the ground.
But then I remember just how little Drex trusts me. I can’t stand the thought of him wanting me dead, too. Pain slices through me as Drake revs the bike, and I clutch his middle as he drives us away. I somehow just became public enemy number one to the Death Dealers.
