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“Hey B, how’re things? Any more visits from that annoying fuck Bryant?” Shay’s brows pull together when he asks this. I stare in confusion. Bryant? Why is that name so familiar?
“How’s this, boss?” We both look down to see the stencil outline that’s been transferred to my skin and I stare in horror. It’s a small image of a Celtic dragon with a banner beneath its body, partially concealing the tail that says, ‘Property of Manic’.
Oh my gosh hell fucking no
“You proud to be a whore to him? What about what happened to Eli? Did you forget about him? I hear his face is so scarred up that no one can look at him.”
Despite the fact that she is on top, and her hands are now wrapping around my neck, I was the one scaring her. Fucking good!
Good
One lands on the dead grass in front of her, while the other bounces off the front of her shirt, making her flinch back and stare up at me with fear in her eyes. “Clean yourself up,” I say, my voice flat and emotionless. “You look like shit.”
This is actually too funny
She moves forward even more, almost completely hiding me from his view. I watch her curiously, a weird sensation in my chest flickering to light at her defensive gesture as it hits me. She’s trying to protect me from him.
To top it off, their parents had gone into Ashland and purchased wigs for them as their heads had been shaven.
LMFOAOAOAOAOAAOOAOA BRO
The next day, Mr. Perry’s car blew up in the parking lot of the accounting firm where he worked and Mrs. Perry’s beloved Persian cat, Giggles, went missing.
“Bloody fuck, girl! No wonder you get yourself into trouble all the time! Just listen and do as you’re told!”
Omg lol
Karma is a fucking bitch, you sheep. Wallow in it.
“Mina?” I startle at the unexpected proximity of Gavin’s voice at my side and spin to face him, but his dark eyes are locked on the charcoal SUV that I’d just been staring at with strong suspicion. Shit…
Uh oh
What in the ever-loving…? I sit in horror as I listen in on the one-sided conversation, wondering why the hell Shay would do such a disturbing thing to Lindsey.
For Gavin… for Lindsey… for Jenny… I’d told myself this over and over again as I amped myself up for tonight.
Something has woken me up. But what is it?
His other work associates? The Faceless, idiot… who else has he mysteriously been bringing up again and again?
“But… in the schools?” he says softly, disbelief evident in his tone.
Uh oh
But to high school kids… I don’t know...” His voice trails off. Passing off product? I think and suddenly feel my blood drain from my face. Is he talking about drugs?
Bruh
Since when is Shay afraid of anything? And Jeremy… Jeremy… that’s not the first time I’ve heard that name, either.
He goes quiet like he’s been abruptly cut off again. Intel on Bryant? Shay’s been spying on someone? Bryant… Bryant… that name is familiar, too. Why? I feel like I haven’t heard it in years, but my memories are struggling to make the connection.
Bruh who is that
This isn’t love, that voice cries louder now. He can’t truly love you for you while he’s trying to mold you into what he wants.
Yup.
Shay continues to pound away, his movements becoming more aggressive and forceful, almost to the point of pain.
“Not my problem… well, that’s your fault now, isn’t it, Sheik?” Sheik? I freeze at the mention of James’ road name. A small pang in my heart has me leaning against the wall as I continue listening.
Jesus, Dad!” Hearing Shay call James ‘dad’ after months of addressing him by his road name throws me for a loop.
No, I’ll ask her… watch it. Be glad I’m even allowing this. Fine. Yeah, I’ll see you at the club later. Bye.”
Wtf
My excitement leaks away and I feel a sense of dread as we near the front porch, the light bright in the twilight. I could feel my body locking up as Shay’s boots thudded on the steps, and for a moment, I feel like running away. I can’t explain why, but I am suddenly terrified to go in there.
I'm scared
He looks me over but stops at my face, his dark gaze boring into mine and I see how his face tightens ever so slightly.
“Not bad, hon. Just the club, home again, and back to the club. The usual,” he says slowly, and I can’t help but cringe slightly from how cold he sounds. I peer over my shoulder and see that he’s observing Shay, like he doesn’t trust him.
James says nothing, his dark eyes staring at me with an odd sort of vacant look that makes me shift a little closer to Shay, who is eating with gusto like this whole conversation is boring to him.
Omg
I watch as his lips silently form the words, ‘Property of Manic’, before releasing me. His face goes beet red, and he balls his fists as he faces down his son. “You branded her?”
Omggggggg im nervy
“Let’s go home, Sweetness.” And in a lower voice, twisting his head slightly so that he’s staring his father down, “I wanna fuck you twice before bed.” My mouth drops in shock at the crude picture he just gave the man who raised us, and I know I’ve turned so red I could probably cook an egg on my forehead.
Oh hell no
What promise had Shay made to James? He had said he would go around James and Bull to the Faceless. So the Beasts answered to the Faceless now… why?
“All I’ve ever wanted was you, Mina. Even before I understood how much… why the fuck would I throw that away for some nothing when I have the only thing my heart cherishes right here, waiting for me?”
Bruh sybau
I’m assuming, Cody says on the other line. Shay goes so incredibly still and pale, that I stop trying to soothe him and stare in shock. Why does he look… scared? “Yeah, well… he owes me, too…” His voice wavering as he says it. Who is he talking about?
I still think Shay got her mom killed
“Where the fuck ya been? Too busy screwing like a savage animal to come out and spend time with your brothers?”
Boy huh
“So, Manic,” Gavin speaks up in that moment and I look over to see him lounging back in his seat, but studying Shay with an odd sort of inquisitive stare. “What is Mina going to do when she graduates high school?”
Omggggg
My affection for Keenan only grew as I got older, and it became the catalyst to how I ended up here in Shay’s arms.
Even Shay is smirking, like he thought I was having a moment or something. No one saw who I had been looking at. No one, except Gavin. His black eyes flicker from Keenan to me, and back again, his face expressionless, but clearly he’d noticed something.
Gavin knows
What the hell was wrong with Cody tonight? Ever since Shay publicly made me his, every interaction with Cody has been strained and atypical.
“It hasn’t been seven minutes!” I grumble loudly, turning the handles to turn off the water, not bothering to glare over at Gavin for cutting my time short. “No, we have five minutes.” I freeze at the sound of that voice, one I haven’t heard in weeks. Slowly, I turn to see Keenan standing there, the door shut behind him and locked, his chest puffing slightly as though he can hardly breathe.
AWEEEEE GAVIN DID U DO THIS
“How are you? You aren’t looking so good. You look… peaky. Have you been eating? And you’re limping still. Are you not rehabbing it?”
Ugh Keenan :'(
“Time’s up,” he nods to Key and steps aside, waiting. “Out.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about. I brought you to the washroom, you had a panic attack which is why it took a little longer, and now I’m taking you back to Manic. Isn’t that right?”
Omfg Gavin ily
“Manic is going to freak out if we take too much longer. Don’t look his way… you’re lucky I was the only one who noticed anything before. Watch yourself.” He untangles himself from my arms and fixes me with a warning stare.
Before I can react, there is a loud smash from behind me, and I jump at the sound of breaking glass. “Jesus, Dodger! What the fuck?” “Shut up… it slipped…” “Yeah, slipped out of your hand right into the goddamn wall! You almost fucking hit me!” “You’re fine. Everyone’s fine, right?” It was Keenan’s voice.
Omg
I haven’t even noticed his friends standing behind us, silently backing him up. But as he walks by them, I notice Gavin glowering at his brother. Even Aron appears a little uncomfortable.
“I wanted you to have someone on the outside who cared. Someone who could help you if you ever needed it. I wanted you to pursue your dreams and leave, not get trapped here like I did. I wanted to see you get away and live a life I’d once hoped to live.”
And then Bull requested to talk with us, and we learned about the three guys-” “Four,” I correct him, holding him tight. Keenan pauses as though deep in thought. “Four? I swear Bull said they had three?” Confused, I frown, remembering that night so clearly that I know I’m not wrong. “No. It was four. One had my mum, and three had me…”
“Now I’m gonna sit here until you get back into that school. Then I want you to work hard, get into a great University, and make what you want of your life. You got me?” I don’t tell him that Shay has no intention of letting me go away to school. That he wants me to stay here, and work in the club so that we’re closer than before. There was no point. What good would it do? So I just nod against him, give him one last squeeze as I breathe in the beautiful scent of him that I missed so much, and climb out into the cold, Autumn air.
Smhhhh
Only, when I near the end of the trailers, a figure steps around the corner, and my heart stops. “C-Cody?” I stammer, screeching to a halt, reaching out with a hand to steady myself against the cool metal exterior wall. “What are you doing here?”
Fuck
I hear the grunt of pain, the sharp inhale of breath after, followed by a haunting, almost gurgling sound from deep within Cody’s throat.
