Vicious Hate (Westbrook Blues Book 2)

by Thandiwe Mpofu

  Why on earth does he feel and look so damn familiar?

  “So damn true! Like it’s built on money, roses and shit.” Kim agrees slowly, watching the guy.

  And it smells like it too, but I don’t say a thing. No one is allowed to go within the King’s mansion itself. The party is outside on the sprawling grounds. Around the pool area, the tennis courts and the golf course—yes, there is a golf course, eighteen holes to be exact, beyond the King’s mansion.

  Now, I’ll leave it to you to imagine just how big this place is. And as if thinking the same thing I am, Kim blurts out the same notion.

  “Do you know they have a golf course here?” She breathes in awe, then calms down as she looks at me. “Shit never mind, you grew up with this shit.” Kim says her eyes wide.

  “Not by choice apparently.” I mumble then turn to look at the guy again. He’s the first one to openly approach us since we’ve been here. Talk about guts.

  “What’s your name?” I question him. Something about him feels just a bit familiar but I’m drunk what do I know?

  “My friends call me Spider. Or rather, a little girl I used to know started calling me that a long time ago.” He says with a charming smile, watching me as I piece things together.

  “Spider, what a sinister name. . .” Kim starts, “But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t suit you.” She puffs out the joint, smoke lingering in the air and then passes it back to me.

  But my eyes are glued on this Spider guy. I mean he doesn’t look at all like a spider but the tattoos on his bulky arms and his eyes that I swear I know from somewhere. . .

  And then it hits me like a burst of life.

  I literally jump up from the lounge chair as pure joy moves through my system when recognition sets in like the most blissful memory I’ve ever been awarded.

  “Fucking hell! Tell me it’s not so!” I almost scream and Spider starts laughing.

  “The fuck, dude. You look ridiculously gorgeous! I almost didn’t recognize you with all that sick ink!” I breathe out in awe and jump into his arms for a hug.

  “Aww, damn girl. It’s good to see you back here again.” Spider says in my ear. I can hear the sad note in his voice. I know then that he is also grieving my brother.

  “I’m so sorry, Spider.” I whisper back. My words are slurred but still making sense.

  “Yeah, me too.” He groans out and then chuckles. “You are as drunk as a skunk, let me put you down before you barf all over these Jordans.”

  I giggle and look down when he releases me. Sure enough, he’s wearing a neat pair of expensive Jordans that I would never dare barf on. The guy has always loved his sneaker collection and I know better than to mess with that.

  “Wait, you know him?” Kim questions, watching us.

  “Bitch, of course I know him. You think I’ll be jumping in stranger’s arms?” I ask as I look at her, a huge smile on my face.

  But even I can feel that it’s crooked and not so full. I can see that on Kim’s face. Tonight has taken a toll on me and seeing Spider, just made more memories hit home for me.

  “Well, tonight you are all sorts of reckless.” She says, gesturing to the beer can in my hand.

  “True that but Spider—well, his real name is Samuel Irving—he is the boys and mine’s friend! We used to hang out all the fucking time, well, before he was shipped out to military school.” I say as I eye him.

  “Military school?” Kim’s voice is shrill with shock as she looks at Spider with new eyes. I giggle as Spider smirks.

  “Yup. Actually, he was supposed to go with four other boys—after they blew up the Mayor’s house.” I explain, thinking back to when we were eleven.

  “Whoa, say what now?” Kim questions, eyes wide.

  “You didn’t hear that from me.” I quickly lock my lips and start laughing.

  “You didn’t hear that at all.” Spider warns Kim in his deep tenor that would make me scared any other day but it’s so him that I feel safe with him around. Then he turns around and shoots me a look. “You should sit down, you look a little green.”

  “Oh good, I look exactly how I feel inside.” I mumble and then start giggling. Spider shoots me a strange look then guides me back to my lounge chair so I can take a seat.

  “Thanks.” I burp out and then giggle. “Dude, how is Marie?” I question him.

  I remember Marie, the amazing elderly nurse that helped me a lot at the hospital. But besides that, she used to take care of the boys, like an in-house nurse aid but why it seemed like she was always around all the time when we were younger, I never really knew.

  All I knew was she was like a private nurse for the estates and God knows she was here more often tending to bruises that the boys got from rough housing and just being a nuisance. Hell, she gave Ace hell for breaking my leg that day. . .

  She was a blessing then but I mostly remember her for what she did for me in the emergency room that night four years ago when she took one look at me and knew exactly what had happened to me. I think she also knew that things were only going to get worse, there was a certain knowledge in her eyes back then, that made it seem like she had seen something like that before,

  Took me four years to realize that she had tended to the love of my life after he himself had been. . .

  Fuck!

  It hits me right then and my eyes grow wide. Marie is probably the one who gave Ace that fucking file detailing the evidence my rape.

  Don’t think about it, Raea.

  “She’s good. Actually, she asked about you.” He says as he takes a seat in front of me.

  “Oh man. I have to visit her.” I whisper. I have missed so much of Westbrook that I even forgot the people, or rather, I forced myself to forget everyone. Including the people that know my dark traumas.

  “Ivy is also back in town.” He announces softly. My head whips up so fast to look at him that I wouldn’t be surprised if I snapped my neck right then. I almost feel sick just from hearing her name.

  Ivy. . .

  “Here, drink this.” Spider says as he passes me a cool bottle of water. A full bottle this time. I latch on to it and drink until half the contents is gone.

  “Is she okay?” Kim questions. “And who is Ivy? She looks like she just saw a ghost.”

  “That’s because. . .” Spider starts but I cut him off.

  “She is only one of the most beautiful, stunning. . . urgh, gorgeous girls that I’ve ever seen in my life.” I mutter, feeling a bitter taste now on my tongue.

  And I really, really feel green with envy whenever I think of her.

  “No scratch that, she’s more like a goddess. I swear she can make the Red Sea part with just one of her long, sexy legs.” I grit out, feeling bitter, green and sick as I think of one night a long time ago.

  “Fuck it, she could turn water to wine with her dainty hands.” I continue, chugging more of the water when I feel like I’m about to vomit more word diarrhea when it comes to Spider’s sister.

  Spider starts laughing then at my expense obviously. I shoot him a shut the fuck up look.

  “My sister does not possess the ability to be that holy.” Spider says, trying not to laugh. “Besides, I think she’s here.”

  “What?” I almost seethe.

  “Yeah, she wanted to welcome you home.” He says with a wolfish smile that Noah probably got from him.

  Ivy Irving. That girl could stop the world just by her smile alone. She was so pretty when we were growing up. Like a mix between Rihanna, Lisa Bonet and that dark skinned beauty of Lupita Nyong’o.

  In a word or rather, two, she was devastatingly gorgeous.

  And Ace always liked her.

  Then I looked at my crooked teeth, then my flat hair, my flat features and flat chest and I just felt so damn jealous of her and the attention she received from the boys.

  Urgh, I just want to scream right now! I know time has been kind to her as it has been with her brother, Spider and fuck me if she is also in Westbrook, what more
here, then Ace might have seen her.

  “And you are green because of that huh?” Kim says and then starts laughing.

  “I’m not green because of that. I’m drunk.” I mumble.

  “Yeah, sure you are.” She laughs.

  “Oh. You'll see what I mean.” I tell her, my slur already disappearing. It’s now that I realize that I have no idea what happened here in Ace’s personal life after I left.

  I know he liked Ivy. A FUCKING LOT!

  He fucking smiled for that girl. He would buy her ice-cream and torment me in the same breath.

  He kissed her right in front of me for God’s sake!

  “But you know what the kicker is about Ivy?” I start, speaking to no one in particular. “She is super nice! Like genuinely nice.”

  I groan and look up to the sky as Kim starts laughing, hard.

  “She is compassionate, stunning, kind to people and her voice, fuck! That girl had this voice that could bring any boy to his knees.”

  “Not mine.” Spider protests.

  “Uh, especially yours mister. You would do anything for that girl.” I accuse, but that’s what brothers do. That’s what George did. I wonder who did that for my other sister. . .

  “You have no idea how much power you have over those boys, do you?” Kim questions me, with a serious look on her face. I stare at her confused until Spider answers her.

  “She doesn’t look at it that way with them. And besides, she’s always been jealous and angry over nothing.”

  “It wasn’t nothing the night it happened.” I argue, heart pounding, growing sober each second.

  “Baby girl, just talk to Ivy.” He nudges my arm.

  “Urgh, where do I even start? I was so rude to her at times, I think she doesn’t like me.”

  “If she did, she wouldn’t be here welcoming you home.” Spider says with sincerity, but he doesn’t know. Hell, she doesn’t even know that when I saw her kissing the love of my life, a part of me died and I started hating her because that was supposed to be us. IT was supposed to be Ace and me, sharing our first kiss together. . .

  “See, she’s so nice.” I point out to Kim. “The girl was fucking popular! Everywhere we went, people just liked her.”

  And she was everything I wasn’t. . .

  Fuck, I bet the sun and the moon fucking love her too! The beautiful Ivy.

  “Green isn’t your color, Raea.” Spider says, as if he knows what I’m thinking.

  “Yeah, stick with blue, babes.” Kim interjects with a laugh.

  “Hmm, I think I still hate that color but fuck me sideways if it doesn’t suit those boys. Of course, you and Craig always thought it was stupid.”

  “It was, I still think it is.” He says with another sad smile. Craig, Noah’s older brother who would have been the same age as Spider today, was Spider’s best friend. They were both big brothers that taught the boys all the shit they know, the rest though, that’s in their DNA.

  “And I still think you’re not aware of just how fucking beautiful you are. Time has been your ally.” Spider says appreciatively. “I see why I was warned away, threatened in words that would make you sick, before I told the king that I was coming out here just to say hello.”

  “Oh please.” But what I really want to know is if Ivy is still friends with Ace! Do they still talk? That’s what I want to ask.

  “Whatever, what’s up with you?” I question Spider. “I know you don’t lack in the ladies’ department.”

  Just as I question him, a beautiful girl, clad in tight shorts and a crop top, struts over to us.

  “Spider, I’ve been looking for you all over the place.” She whines. Kim and I look at her then at each other.

  “Oh, uuh hey. . .” Spider starts as the girl juts out her hip and stares down at him with fire in her eyes.

  “Felicia! My fucking name is Felicia! I’ve been telling you that the entire night.” The girl says exasperated.

  “My bad baby, I was just getting your drink. You said strawberry margarita right?” He questions.

  “No, that would have to be mine.” Another girl says as she comes up the deck towards Spider. This one, in a bikini top and some shorts, her blond hair blowing softly with the wind.

  “Uh, who is this bitch?” Felicia questions.

  “Looks like lover boy is a player!” Kim whispers in my ear and we both giggle as Spider adopts what I’m beginning to suspect is his award winning, heartbreaking charming smile. I watch as both girls melt at the sight of it.

  “Ladies, ladies.” He says as he gets up, shooting Kim and I a look. “There’s plenty of love to go around.” He coos, arms now over each girl’s shoulders.

  Smooth. Very smooth.

  “That’s some Noah bullshit.” Kim whispers, as we both watch Spider in action.

  “Where the hell do you think Noah learned all that shit from?” I question her.

  “Anyway, I came up here to tell you that your bougie, exclusive as fuck friends are fighting down by the golf course, that’s where everyone is.” The second girl announces.

  And sure enough, the pool is empty, the surrounding decks are also empty and I see people running towards the back, where the King’s golf course is.

  “Uh, fucking hell. I leave for one second. . .” Spider starts then turns to me. “Whatever happens, you stay here, alright.” He stresses but I’m already up, prompted to move by the pounding of my heart and my sweaty palms.

  “What’s happening?” I demand, looking around, trying to get a glimpse of the course from here.

  “Astraea, stay here.” He warns again but I ignore him, my feet already carrying me towards the stairs.

  This is bad. Whatever it is, it’s bad. I can feel it.

  “Who is fighting?” I ask the girl.

  “The sexy Blue Boys. My money is on Easton though. That hunk of a man is sexy as fuck.”

  Something in me shatters as the words sink into me. “Who is he fighting?” The words are slow as they come out of my mouth. I can feel the dread in me and I can feel Spider’s analyzing eyes on me.

  Does Astraea know that she will marry Syrus’ son?

  This is bad. This is bad.

  Kim’s eyes are on me as she begins walking towards me, ready for anything. It’s amazing how just a split second can sober you up. The danger in the air has just awakened me, making me taste a healthy dose of reality.

  “I think you know who.” Spider softly says.

  I don’t bother turning back.

  I run down the stairs as fast as I can. Because somehow, I don’t know how, but I know they will kill each other.

  I know more than anyone that those boys never fight in public and when they do, it is with vicious hate and anger.

  My entire body is tense. I’m clutching a beer bottle in one hand, a joint in the other, knowing that my girl is out there, drinking her sorrows away and hating me with each second that passes.

  “Hey man.” Spider says as soon as he spots me.

  I puff the joint and do that man hug thing with him. The guy is huge and one of the few guys that I trust. He started this fucking party for us when shit was going down at school after the game and because it’s Spider, there are all sorts of people here.

  People that I don’t even know but fuck if I care.

  “Thanks for having this outside, instead of the house.” I tell him as we start walking towards the part of the house where the boys and I will meet.

  “Thank Frankie for that. The guy almost threatened my life, telling me about how expensive shit is to clean and madam won’t be happy.” He chugs at his beer, laughing.

  “Yeah, we wouldn’t want to make madam unhappy, now would we?” I grit out the words, knowing damn well that my mother’s time is up.

  “You good?” He questions. I grunt, punching in the code and then lowering to get my fucking eye scanned so the door can open. No way would I risk any security breaches on my part of this huge ass mansion.

  Only a few people are eve
r allowed this side.

  No one has been to my bedroom suite, and the person that I would like to make scream in there as I fuck her seven ways to Sunday is mad at me.

  Just fucking peachy!

  “Yo, Spider!” Noah hollers as soon as he spots his idol.

  Noah could dry hump Spider’s leg like a dog in heat if he could. The guy worships him. So fucking much, it’s not even funny. I know it’s because he feels like Spider is his last connection to his late brother, Craig. Soon after we lost Craig, Spider took over looking out for Noah and thank fuck for that because the guy just about lost it around that time.

  Noah was a mess. I mean we all were but at that time, he was swimming in deep waters that he couldn’t navigate. And if it wasn’t for Spider who taught him how to redirect that. . .rage. I don’t know if Noah would still be with us.

  Then there was George who stayed by his side through it all. . .

  We all did the most fucked up shit sure, but Noah almost always took things too far, especially if he wasn’t put in check. And when Astraea left, yeah well. . . it doesn’t matter now what happened during that time to all of us. I don’t fucking care if we haven’t addressed it because it all pales in comparison to what we know happened to her when I failed to look out for her and protect her because my fucking ego was bruised.

  Fuck! I chug my beer, feeling restless and tense.

  She has every right to be mad at me for everything but that doesn’t mean her silent anger sits well with me. Her ignoring me hurts like a fucking bitch.

  “Sick party, dude. Where the fuck did you get all that booze?” Noah questions Spider.

  “Do you really have to ask? Unlike you, I’m legal as fuck!” Spider says with a laugh, and they do that man hug thing. Spider genuinely cares about Noah which is a good thing because jury is still out about Noah recovering, he looks like he is in a better mood tonight but with this son of a gun, you never know.

  “You were a beast tonight, all of you.” Spider says proudly but I still in my tracks as soon as I spot Emmett, standing by the bar, pouring himself a drink, watching me with steady eyes.