Coz: You are so sexy. I need you all night.
Ember: I miss you, too.
“And then the next night,” Nix continued.
Coz: Girl, I want you so bad tonight.
Ember: You’ll get me, too. I love you. Here are a few pictures to hold you over.
Before Nix could snap his computer closed, I saw some female skin. I assumed Ember had been sending pictures to this Coz guy. I knew kids were attached to their phones, but I was hoping that Ember wasn’t the type to make that mistake. She was still young, though.
Nix did some more research, avoiding any pictures. “This might be more the reason for the attitude. Holy crap.”
It was clear she’d been getting in deep with the Coz guy before she even started college. Hell, she’d only been here two weeks. Was he the reason she’d picked this school in the first place?
When Ember came back to the dorm, the guys were right behind her. She slammed the door in their faces.
She sighed when she saw us. “Why are you still here? Going through my stuff?” She tossed her book onto her bed.
“When were you going to tell us about Coz?” Nix flipped his screen around to show her the messages he’d been able to retrieve.
For a few beats I saw the girl I knew as confusion danced across her face. She took the computer and read through what was there, for what seemed like the first time. Then she settled her face in the bitch look she’d been rocking since we got here. “No one you need to know about.” She exited out of the messages. “Could you not do this? Go through my personal things?”
Nix stood. “These guys stay with you. If one more thing happens, I’m pulling you out of here. Or moving in. Your choice.”
It was a shocking decision, though one I agreed with. Clearly, they both needed a few hours apart to cool down. I knew Nix would want to investigate this “Coz”. Dating that Lock kid was one thing, but she seemed to be straight up in love with Coz and was hiding it so hard she was dating someone else just to throw us off.
I tried to give her a hug before I left, but she stiff-armed me, and not in the funny way she did sometimes when she said I was too sexy to touch. I shrugged and followed Nix out the door.
We both got into the car and he started to steam. “I’m losing her and I don’t even know why.”
Our complicated lives had just become more so. I sighed. We needed to meet up with T as well. She texted me that she had some more information. Maybe she could shed some light on the situation.
Chapter 30
Ember
I KNEW BETTER THAN to cry after Nix and Animal left. They’d be watching me more than ever now. The texts I never sent were yet another message from the men who’d taken me last night. I’d never met a Coz, but we had traceable conversations where the few racy pics on my phone had been inserted. That particular breach of privacy stung badly.
The situation was terrifying. I didn’t think I’d be able to fool Nix and Animal. I’d always been a shitty liar. But maybe keeping them safe was the best motivation. I’d touched my mother’s earring more than once for strength.
It occurred to me that when Nix was young she probably told him a lot of lies to keep him safe. The men from last night were murderers. And they wanted to hurt my people. I was going to have to roll with their punches until I had an out. Being in the same room as my brother, a freaking hit man, and his mob boss best friend wasn’t the time or place to mention it.
I overheard Thrice and Wardon and how puzzled they were about Bowen’s death as they trailed me on my way to class. My biggest fear right now was that knowing me equaled death.
I couldn’t stop picturing Files getting killed. My left hand wouldn’t stop shaking, so I kept stuffing it places. My pocket, under my butt, just anywhere. I didn’t hear a thing my professor said during her lecture. I went through the motions of being attentive.
When I got back to my room, I had a text on my phone. It was from a new contact. Whatever messages they had pushed onto my history weren’t really on my phone.
Unknown: This is Coz. Please respond.
I wanted to send a picture of my middle finger, but my left one might be shaking too much. And I didn’t know what set these people off. They were capable of taking me, unbeknownst to Nix, overnight.
They could be capable of anything.
I responded: Ember here.
Coz: Good girl. I'll be picking you up for a date tonight at 7p.m. Dress hot.
Ember: Sure.
I was going to meet the mysterious Coz. There had been no pictures of him. I missed Lock, but my phone was quiet from him. And that was probably for the best. The less people attached to me right now, the better.
Chapter 31
LOCK
MY FIRST OFFICIAL JOB for the Feybis was standing outside a refurbished, expanded garden shed on their compound grounds. No one was in it, but it seemed like it was set up to be a guesthouse.
My head was dizzy with the swift change in my entire existence. I tugged at the suit I was wearing. It was expensive. The earpiece that connected me to my current supervisor was high-tech. I didn’t have a gun yet; I had to earn that.
My job was to keep watch and report anything out of the ordinary. It was hot and I wished I had sunglasses like the rest of the guys. The mosquitoes were aggravating as shit. This was the way it was. My new life. I was in the lowest position in the organization. And it was huge. It was so big and well-funded, I could almost believe it was a real business. There were files and secretaries and mini fridges with water.
And they’d slaughtered almost all of the Cokes in one evening. Then they had coffee in hand the next morning, like they’d played a great round of golf the day before.
I ached with the need to see my mother and Rhy. I felt young. I knew I looked young. But I had to stay on the grind if I was going to send money to Ma. I thought about Ember. We were supposed to meet up tomorrow, but I was pretty sure this place didn’t allow time off. I lived behind the Feybis’ compound walls, which until recently, had been the Dutch family’s compound walls, now renamed and rebranded. There, I had a bed and a hook on the wall to hang my stuff in an outbuilding. The golf carts and ATVs were there, too. The bathroom had a pony wall that only covered you from your knees to your neck. Privacy was nonexistent. I was a soldier here, but instead of having a greater good to hold on to, these people were evil. Loaded, clearly. And their money was very real. They weren’t generous with it, but I was supposed to get paid on Fridays, like a real job.
Every fifteen minutes a guy called Volt drove by in a golf cart and gave me and my surroundings a dirty look. I was starving by eleven a.m. No one gave a shit. When Volt drove by at three p.m., I told him I had to take a leak. He swapped places with me and told me I had ten minutes. I took the golf cart back to the warehouse and had myself a non-private piss.
On my way back, I snagged a warm water bottle and a box of takeout food that the guys before me had left on a card table. It was a sandwich—cooked ham—and it looked decent. I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be refrigerated or if I was even allowed to take it, but I ate it like an animal on the way back to the shed.
Volt tapped his watch. “Nine and a half minutes, asshole. You almost got your dick blown off. If I tell you to take ten, be back in five.”
He grimaced at me as I apologized.
This place was as far from warm and cozy as a person could get. I saw gardeners in the afternoon. The grounds’ landscaping was like a resort. I could hear water somewhere, so I assumed there was a pool or fountain or something nearby.
I was daydreaming about swimming naked with Ember when two men headed my way in a golf cart. I tried to stand up straighter.
The driver was a guy a bit older than me and dressed fly as fuck. Every hair was in place and his outfit was casual but obviously all name brand and new. A diamond-encrusted letter C hung from a gold chain around his neck.
The passenger was Olin Feybi, the old fart who’d had Dice killed. My revenge sens
es started tingling. Sure, Dice had betrayed me, but shit, it had been a horrible situation either way. I didn’t have ill will toward him.
As the golf cart came to a halt before me, Feybi was finishing up what could only be a lecture.
“...legacy has to be maintained, Cosmo. You know this. And I’ve given you time. Too much time. I could die at any minute.” Feybi hopped out of the cart with the energy of a much younger man.
The guy called Cosmo was pouting a bit. “Whatever.”
“I’ve found you a great one. And she’ll stay here. You’ll learn to love one another. She’s gorgeous, by the way. Never seen a prettier girl in person. Good grandbaby recipe, you know?” Olin dug into the pocket of his white jeans. He had a Hawaiian shirt on, too. Party Feybi, apparently.
I let my gaze focus past them like I was watching for danger, which I guess I was.
“He’s new.” Cosmo was staring at me. I could feel his attention. I kept my face blank.
Olin stepped into my personal bubble. I knew better than to level a stare at him. I was taller; he’d take it as aggression. I set my eyes on his white tennis shoes instead.
“Yes. Good attention to detail, son. I acquired him recently. Remember that gang that was interfering with the development in West Valston? Well, they won’t be in the way anymore. But I kept this one. Might have been a mistake. We’ll see.” Olin gently slapped my face three times in a row almost like Ma would.
“I could give three shits about your development in Valston.” Cosmo waved his hand dismissively.
Spoiled and unafraid of his father, if I was reading their relationship correctly.
“And this is why your only job is going to be a breeding stud for me. You could’ve had a head for business, if you didn’t party all the time.” Olin walked past me to open the door to the shed.
Cosmo followed his father through the open door and shut it behind them. I couldn’t hear anymore, though I gathered things from the pieces of their conversation. Olin had found a girl for Cosmo. And Cosmo really didn’t care. This was next level matchmaking bullshit going on here. I accepted the shady practices for the money, but kidnapping? That would be hard to swallow. God, I hoped the girl was of age and had decided to come here of her volition. This horrible job would be even worse if I was hurting innocent people, even if all I was doing was guarding them.
The men came out and Feybi locked up, shooting me a look while he did so. I averted my gaze to the distance again. Cosmo still seemed pissed and mostly unimpressed.
“When you meet her, you’ll understand. She’s perfect.” Olin and Cosmo slid back into the golf cart.
“I want that guy at my party this weekend.” Feybi pointed at me. “He can be a guard. The girls will like him. He’s eye candy.” I tried to hide my shock.
“Maybe. He’s got to prove himself first. I’ll get reports on him and…”
Cosmo rolled his head on his neck and gave his father a disrespectful glare. Instead of the slap I expected, Olin relented. “Fine. You can have him. But you have to have at least a few of the older guys, too.”
Cosmo seemed happy enough with that to let his father off the hook. It sure seemed like the much younger Feybi was in charge in that relationship. Not that I cared. They were both shitbags as far as I was concerned.
This job blew. I knew it was my first day, but I wished it could be my last. As long as I could keep from leaving in a body bag as well.
I couldn’t even dick around on my phone; they’d made me throw it into the river so no one could trace me. I guess money grew on trees around here because it had taken me almost a year of saving to afford the freaking thing.
For the rest of the day, I tried and failed to avoid thinking about my mom as she called that number. I was feeling sorry for myself again. Volt drove up after dark and told me to get in the cart. I was puzzled while he drove me back to the warehouse. “Aren’t you staying here?”
It was a clear change of the guard. He laughed at me. “Listen, pup, you think we’d give you something real to guard? Shit. You’ll be watching garbage pails and empty rooms for at least a year before you get anything important.”
It sounded boring but safe. As I pictured Rhy and Ma, I knew that was preferable.
Chapter 32
Ember
I WAS GOING TO HAVE to make Nix and Animal believe I hated them. It was the only way. With something as simple as a fake conversation with “Coz,” I knew that Olin had me. He’d framed me for murder and killed Bowen to make a point. I was ready to cower in a corner. Of course, that would be a tip-off. If at any point I let Nix know I was scared, it would be over. He would keep me in his basement…well, our basement. And who knew what Olin Feybi would do to get to me even then. I was going to have to be a brat. And unreasonable. And mean. I had to put my hand on my heart as it started to hurt. It was the exact opposite of what I wanted. I mean, I wanted independence at school, but I wanted this relationship with my brother, too.
But I had to push them away. Olin had my loved ones and me by the throat. Their safety depended on me.
I dressed for my “date” with Coz. Or whoever was on the other end of my phone. I went with a black dress. It felt like a way to mourn Bowen. I hadn’t slept, and I wasn’t tired yet. Maybe it was the adrenaline.
I texted the number again.
Ember: How am I supposed to get out?
The response took so long I almost put down my phone.
Coz: Walk out the front door. Tell your bodyguards to stay put. Make sure to put effort into your appearance. Also, send me a picture of the finished product. And leave your phone in your dorm.
I didn’t respond but walked woodenly to my makeup. I did a basic smoky eye and added a light gloss. I loved makeup, but tonight it felt garish. I took a lifeless selfie and sent it out.
I wanted to crawl into bed and cry, convince myself this was all just a terrible dream.
I brushed my hair until it was soft. By seven p.m., I was standing outside, arguing with Thrice. I bet Nix was calling my phone at the same moment Wardon forbade me from getting into the limo that pulled up. I warned them both to leave me alone and give a girl space as the driver closed the limo door behind me.
When I slid inside, a girl dressed just like me was sitting there. She didn’t look like me in the face, but her wig had my colored streaks applied.
When the limo turned into a parking lot, the fake me was shuffled into a waiting SUV, which then peeled out.
The limo driver told me to stay put. After some time, he backed out. I heard nothing that indicated Thrice and Wardon had fallen for the ruse, but when the driver swiveled his head to the right, I noticed he was wearing an earpiece.
It was miles before I was actually switched to an SUV. I wondered what kind of chase Wardon and Thrice had endured. I hoped that they were safe.
When I got in the back, I recognized Olin in the passenger seat. This whole thing was so well-thought-out. So seamlessly maneuvered that I had no choice but to truly believe his threats to my loved ones were just as real. Fear and foreboding lodged in my chest. God, I was in deep, and my heart slammed with the realization. My palms moistened and I wiped them on my dress.
Olin was talking to the driver and one of the men in the third row behind me. I was like an afterthought, even after all the effort that had gone into getting me there.
Finally, Olin twisted in his seat. Maybe I was too tired, or too overloaded, but my fear was slipping away. I was getting angry.
“Well, we’ll stop and get a new outfit for her. I want Cosmo to see what she’s got.” He stared directly at my chest.
“Who’s Cosmo?” I figured it was worth an ask. I was getting primped to meet him.
“He’s your future boyfriend. If he likes you, that is. You better hope he does. If he likes you jumping, you better figure out how high. And don’t stop until he tells you.” Olin laughed at his own crass words like they were a joke.
Before the death I saw and the one I caused, I woul
d’ve been fighting my ass off to get out of this vehicle. Out the back window, I saw that no one was behind us. We weren’t being followed. This man could do exactly what he wanted, apparently. And that meant until I could come up with a solution, my loved ones were in danger.
This man had a plan for me, and it sounded like I had to be alive to fulfill it. So I’d do as much. Stay alive.
The vehicle came to a stop behind a building that was clearly very busy. People were coming in and out of various doors and car doors were slamming. Olin got out of the front seat and held open the door for me, his hand extended.
I ignored it and got out of the car without his help. The slap across my face was a shock; no one treated me like this. Ever. And it hurt. I touched my face, covering the pain. The streetlight created a shadow puppet of my form, hunching over.
“If a man offers you his hand, take it. Don’t act like a hussy. Think of yourself as royalty, if that helps. If I offer you something, you take it. Understand?” His hand was still extended. My pride didn’t let me cry. I thought of my mother. How many hits she had to endure in her life. I stared at him as defiantly as I could while I took his hand.
He nodded and smiled as if he hadn’t assaulted me. “Now, we visit Ann. We make the best of what we have here.”
Olin held my hand up the back stairs of what seemed to be a club, his entourage of suited guards trailing us. At the top of the stairs, a uniformed doorman let us into a very chic apartment. It had a sophisticated beach vibe, like a magazine spread. The bass of the music playing below seemed to be vibrating the furniture.
Olin found an armchair and gestured to it with flourish. I sat and didn’t let go of his hand until he released mine.
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