I WATCHED HER WALK AWAY, fighting the damn urge to shove open the door and drag her back into the car. But the moment I leaned forward to kill the engine and climb out of the car, my damn phone gave a I looked down.
The corner of my eye twitched. The moment I thought of her, Tobiasâ fucking words roared to the surface of my mind.
I lifted my gaze from the cell to Ryth as she reached Dukeâs main building. Do better? Better, because I fucking knew deep down she was playinâ me. I knew she hooked up with other guys. I knew, and still I took her back when she begged me to.
I lifted my cell, hit the finder for her phone, and waited for her location to load. Streets narrowed in, then the flashing icon hovered above an address I didnât fucking know. It sure as hell wasnât hers.
That twitch came once more in the corner of my eye.
So she was fucking around again.
âGoddamn stupid whore,â I growled, and shoved the car into gear, but the moment I did, darkness caught my eye.
A black Audi idled across the road from the drop-off point, but no teenagers shoved out of the rear seat and strode toward their classesâ¦no, none got out at all. The hairs on the nape of my neck rose the longer I stared at that car. It was familiar.
I pulled the Mustang out and jerked the wheel, turning the car hard, but the moment I neared alongside the Audi, I slowed.
A guy sat behind the wheel, his dark, hooded eyes threatening as he turned his head slowly to meet my gaze. I knew him instantlyâ¦
What the fuck was he doing here? My gut tightened and I instantly thought of the gun in the glove compartment of my car. If he startedâ¦
Even I knew that.
But he didnât climb out of his car, and he didnât lift his piece. Instead, he looked away from me, and turned his gaze to the main building of the school.
He. Wasnât. Here. For. Me.
Panic punched through my chest as I turned my head and searched for Ryth. But she was already gone, probably striding through the hallways of the damn school now. So why the fuck was Freddy watching her? I braked hard, staring at the Audi in the rear-view mirror.
In a gunfight, the savage bulldog would have it all over me. But hand to handâ¦I licked my lips. Hand to hand, Iâd hold my own. But then the Audi pulled forward and turned hard, the engine snarling as it blew past me and headed down the street.
I didnât have to follow to know where he was heading. Back to the Rossisâ. He might work for his father, but his loyalty was to Lazarus, the Stidda Mafia Prince. The kid whoâd grown up hard the last few years, alongside my brother.
I hit the accelerator, only slowing at the end of the street. But the Audi was goneâ¦
Why the fuck was he watching the kid?
Was it retribution?
I pulled over and glanced into the rear-view mirror. Did I follow him into the city and demand a meeting with Laz? Or did I go homeâ¦
I scowled and punched out a reply:
What kind of fucking game? What did the fucking little prick thinkâ¦that Ryth was his? If only he knew. I glanced at the passenger seat, remembering how her sweet body had looked angled toward me on the seat, her thin fingers slipping in deep. My cock hardened with the memory.
I gripped the bulge, and massaged. Fuck, I wanted moreâ¦wanted to taste her. I licked my lips, my tongue seeking her scent. But it was goneâ¦leaving me fucking craving. I bet if I went down on her, Iâd blow her fucking mind.
The thought of that tore something savage from my chestâ¦until my damn phone again.
âStay away? Who the fuck does he think he is?â I snarled out loud, my anger seething. I grabbed my phone.
The thought hit me out of nowhere. Hard and heavy, like brass knuckles to my chest. I sucked in a hard breath and tried to leash my anger. But it was savage when it came to T. The little fucking punk thought he was the only one hurting after mom died.
My mom, who Iâd loved more than anyoneâ¦I just couldnât cope with seeing her at the end. Remorse waited for me in that deep, dark pit of despair. Iâd tried to push it out of my mind, tried to bury myself in Natalieâs cunt. But that only made me feel worse.
Because she was a cheating bitch. And Iâd allowed it.
âNot anymore. Iâm done,â I muttered, hitting my texts.
But it wasnât Tobias I answered. It was the past. I shouldâve done it a long time ago, when Iâd found out the first time.
and hit send.
I couldâve ghosted her, it was what she deserved. No, what she deserved was to find me cock-deep in another bitchâs pussy. Now that wouldâve evened the score. But that didnât sit well with me, not the part about fucking someone elseâ¦just who that someone was.
But Ryth wasnât just a bitch, was she?
And the more I thought about her living in the same house, two bedrooms down from mine, it pushed me closer to the edge. That perfect pink pussy, slick, gleaming. I wanted to lick and suck and never come up for air.
Would she take my cock?
The throb in my fucking pants turned savage. I looked down, the teeth of my zipper gleaming like fucking lights as I strained again my jeans. I hadnât been this hard inâ¦forever.
Now, if only Tobias knew to back the fuck offâ¦
I lifted my cell at Natalieâs reply. I caught the âFuck that.â I swiped and opened Tobiasâ text.
and hit send.
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I shoved the car into drive and pulled away. For the first time in forever, I felt good. Real fucking good.
Until the memory of that Audi pushed in.
Iâd need to keep more of an eye on Ryth, make sure I was here the moment the fucking bell rang, to take her to our special park. At first, Iâd thought it was a fucking joke, driving herâ¦now I wouldnât have it any other way.