clearly again. “I couldn’t come after him or I would’ve. The cops are here. You know they’re looking for any excuse with me.”
“I know. He’s coming to me. I’ll handle him.”
“Terry,” I heard the same hesitation from him as well, “Brian’s never hurt you, but he’s not handling your break-up well. Are you with people?”
“I am.” They would only see the angry and ugly Brian. “I might have to call the cops, Jace, or someone else will. Mandy has people here. You know these people; they don’t understand.”
“I know. Listen, I sent a few men. Just stall Brian until they get there. They’ll handle him. Brian wants into my organization. Remind him of that. If he acts up, if he gets pinched, he can’t get in.”
A different terror formed alongside that ache. Brian wanted in? That meant… I whispered, “Jace, no.”
“No, I know. I’m not letting him. He’s a hothead, but he’s a good kid. Don’t worry, but if you have to use something to get him to calm down, use it. If he gets pinched, you don’t know what the cops will say to him. They’ll turn him against me and if that happens…”
He didn’t finish the sentence and I didn’t want him to. I didn’t want to hear about that other world. I was trying to leave it. “I’ll take care of him. I gotta go.” Jace said something more, but I hung up and stuffed my phone into my pocket. Hurrying through the house, I went to my room and took out my locked box. I hadn’t unlocked it for months, but this was a moment I had to. Pulling a long-sleeve shirt on, I took out my Taser from the box and put the box back in its hidden spot. As I went back outside to wait, I slipped the Taser inside my sleeve. I used a strap to secure it, but it was within reach if I needed it.
Then I sat on the curb and waited.
My heart was pounding.
I didn’t have to wait long. I heard Brian’s car screech around the corner and slam to a stop right in front of mine.
Part of me wanted to hop in and tell him to go to a park. We could hash it out there, but Jace’s guys were coming to the house and wouldn’t know where we went. So I braced myself when Brian slammed his door shut and strode to me.
Oh yeah. He was in a rage.
“You bitch!” he snarled, crossing the street.
I stood up, but held firm. I would stand my ground. “Brian.”
“You told Jace to handle me? Jace!” His snarl deepened to a scowl, but I saw the hurt behind it. “Are you sleeping with him? First Evans and now him? My brother?” His top lip curved higher. He said, “You whor—”
I kneed him in the balls. “No one talks to me like that.”
He doubled over, but twisted so he could see me. “You’re a bitch.”
My sympathy was gone. “And you’re crazy.”
He flinched. The storm came back over his face and he tried to straighten. He had more to say, but then he groaned and bent back over.
“We’re over, Brian.”
His head twisted away.
I moved closer and lowered my voice, “I loved you. I did. I probably always will, but you want to go in a different direction than me.” I gestured to Mandy’s—no—to my house. “I want this. I want college. I want a good job. I don’t want to have to work four jobs to make ends meet or worse, to end up in prison. This is my way out. Let me have it.”
He shook his head. He still wouldn’t look at me.
I waited. We were still alone, but it was only a matter of time before we were seen. “Brian, please.”
He stood now, swallowing his pain down. “You love me, baby, you just want this future so desperately. I know you.”
“And I know you.”
“You do, but I know you better than you know yourself, and you won’t last. This life...” He looked past my shoulders and the sneer appeared again. “You won’t get the adrenalin fix you need. I gave you that. Your old life gave you that.”
I started shaking my head. I already knew he was wrong.
He kept going, “No one knows you. Not like me, baby.” He stiffened and
“I know. He’s coming to me. I’ll handle him.”
“Terry,” I heard the same hesitation from him as well, “Brian’s never hurt you, but he’s not handling your break-up well. Are you with people?”
“I am.” They would only see the angry and ugly Brian. “I might have to call the cops, Jace, or someone else will. Mandy has people here. You know these people; they don’t understand.”
“I know. Listen, I sent a few men. Just stall Brian until they get there. They’ll handle him. Brian wants into my organization. Remind him of that. If he acts up, if he gets pinched, he can’t get in.”
A different terror formed alongside that ache. Brian wanted in? That meant… I whispered, “Jace, no.”
“No, I know. I’m not letting him. He’s a hothead, but he’s a good kid. Don’t worry, but if you have to use something to get him to calm down, use it. If he gets pinched, you don’t know what the cops will say to him. They’ll turn him against me and if that happens…”
He didn’t finish the sentence and I didn’t want him to. I didn’t want to hear about that other world. I was trying to leave it. “I’ll take care of him. I gotta go.” Jace said something more, but I hung up and stuffed my phone into my pocket. Hurrying through the house, I went to my room and took out my locked box. I hadn’t unlocked it for months, but this was a moment I had to. Pulling a long-sleeve shirt on, I took out my Taser from the box and put the box back in its hidden spot. As I went back outside to wait, I slipped the Taser inside my sleeve. I used a strap to secure it, but it was within reach if I needed it.
Then I sat on the curb and waited.
My heart was pounding.
I didn’t have to wait long. I heard Brian’s car screech around the corner and slam to a stop right in front of mine.
Part of me wanted to hop in and tell him to go to a park. We could hash it out there, but Jace’s guys were coming to the house and wouldn’t know where we went. So I braced myself when Brian slammed his door shut and strode to me.
Oh yeah. He was in a rage.
“You bitch!” he snarled, crossing the street.
I stood up, but held firm. I would stand my ground. “Brian.”
“You told Jace to handle me? Jace!” His snarl deepened to a scowl, but I saw the hurt behind it. “Are you sleeping with him? First Evans and now him? My brother?” His top lip curved higher. He said, “You whor—”
I kneed him in the balls. “No one talks to me like that.”
He doubled over, but twisted so he could see me. “You’re a bitch.”
My sympathy was gone. “And you’re crazy.”
He flinched. The storm came back over his face and he tried to straighten. He had more to say, but then he groaned and bent back over.
“We’re over, Brian.”
His head twisted away.
I moved closer and lowered my voice, “I loved you. I did. I probably always will, but you want to go in a different direction than me.” I gestured to Mandy’s—no—to my house. “I want this. I want college. I want a good job. I don’t want to have to work four jobs to make ends meet or worse, to end up in prison. This is my way out. Let me have it.”
He shook his head. He still wouldn’t look at me.
I waited. We were still alone, but it was only a matter of time before we were seen. “Brian, please.”
He stood now, swallowing his pain down. “You love me, baby, you just want this future so desperately. I know you.”
“And I know you.”
“You do, but I know you better than you know yourself, and you won’t last. This life...” He looked past my shoulders and the sneer appeared again. “You won’t get the adrenalin fix you need. I gave you that. Your old life gave you that.”
I started shaking my head. I already knew he was wrong.
He kept going, “No one knows you. Not like me, baby.” He stiffened and