Page 36 of Like You Know
“Want me to drive you home?” he asked as we reached my car. “Or somewhere else? I don’t want you driving in this state.”
“What state?” I crossed my arms and gave him a challenging look.
“There she is.” He grinned at me.
“Who?” I cocked an eyebrow.
“The strong, beautiful, infuriating woman I’ve come to ... know.”
Was that really how he saw me? That wasn’t a casual kind of thing to say about someone—to their face. If he thought so highly of me, why did he keep me at arm’s length?
Ugh! I did not have the emotional bandwidth to go down that track again.
A familiar figure caught my attention, and I frowned as two men came around the corner of the building. Jet followed my gaze, and we just stood there watching for a few moments.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I know that guy. That’s Shady ... er ... I don’t know his last name. Actually, I don’t think that’s his first name either.” There was no missing the red tracksuit the man always wore. For someone who ran a criminal empire, and probably needed to stay under the radar, he sure did wear a lot of bright clothing.
“Shady, eh? How do you know him?” There was an edge to Jet’s question, and his jaw tightened, but I didn’t have time to worry about that, because I realized I knew the other guy too.
“Actually, I know both of them. The other one, in the suit with the neat brown hair—that’s my mom’s boyfriend.” What the fuck was he doing talking to Shady? What the fuck was he doing in Devilbend North when he’d just told me on the phone half an hour ago that he was in San Francisco with my mom?
“That’s the guy who’s moved into your place?” Again Jet sounded a little intense. Was he being protective? He’d certainly protected me tonight.
Shady made his way to a dark SUV that took off right away. Cal walked off in the opposite direction and disappeared around the corner. I returned my attention to my protector.
“Would you really have shot them if they didn’t leave?” I was morbidly curious. His bluff had worked like a charm, but how much of a bluff was it? “Is that thing even loaded?”
He watched me intently for a beat, some kind of inner conflict clear in his eyes. Then he slowly pulled the gun out and held it between us. Releasing the clip, he showed me it was fully loaded before tucking it away.
“I would’ve blown every one of their brains out over those piss-stained stairs and not given it another thought.” He looked me right in the eye as he said it, his gaze full of calm conviction.
CHAPTERTWELVE
I wasthe baby of my friend group. The last one to turn eighteen. And I used it as an excuse to throw the most epic party of the year.
The girls and I arrived in a limo about an hour after it started. I liked to make an entrance, and I was indulging all my whims on this glorious Saturday night. The weather was warm, my makeup flawless, my friends in a good mood, and in a few short hours, I’d officially be an adult. Nothing could ruin this night for me.
“To Amaya!” Harlow held up her champagne flute and we toasted, finishing off the last of the bottle we’d shared on the drive over. The driver opened the door for us, and we made our way up to my party.
The elevator opened on the rooftop of the tallest building in Devilbend, and as we stepped out, everyone cheered. I flipped my sleek ponytail over my shoulder and smiled widely before moving into the crowd to say hi to everyone.
During the day, the roof was reserved for residents of the high-rise’s top few floors, but at night it became a venue for hire. A pool hung over the edge of the building, and there was a covered bar, a dance floor, and seating areas. Pearl- and champagne-colored balloon arches and cascading balloon installations decorated the whole area, along with carefully placed lighting. It looked as if the rooftop was dripping in giant glowing bubbles, and it was filled with a hundred of my closest friends.
“Happy birthday, sexy!” Drew darted up to scoop me off the floor in a massive hug.
I laughed and swatted him as he set me down. “Watch the Prada!” I chided, smoothing the green silk and making sure it still looked good on my ass. The minidress had a plunging neckline that made my small boobs look great. “Thank you, Drew.”
“Let’s get you a drink.” He looped my hand through his arm and started leading me toward the bar, but I pulled out of his grip.
“I have a few more people to say hi to. Can you get me a champagne?”
“Anything for the birthday girl!”
I made my way through the crowd until I found my besties again. They were standing near the railing with their men, the stunning view of Devilbend behind them. They looked amazing. All of them. They looked happy.
I was happy for them, but a pang of something else stabbed at me too. It wasn’t jealousy exactly. I didn’t begrudge my friends their happiness—they deserved it after everything we’d been through. It was just ... well, didn’t I deserve it too? I wanted what they had.