The Bad Things (Book 5)

Chapter 7. We're Professionals

"You guys just don't want anyone to see how freaky I am, so someone doesn't sweep me off my feet with better pay," Benny said and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Get real, Benny. We all know how much is in your bank account," Luis said and lit a blunt.

"Can I talk to you guys?" I looked pointedly at Ace and Aria.

They both nodded and followed me silently out of the hotel room. We went down to the hotel's lobby and sat down in an area where there weren't people around.

"What is it, Andrew?" Aria's face scrunched up with concern.

"You're staying here, aren't you?" Ace asked. He wouldn't beg me aloud to go back to California with them, but his eyes pleaded with mine.

I scoffed and shook my head. "No, no, I'm not staying in Florida. Abigail, Stormy, and I are coming back to California. Actually, I was going to ask you if Sean could come back too. We'll work for Angel and earn our keep. We're both mechanically inclined, too, if you need help with vehicles. Sean no longer has a job, and he can't keep that apartment without one."

"Of course, he can. If you trust him," Aria agreed.

"And Chelsea too," I added. "Because I don't think Sean would leave without her, and I don't doubt that Chelsea would follow him."

"Do you trust him?" Ace asked.

I sighed. "For a while, I questioned it. I don't trust people easily. But I know that when it comes to his sister, he will always side with her. They're twins, and they've always had each other's backs. We had some problems, but it's all good now. Mateo left Sean under the impression that he wouldn't do anything to Stormy or Abigail, but Mateo lied to Sean."

Aria and Ace shared a glance as if they were talking with their eyes. Most people would believe that isn't possible, but they're wrong. Abigail and I were able to do the same thing at times. We read each other like we knew what the other person wanted. It was an intense thing, and at first, I thought I was crazy. It wasn't until that moment that I realized Ace and Aria had the same type of relationship—maybe even stronger because of how long they had been together.

They looked back at me and nodded.

"As long as there aren't any problems, they can come to stay in California," Ace said.

"What about asking Angel?" I argued.

"We'll deal with him," Mom said and chuckled.

I smiled, but I felt like I missed some sort of joke. "Thank you."

Mom, Dad, and I went back upstairs to the room. I pulled Sean aside and told him to come outside with me for a cigarette. Everyone else was in their own worlds, so they probably wouldn't notice us missing.

Sean and I stepped outside of the hotel and lit our cigarettes. I quickly went through the plan with Sean that I conjured up with my parents to try to help Chelsea and him start over.

Sean stared at me in disbelief. "Come on, man. I don't know anyone in California. I can't move out there. I've lived in Florida my entire life."

"Look, I get it, okay? I've lived my entire life in Florida too, but you don't understand what it's like out there. Just give it a try. If you don't like it, you can always come back. I'm giving you an opportunity to start over."

"So, this isn't because you think I'm going to squeal to the cops?"

I chuckled. "No, man. If I thought that I'd kill you."