" Fuck you!"
Swiftly ducking out of the way the glass shattered as it hit the wall.
" Angie just calm down"
" No!" Gripping another plate she sniffled as her red face scrunched even more deeply. " I will not calm down! I'm supposed to trust you and be okay with you leaving me in the middle of the night to go fuck some whore!"
Honesty.. this is what it actually gets you.
" Hey, Mia's not-"
"Shut up!!"
The heavy silence hung around us like a wet blanket as tears rolled down her face and off her chin. And I almost immediately regretted letting Ellis stay with me as I heard his steps approaching. Drenched in sweat Ellis's stride slowed at the sight of the scattered glass on the floor. Sitting his empty water bottle on the island he pulled his headphones from his head. The music blared for a moment before he turned it off.
" What's going on?" He asked looking cautiously between Angie and I like two fighting parents.
" Not a good time" I waved him off. " You reek go take a shower "
" No Ellis stay" Angie stopped him as he started to walk off. Raising an eyebrow Ellis looked at me expectantly as Angie put her hands on her hips.
" Go ahead Kaleb tell your brother what's going on"
" You can't be serious"
" You bet your ass I am" her eyes narrowed.
Sighing my shoulders sagged as I looked between Angie and my brother.
" I slept with someone else last night"
" Oh. Shit" Ellis's eyebrows rose.
Shaking her head Angie scoffed bitterly allowing the tears to flow down her face. " You know what I knew it" the glass plate clanked against the counter top as she tossed it down.
" In my heart, a part of me always knew that no matter what I did, no matter how many times I told you I love you Kaleb.. you never let go of your ex, you've always been in love with her.. and it's always going to be her isn't it?" her lips trembled just as she let out another sob.
Looking at me Ellis rose his hands. " It's not my place to say anything but what you did was fucked up and if you actually care about Angelica .. you need to fix this right now before she packs up and leaves " backing out of the room Ellis headed to the stairs and Angie's sadness seemed to consume every bit of oxygen in the room.
Ellis hadn't walked the walk that I had to, he was just a year younger than I was and still he was right...
Regardless of the chemistry Angie and I did and didn't share it wasn't grounds for me to go be unfaithful to her. Especially with someone who had hurt me deeply.
" Ang" I walked around the island closer to her. Stubbornly shaking her head she took a step away from me.
" Angie, come here" my fingers brushed against her arm but instead of snatching away she began to tremble. Pulling her against me I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight then rested my head on top of hers.
Angie didn't hug me back and her tiny tremors didn't stop as her tears soaked through my shirt.
" I'm so sorry"
" Why?" She croaked
" I don't know" I couldn't help but sigh, I already told Angie the truth about sleeping with Mia. I was sure that she couldn't handle anymore of my honesty. Especially the fact that she was right.. I still loved Mia and I was still attached, so incredibly attached that it was borderline obsessive and Angie was just my distraction.
" Kaleb please, just be honest with me" she pleaded pulling away to stare back into my eyes. " What does she have that I don't?"
...My heart.
" It's not like that Ang, she broke into the house last night, I didn't jump into action because I didn't want to scare you. She was there to kill us but she couldn't do it and left. I went after her to ask what the hell was she thinking. She couldn't give me an answer and so I asked her what she wanted? She wanted me "
" So you just gave yourself to her?"
Yes
"
" It was the last time. I told her it was over and she knows not to come around here again"
Angie's tears finally began to stop but her nose remained red as she sniffled.
" I hope you know I can't forgive you right now"
I nodded. " I know "
" I won't go back home so I'll probably stay at a hotel until I can think straight again. I just- I can't be here for a while"
" I understand and I'll pay for it, for as long as you need. If you decide that you want to go home just call me and I'll get you on the plane" I assured running a hand over the top of her head. Avoiding my gaze Angie nodded and began to pull away from me.
" I'm going to go pack my things"
Tucking my hands into my pockets I watched as she hugged herself walking away from me.
" Fuck, are you doing Kaleb?" I asked myself as I took my hands from my pockets and ran them through my hair. Locking my fingers behind my head I sat at the island and put my forehead against the cool stone countertop. With a deep breath I caught the whiff of Mia's perfume, she always smelt as delicious as she was. Last night she smelt like peaches and coconut, fuckin hell, I showered twice and I can still smell her. I can hear her moaning my name in my head. Mia May Langley, was unstable, toxic and drove me unfathomably crazy. Most things in my life I could shake off and keep pushing but this.. this is has be what it's like to be a addict.
And Angie I lied right to her face.
Just then my pocket began to vibrate as my phone began to ring. Pulling it out a frustrated groan released as I read the name.
" Yeah?"
" What's up K, you busy?"
" Not really, something going on?"
Nick let out a forced laugh. " I'm trying my fucking hardest not to yell in your ear but I'm fucking livid "
" What happened?"
" The 27th st Zeros, they claim that they aren't paying for product anymore. They even came at Greenleaf"
"Why?"
" After my dad's scrape with the feds a lot of soldiers have been scared and I did plan a big shindig for everyone but the Zeros are the only ones that have suddenly changed their tone. They know where Greenleaf stands with us and that's why they tried them. Those mother fuckers really think they can take Dyvercity. From Ghidorah, from us K.. these streets belong to us, the suburbs, the hood, the industrial district. All of it "
Anger replaced the sadness as Nick's words mimicked the meaningfulness of a preacher. It's been a long time since Ghidorah busted any heads, it was clear now that those beneath us were beginning to feel like Ghidorah had gotten soft. Had become sloppy and lost enough of it's credibility that we could be knocked off our pedestal.
" You want to show them why they can't?" I asked, momentarily startled by my own tone.
" Hell yeah and plus I thought it would be a good opportunity for Marco and Ellis. Marco isn't new to this shit but if Ellis is serious about wanting in, this is his chance to show us what he can do. But you're the genius and I wanted your input, what do you think? Good idea? "
" Definitely"
____________________________
" Are you sure we couldn't have done this in separate cars?" Marco complained as he shifted in the back seat.
Looking over at Nick one of my eyebrows rose and a smug grin stretched across Nick's face as he glanced back at Marco.
" Is the anxiety getting to you? Or are you just turning into a bitch in a matter of minutes?"
Sucking his teeth Marco slouched against the leather and his knees hit the back of my seat. "I'm not a bitch bro, Fuck you"
Chuckling Nick caught my gaze and nodded his head in the direction of Ellis who sat behind him. He hadn't said a word and in the short time I known him, I know Ellis wasn't the quiet type.
" You good?" I tapped against his knee.
Pulling his gaze from the window Ellis looked back at me and as his eyes started to dart hesitantly he nodded.
"Yeah"
" I thought you weren't a liar" I teased looking over at Marco who only shook his head.
Chuckling to himself Ellis sat up straighter and held my gaze. " Fine, since you have to bust my balls I'll be honest, I'm not scared. I'm anxious I don't know what the fuck we're doing and I don't know what to expect. It's like walking into a room blind"
" We're fuckin shit up, that's all you need to know" Nick spat excitedly as he pressed against the gas even harder, darting in and out of the traffic.
" That's probably the most transparent answer you could have gave"
" Then you explain it, Mr. I know everything but I get no pussy"
" Now you're just lying for the sake of lying"
" No? How much action have you seen in the last month? One? Two girls at the maximum"
" I have a girlfriend"
Comically Nick sputtered and Marco let out a loud laugh. " Angelica is not your girlfriend, she is just something warm to put your dick in so that you can keep focus but let's be real. You've been slacking"
" Excuse me" I scoffed when looking back at him.
" You have a girlfriend too"
Nick swerved as he laughed out loud.
"If I wasn't scared before I definitely am now" Ellis muttered.
" Kaleb my brah-
" Your what?"
" Alily is not my girlfriend bro, she's more of a-" with his free hand Nick snapped his fingers as if the words would magically pop into his head.
" A goomah"
" Don't you have to have a wife to have a goomah?" Marco asked blatantly not bothering to hide how much of an idiot he thought Nick was.
" Just- just shut the fuck up okay"
Ellis and I began to laugh as Nick pointed at Marco.
" Alily already knows what our arrangement is, she exclusively only fucks me and I buy her sexy ass whatever she wants unless it's a car or house. That's the level of a wife or someone I want to keep around for a while. She's not even close to that, a lot of times I just give her money so she can stop talking " he rolled his eyes with an exhausted sigh.
" She talks that much?" Ellis asked as his curiosity peaked. " She didn't seem like much of a talker at all at the club"
Nick scoffed. " Because she's not supposed to get comfortable enough with anyone else to run her mouth. "
" Sheesh"
" What?"
" Your a fucking narcissist that's what " Marco chuckled bitterly
" No I'm not, Alily is a natural sub and I'm a dom, she does what I tell her to. There's no springs attached"
" Maybe you should actually tell her that" Marco mused nonchalantly
" What are you talking about?"
" Alily told Sasha that when you moved out of your dad's place that she was moving in with you"
" Bullshit!" Nick turned completely around in his seat and the Audi slowly began to merge into the left lane. " No the fuck she's not!"
"Nick! What the fuck?! You fucking dumbass!" I barked grabbing ahold of the steering wheel straightening the car back out just as a diesel truck blew past us blaring it's horn.
"When did she tell you that?! Nick demanded an answer as he reluctantly turned back around and took the wheel back.
" I dunno a week or so ago"
" And you didn't think I needed to know?"
" You're not my woman Nick"
" That's besides the point Alily thinks she's slick by telling people she's moving in with me then when I tell her it's not happening. I'm suddenly the bad guy. That shit is not going to fly, there's only one person I want living with me"
An uncomfortable silence filled the car and I didn't bother asking Nick who he was talking about. I already knew and as her beautiful face appeared in the back of my mind something Nick already said to me was replayed in my mind.
The second you fuck up, she's mine.
It wasn't until we exited off of the highway began to enter the familiar area of large, sad abandoned buildings. The largest building stood tall and tremendously wide with a row of intimidating pillars across the front. Graffiti decorated each one in a variety of impressive art and chicken scratch in a original design of zeros. It was childish and laughable.. though the people inside were anything but.
Swiftly Nick unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out but the color drained from Ellis's face as he visibly hesitated.
" Shouldn't we put on masks or something?"
" If you're that much of a pussy stay in the car" Marco spat in annoyance before climbing out heading back towards the trunk with Nick.
" Ignore Marco he's on his period or something and to answer your question no. We want them to know exactly who we are"
_______________________________
Licking my dry lips my head turned stiffly and my hand found my neck. As my eyes opened my vision was hazy and blurry like a television with bad reception. After awhile I finally recognized the familiar ceiling of my bedroom. Smells of delicious food filled the air and I could hear singing, no not from the radio but raw, live baritones flowed through the walls so powerful and beautiful it could have been mistaken for Robin Thicke. If that was factual I really am dead. Grunting I pulled myself upward and the edges of my vision pulsated as the back of my head throbbed. Closing my eyes I tried to silence the pain and leaned back against the headboard. The most recent thing I could remember felt like a dream but the deep throb between my legs said otherwise.
Kaleb made love to me but refused to be with me again.
Because I hurt him.. and he couldn't forgive me for it.
The trust was gone.
My eyes burned as I looked around the room. I found myself looking for my phone to call him, to hear his voice...
Pulling the blanket down I frowned seeing my body now draped fully in pajamas and my hand went to the back of my head. Digging through my hair I winced touching the fresh stitches intertwined expertly into my skin.
Who..
Shakily I stood to my feet and a figure walked into my room without making a sound. It was a man, tall and strong but too large to be so agile. But it wasn't a dream, the pain, the way my heart raced in my chest and the cold sweat that covered my skin screamed that this wasn't a dream.
But it had to be.. I was looking at a ghost.
A small smile stretched across the man's face and I could feel myself going weaker, I couldn't move or run. Scream or call for help because this simply wasn't possible but my lips parted and with all of my energy there was only enough for one word.
" Daddy"