Part 14
SANG:
Pete tugs me toward the club exit, and I'm slightly panicking. I know that Gabe would have clued in the other boys by now, but it's still unnerving to have a stranger's arm wrapped around my neck, pulling me into his stretched out body. I can feel his rib cage against my own--and his might actually be bonier than mine.
Once outside, I breathe in the fresh air, not even realizing how stuffy and gross it was inside--I had gotten used to it. Yuck.
There are several groups of people, and just as I'm crossing my fingers that I don't have to interact with any of them, a mixed girl with actual dreadlocks flits out from under the arm of a massive Samoan guy with intricate tribal tattoos. He's like a younger Dwayne Johnson and he does not look happy that she's calling out for Pete's attention.
"Pete! Oh my God!" The girl skips right up to us and gives me a once over, smiling at me. "What's up?"
Pete pulls me in tighter and I feel like I'm leaning against a street lamp he's so wiry. "What's up with me? What the fuck's up with you?! Long time no see, babe. I heard you were going straight."
"She is." The giant Samoan's voice is deep and sounds more than a little pissed. "So stay the fuck away from her, Pete." He comes up behind the girl and pulls her behind him in a move I recognize from being in her same position many a time with the guys. He's being protective and taking care of her. I can't help but respect him for that. He wants his girl away from the nasty drug dealer. Can't blame him. I want to be away from the nasty drug dealer too.
Pete's entire body straightens, becoming even more pole-like next to me. His arm drops from my shoulders and rests behind him toward the waistband in the back of his pants. Oh God. Does he have a gun? My eyes are as big as dinner plates and I back away a couple steps. I glance around frantically, knowing the guys have to be somewhere.
Nathan's leaning against a car about twenty feet away. Victor's doing the same a few cars down. I try to be as inconspicuous as possible, putting my hand down by my thigh, curling in three fingers while leaving my pointer and thumb extended, making a gun with my hand, relaying the message.
"You sure you want to fuck with me, man? And in front of my new girl?" Pete's gaze whips back to me and I give him a sheepish smile, straightening my hand and smoothing my sweaty palms against my shorts.
The big guy looks at me too--with disgust. I want to shout that I'm not really with Pete, that I'm trying to help, but I can't. He looks back at the dealer. "If you try to sell to my woman again, no one will be able to identify your corpse."
Ohhhhkay. Maybe this guy isn't the best. I take another step back as I watch Pete's hand grip something under his shirt. Oh no.
Everyone freezes as a giant raucous breaks out to our right--a car alarm blaring and shouting. Pete's hand drops from his waistband and everybody turns to check out the commotion.
I can't contain my gasp. Kota has Nathan pinned against the sedan he was leaning on earlier with his forearm shoved into his windpipe. Nathan's face is shocked, and a tiny bit annoyed. His head cocks to the left as he tries to read Kota's eyes and learn the plan. I see Kota's head nod just a fraction, but I'm sure no one else noticed. No one ever studies these men like I do.
In an instant, Nathan has reversed their positions. He moved so fast I couldn't even figure out how he did it.
"Who the fuck are these clowns?" Pete sounds excited for the fight. He's completely engrossed.
I can't look away either. Kota manages to heave Nathan off him, and then swings an uppercut into his stomach. I slap my palm over my mouth to stop my scream. This is obviously my boy's making a distraction, but I can't stand to see them hurt.
Nathan backs up as he expels the air from his lungs. His head cocks again, his jaw clenched and his nostrils flaring. He didn't expect Kota to actually hit him. In response, Kota's eyes widen a bit and he shrugs.
Nathan's shoulders roll back and he cracks his neck. They're stalling. For what, I don't know. But I do know that they're about to put on a show. My hand shakes against my mouth, so I force myself to lower it. Instead I grip my forearm, ignoring that my grip's a bit too tight and my nails a bit too long.
Kota jabs right, but Nathan easily dodges. He retaliates with a front kick to Kota's stomach, payback for the earlier sucker punch. I'm shaking. I know they're not fighting all out and they spar all the time, but it seems much more intense in the dark parking lot with a criminal audience.
They exchange several more punches, Nathan practicing his defensive techniques. He puts Kota into several holds and releases him.
"Who the hell is this guy? Bruce Lee?" Pete's a kid in a candy store. I glance past him and see Owen and Gabriel leading two guys in blazers. What the heck is going on?
I turn back to the fight, just in time to see Nathan's fist make contact with the side of Kota's face. His hands were lowered as if he was expecting a kick, ready to block low instead of high. Kota stumbles backward, rocked, as Nathan holds his hands up in apology. The car alarm's still going off, so I can't hear what they say to each other, but Kota isn't mad.
"Oh, sa-nap!" Pete laughs and claps his hands. I see Owen and the two suits coming up behind us, Gabe circling around. Looking back to see if Kota's really hurt, my eyes catch Silas, North, Luke, and Victor. Luke raises his eyebrows and stares back at me, motioning me to them with a beckoning wave. Victor, next to him, holds up his finger to his lips, telling me to be sneaky about it.
I nod, making sure Pete's concentration is fixated on Nathan and Kota, circling each other. Kota's eye is red and puffy, and I know he's going to have a black eye.
I step back, getting out of Pete's peripheral vision, my footsteps would've been silent even without the obnoxious beeping of the car alarm. I slink away, making it to my boys, letting Silas wrap me up in a bearhug.
Everything happens fast after that. I watch as one of the men in a blazer grabs Pete's arms behind his back, his mouth moving--probably reciting his Miranda rights. The other man holds a gun out at him, ensuring he won't do anything stupid. Everyone around scatters. The car alarm still sounds.
Once Pete's handcuffed, the man with the gun holsters his weapon and searches him. He puts drugs and the handgun into evidence baggies, all the while boasting a triumphant smile.
I'm surrounded by my boys. North is pissed when he sees my arm. Apparently I had dug my nails into my skin when watching the fight, and was slightly gouged and bleeding. I don't care, though.
I hug them each in turn, happy we're all safe and in one piece. I finally make it to Kota, whose eye looks angry and painful. I carefully squeeze him around the waist, then lightly touch his puffy cheek.
"Are you okay?" He asks me, staring down at my arm with the janky bandage Luke wrapped around it to appease North.
"Seriously? You're asking me if I'm okay? You were in a fight!" I laugh at his absurdity. I'm concerned when he doesn't laugh back. There's no humor in his eyes. He's truly upset about something, and I don't think it's his eye.
"What's wrong?" I whisper, moving my hand from his cheek down to his lips, lightly caressing them.
Kota's eyes are greener than ever no glasses blocking them, and they pierce my soul with their intensity. After an eternity, his lips pucker to kiss my fingers in a light kiss. He speaks against them. "You scare me."
I frown. I scare him. Not I scared him--not past tense. Present. Now. "What do--" I'm interrupted by Owen as he steps into our bubble.
"Dr Green is waiting for us back at your house, Mr Lee. You and Miss Sorenson need to be checked out, and we need to finalize our reports. Come."
Kota stares at me for a moment longer, then smiles. It's as if he never said anything, his expression wiped of his concern and back to being the Kota I know and love. "Sure. Let's go, Sang. You can nurse me back to health."
He slips my hand into his, weaving his fingers through mine. I tell myself to forget what just happened. It was nothing. He probably didn't mean it, or I didn't hear him correctly.
I smile tentatively up at him when he grins down at me. Everything seems normal--everything seems fine.
My smile turns genuine when I realize what happened this evening. I did it! I helped with an Academy job, and the good guy's won.
I start to laugh, feeling euphoric and triumphant. They have to accept me now. I've just proven I can be an asset in the field.
Nothing can bring me down. I'm floating on air.
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--That's all folks! The End!
--Maaaaaybe I'll add a finale... We'll see!
--Hope you enjoyed this tale of sexy shenanigans and Academy hi-jinks!
--Will Kota ever accept Sang as part of the Academy team? I can't even remember the facts from the actual stories haha. Whoops!
--What's next? :)
Thanks for sticking with me until the end, you guys are amazing and the reason I keep on writing. Muah! :)
xoxo, SB