Page 277 of Chaos Kills

Alright, low blow.

My irritability that he gets to be with Bay at all hours at any given time pisses me off.

It shouldn’t.

I’ve been down this road a million and one times and convinced myself this is all for the best. That keeping my distance and ridding myself of every ounce of feelings I have for her is in the best interest of myself and my brothers.

But the fuckers won’t die.

“What do you want, Oz?” He holds my aggravated gaze with ease, always has, and opens a laptop. “What is this?”

“Watch it,” he orders, not bothering to wait for me to drop my paperback before it’s promptly shoved into my chest. I notice blood all over his white tee, but then Oz hits the spacebar, and audio immediately comes out from a very, very familiar voice that lived in my head for weeks on end.

“Bay, I’m good for you. I’d treat you like a queen. I’ve watched you for months get closer to Matteo, and he’s gonna change, babe. He’s gonna lead this group into something violent, and you’re not gonna wanna be around for that.”

Judah.

My chest constricts as I shakily drop my book in my lap and grip the edges of the laptop.

“Matteo said he wasn’t,” Bay counters. “It’s to protect South Shore and Shoreline Peaks from the Forsaken Crew.”

She’s so young.

And even though I can barely see her through the darkness enclosed by woods, I can make out her outline.

That sweet tone.

The moon shines ever-so-faintly through the top of the trees, and I can identify my brother’s tall frame a few feet away from her.

“He doesn’t give a fuck about South Shore,” my brother barks out. “He only cares about himself and the power he’s trying to obtain. He’s not gonna get it, Bay. Emilio Wildes isn’t going to pay him any mind unless it’s to play him. And if he gets in the way, Emilio is going to demolish him.”

“How would you know?”

“Because I know.” And he would. Judah despised Emilio, hence why he left The Landings and was looking for more tobuild on before he brought me with him. “You wanna go back to him?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you want to live and make it past sixteen, Bay? Matteo isn’t going to keep you around for that. He’s not going to make you anything but his whore.”

“Really?” she leers, that spunky attitude showing off for my brother. “You think I’m gonna stick around for that? You think I’m going… It’s not going to be like that. I just want—” She stops there when my brother steps forward.

“What do you want? I can give it to you.”

“Judah, please leave me alone. For your sake and mine. I’m not even the type of girl you like.”

“And what’s that? You’re beautiful, smart. One day, you’ll fill out into something so fuckin’ killer it’ll be sick. And I’ll be there to protect you from everything. From the war between The Landings and South Shore. From men who will try to hurt you.”

Men like me.

“How would you protect me?” Bay solicits. “You’d have to be with Matteo and the Pistol Posse to have support and?—”

“I have support,” Judah snaps, his voice wavering with impatience. “I left the most powerful family alive to…to just get the fuck away from them. You’re the only thing I’ve seen since leaving that’d make me go back to keep you from harm. I can change everything. We—together—could be the most powerful couple in all of here and the surrounding states.”

“I don’t want to be—” Judah wraps an arm around her waist and pulls Bay closer to him. “Please, Jud…you’re gonna get us killed.”

She knew even then of the power and ruthlessness of Matteo. When I tried to pull her away and break a piece of her for my own. When I promised similar things. Judah and I… we’re not so far off as to know of the threats surrounding us.

And we both wanted, at one time, to protect her from it.

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