Page 69 of Kandie Shoppe

“I guess,” I say, not mentioning that he probably didn’t remember because he was grieving his daddy.

“He hurt your feelings, huh?’ He side-eyes me driving at the same time.

“I’m just tired.” I look out the window, trying my best not to think about how we left things last night.

I watchhim get up from the bed, his dick falling heavy between his legs. He slides a look my way as he starts to pull on the sweats he wore over last night. Briefly I think about how I almost told him to leave some of his things here before all this went down.

“You know all this can be put to rest if you just tell Angel where Easy is.” Looking at me steadily, he pulls the sweatshirt over his head.

“Nope.” Giving him a mean look, I turn from him. “What, so she can be bullied into taking him back like you’re doing me? I can handle it. She can’t,” I lie, knowing that I can’t. Knowing I need to get away from him. Easy knew what she was about. Angel was relentless. Who knew that Ulysses would prove to be just as terrible?

“So you’re okay with the El Diablos continuing to fuck with your family, stopping the flow of business in this town? Hell, the only person they’re letting move with any autonomy is Dr. Everything,” he scoffs, rage bubbling under the surface.

“Well, do something, Sheriff.” I drop extra emphasis on his title. “Oh, but you can’t because you’re his little punk bitch boy.”

The muscle jumping like it wanted freedom or like it wanted to fight me should have been a sign.

“You really don’t give a fuck about anything, do you? Oh, but drinking, gossiping, and stirring up shit in general,” he sneers.

“And riding your dick, don’t forget that.” I shimmy a little, loving the flush rushing under his tan skin.

He mutters something I don’t quite catch, but sounds an awful lot like, “Reckless ass mouth.”

“What you don’t get about my family is we don’t care about the repercussions. Loves stick. We ride for each other. We’ll die for each other.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I nod to myself, looking at him square in his eyes. “We don’t cut each other off. We talk shit, but we don’t let outsiders tear us apart. Family is all.”

“Then you should know that when a man loves a woman, he won’t stop until he has her by his side. Angel is not going to give your cousin up. He has your grandparents, and he’s made it known he’s coming for you next.” The truth of his words blankets the room like an artic tundra.

“And you’re going to let him do that?” I demand, watching as his eyes slide to the side, then settle on me for a long, hard moment.

“If he dared touch what was mine, I’d raze the El Diablo MC to the fucking ground. I wouldn’t arrest them. I’d take them out one by fucking one.” He rolls his shoulders like he’s ready to do it and everything in me knows he would.

Going over to a bag he brought, he takes something out. Like a dummy, I think it’s something for protection — so much so I say nothing and don’t even move when he comes to my side of the bed and pulls the cover back and snaps the monitor around my ankle in a tight clasp.

“You, however, made it abundantly clear right before you let me fuck you that you weren’t mine. Stay safe, sweetheart.” Pressing a dry kiss to my forehead, he leaves.

“We’re here,”Nikodemus says to me as we pull up to the rear of Valentine’s clinic.

My very efficient cousin is standing in the back doorway waiting for me.

“Hey,” he calls by the door from the side of the truck he helped me down.

“Yeah?” I try to keep it together.

“You did good, baby girl.” With a wink, he closes the door to the other side.

The words make me feel rubbed raw. Easy is gone, perhaps forever. At least she has Oz. Saban has been pushed out of everything she’s come to know. Now the town is under threat from the men obsessed with them. Any thoughts about how Snake feels about his ward have been answered in the most brutal way. Left up to him, there would be a trail of bodies left in his wake as he seeks answers to Saban’s whereabouts. The only thing stopping Angel is whatever he thinks he feels for my cousin.

“How are you holding up?” Valentine asks, moving to let me in the house.

“I’m good. Thanks for letting me stay,” I say, following her up to the attic bedroom.

The light, airy space is covered in lilac. One side is filled with a rack of dresses and a sewing machine and adjustable mannequins. The room hasn’t been used since our cousin Sunni-Belle went to work for the Spencers of all people. Not quite as high on our enemy list as the Shelbys, they are solidly in second place after how they tried to get Mimi fired from her job and taking her baby to boot.

Going over to the antique white wrought iron canopy bed, I sit between the swathed opening, dropping my bag.

“The sheriff is probably going to come this way.” Looking up at her words, I’m not surprised to hear her say them.

After those awful words he spoke to me, I’m not sure why he’s even looking for me. Probably just to pressure me for his buddy in crime. Well, I’m not giving up Easy’s whereabouts. I’m not even sure she’s still with Oz. He could’ve sent her anywhere in the world. What I know of his network is that it’s vast and his half-brothers, in their aptly named the Bastard Syndicate, are just as powerful as Angel Cruz. She won’t be found until she wants to be. He should have thought of the type of person he brought into his world and know she’d never be okay with the way he was treating kids. Fuck Angel big ugly ass and fuck Ulysses dirty cop ass. Just because my body is weak for him doesn’t mean my mind is. Getting away from him is the best thing I can do to get perspective. Getting him out of my system before he breaks me is top priority. Easy and Saban knew what they were about, but I couldn’t leave. I have a business to run and even though the El Diablos have all but shut down business, I can bake anywhere. Fuck them and Angel’s evil ass. Stomping around the whole county like a six-foot-five petulant baby because some pussy was taken from him is childish.

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