Page 85 of Locke 2

I found him within minutes. He was wearing a red track suit, and he was sitting at a table wotj a couple of his buddies. He was yammering away on a phone, puffing away at a cigar, looking like some kind of warlord.

It was sort of embarrassing.

To look like that, to actually believe that he was scary…when the real scary men were lingering close by, and he didn’t even know it. Locke would have eaten him up with just one look. Jem would have played morbid head games with him. He’d already let me in on some of the ways he got people to talk on the ride over. Jem was not the man to be trifled with. None of the Blackwater boys were, and yet in such a short amount of time, they had warmed to me, knowing that I meant something to Locke. It filled me with a feeling I’d never felt before.

I moved to Keenan, rocking my hips from side to side. I made sure I was directly in front of him. I danced, pretending to look all whimsical and shit even though the music was awful. After a few minutes, I looked back at Keenan and my stomach twisted.

His eyes were hard on mine.

They didn’t move away, either.

He smiled when our eyes connected. He put his phone down, watching me intently as I moved in my little dress. I didn’t once look back at Locke. I didn’t want to see the rage in his eyes. I also didn’t want Keenan to spot him.

Yes, yes, keep looking, I thought.Now invite me over.

As expected, Keenen pointed a finger at me. I stilled, pretending to act surprised as I pointed to my chest. He smiled like he was hot shit and then motioned me over.

It took everything not to roll my eyes as I moved to him, all doe-eyed.

“You are fucking hot,” he said as I stopped in front of him. “What the fuck is your name?”

“Kari,” I said, shyly.

“Kari,” he repeated, mocking my tiny voice. He let out a laugh and whispered to the guys near him. They laughed too.

My smile felt stiff. I had to be dazzled by this douchebag when I wanted nothing more than to kick him in the balls when I caught some of the words he said. “What’s yours?”

“Mine?” He looked affronted. “Baby doll, I’m Keenan. You should know that already.”

“I’m new,” I said sheepishly.

“Oh yeah? Where are you from?”

“Oh, you know, all over.”

He didn’t bother asking more. They fucking never did. “You want company tonight?”

I nodded, trying to blush, but I was really depending on my make up to do that for me. “Uh-huh.”

“Sit in my lap.”

Locke would kill him. He was very strict about this man not touching me. I twisted back and forth, glancing at his loser buddies. “In public?”

Now Keenan laughed obnoxiously, and it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “Oh, you’re fucking sweet, ain’t you? You want to go somewhere quiet, angel?”

I nodded and bit my lip. They liked that shit. Biting my lip all lustfully and innocently though was harder than it sounded.

He got up from his seat like a fucking king leaving his throne. His arm wrapped around my shoulders. It felt like a noodle, it was so thin. In fact, this man was a twig. My smile was tight. When he placed a long kiss on my forehead, I felt every inch of me burn with disgust.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet,” he said as he led me away.

Thirty-Six

Locke

Keenan was going to die.

Locke was going to relish it.

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