Page 58 of Uppercut Princess

Except, I willingly walked into this. That’s the difference.

Even though my stomach is still roiling with the news, I steel myself. This is when shit gets hard. In a matter of minutes, I’m going to have to face the guy who killed my parents and not react. It will be the worst kind of torture. One I hope I’m ready for because everything is counting on this. This is what I came here for. If I can’t gain the leader of the Heights Crew’s trust, then I won’t be able to do what I set out to do. Sure, I might be able to walk in there now and somehow get in a lucky shot on Big Daddy K. Maybe even steal Magnum’s gun, go for the unexpected nature of it all. Pop off a shot that would hit him right where I need to. But, the odds of that are slim.

Besides, I don’t just want to kill him. I want to get away with it. Killing him will mean nothing if I don’t get away with it. I don’t want to go down too. Then I’ll have sacrificed my own life just to take his, and that’s not what I promise my parents when I talk to them at night. I promise them I’ll make my life better. That this is the means to a beautiful end.

“No need to be nervous,” Johnny says, inching closer. “I’ve already talked you up.”

I can imagine that conversation.

Yeah, Dad, I want to fuck this girl.

That’s good, Son, but you can’t fuck her until I say so.

Oh okay. Sure.

Maybe the conversation was lengthier than that, but that was the bones of it.

Johnny reaches over and tangles his fingers with mine. In the moment, it’s comforting. I don’t want to analyze it and tell myself that it’s disgusting what I’m doing. He’s offering me comfort, and I’m taking it. That’s it.

Within ten minutes, we’re pulling up to a modern building on the outskirts of the inner city in the Heights. Magnum takes a right, the road slanting down until we’re at a lower parking level. It’s an expansive parking area, but very few cars are parked inside it. “Who all lives here?” I ask.

“Dad, me, a few of the other guys at the top. Magnum,” Johnny finishes like his bodyguard is an afterthought.

I avoid the gaze that’s burning into the side of my face right now. Magnum sure is doing a good job of being intimidating. He doesn’t like that they’re bringing me here. I doubt he sees me as that much of a threat, but the fact that I’m going to be so close to Big Daddy K has him on high alert.

“Do you have your own place?” I ask. It comes out sounding like I want to know what my boyfriend’s living situation is, forreasons, but I actually need to know for recon. And you know, maybereasons.After I figure out what the fuck is wrong with me, I’ll worry about my traitorous body.

Johnny’s fingers tighten in mine. “We live on the same floor, but I have my own place,” he says, his voice oozing sex. That incident earlier really got him ramped up. I’m going to have to avoid him until I straighten shit out in my head. Then again, he could be leaving me in a moment to go find someone else to fuck. Big Daddy K’s orders are still in place.

My skin crawls with that thought, but I rub my arms to ease it because that shouldn’t be my focus right now. Even if it was, I might actually think Johnny hasn’t done that again. He certainly blew off the lady at school for me.

Magnum parks the car near a nondescript door with a glass side panel. Johnny pushes the back door open and gets out, reaching back for my hand once he’s standing. I get out next to him, my heart thumping in my chest like the furious beat of hooves during a horse race. He touches my cheek. “You’ll be fine.”

Magnum moves ahead of us, opening the door which reveals an elevator. Once we’re all inside, he presses the button for P, which I’m assuming stands for Penthouse. Other than that, there are two other floors. He’s literally surrounded by other higher-ups in the Crew. If I decide to take him out here, escaping will be tricky. Then again, I might not have a choice. I haven’t seen Big Daddy K out anywhere. When Johnny says he’s going to meetings, I’m pretty sure they’re held right here.

The elevator moves us up briskly. When it stops, Magnum steps out first and then turns to face us in a bare, but high-ceilinged hallway. There are two doorways. One to the left and one to the right.

“Hands up,” Magnum says as I step out.

“Um, what?”

He reaches for a black metal detection wand that sits on a table—the only piece of furniture in the hallway.

“It’s just a precaution,” Johnny says before moving to stand next to Magnum.

They both face me, and I bite down on my lip, but widen my stance and hold my arms out to the side. Magnum waves the wand over me. It goes off over my chest. “Underwire in my bra,” I say. I cock an eyebrow. “Should I take my shirt off?”

“No,” Johnny grunts.

Magnum keeps the same fierce look of concentration as he finishes up. The detector doesn’t go off again, but already I’m pleased with what I’m finding out. I’ll probably have this same treatment every time I come up here, unless I somehow put myself on the other side with Johnny. If they trust me enough, I just might someday not get the wand treatment. Otherwise, I have no option. I’ll need a weapon to take down Big Daddy K, and right now, their security is on top of things to make sure that doesn’t happen. I suppose I could always hide it in my bra. Especially if I’m with Johnny. He won’t let them make me take my shirt off.

“All good,” Magnum says as he places the wand back down.

“No shit,” I deadpan.

My words don’t faze Mag though. He’s just doing his job, and he probably doesn’t care if a teenager gets salty about it.

Magnum turns toward the door on the right and opens it. Johnny follows him, and I take up the rear. Now that the metal detection part is over, the nerves are back. My palms sweat. Overall, there’s a sickening feeling twisting my stomach. This is like meeting your real-life boogeyman. The guy who’s haunted your dreams and terrorized you for years. Sure, I may be older now and able to comprehend that he probably won’t do anything to me, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a bunch of turmoil going on underneath the surface.

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