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Who, in their right mind, would ever bring together our two gangs? Emma and I surely never did. If we ever had to meet, it would be just the two of us. Violence runs in our blood, and hatred for the opposite gang is vital to our survival. We’ve waged a deadly war for as long as any of us here can remember. Reasons have blurred over time, but pride is the most important thing anyway. The rest doesn’t matter anymore.
So, no, no one in their right mind would call a meeting with NSC and the Kings.
But Nate would. Because everyone here knows he is anything but right in the head.
A chair scrapes against the floor as we enter, and a small gasp I know too well reaches my ears.
My eyes dart to Jade, her mouth hanging open and her fists tight on the table. She must have fought tooth and nail for her two boyfriends to let her come here, but she’s one of the toughest girls I know. She had to be present.
She’s not the one who stood up, though. She’s not the six-foot-seven giant who is now standing with a deadly stare that won’t leave the exact spot Nate is fisting my hair.
“Let her fucking go.”
“I’m fine, Elliot,” I grunt.
“Apologies for the delay, everyone,” Nate says casually as he wipes some blood dripping from his eyebrow. “My wife and I had a slight disagreement.”
He sits down at the end of the table, pulling me with him, and I land uncomfortably on his lap.
“I can take a fucking chair,” I hiss in a whisper.
He’s discreet when his answer caresses my ear. “I feel the best when your body is against mine.”
My heart accelerates, skipping a few beats as it does so.
What the hell did he just say?
I don’t even have time to process it.
“She said she was fine, Elliot,” Nate insists when my friend and closest ally doesn’t move. His eyes are stuck on the rings decorating my fingers. His brother, Ethan, is focused on the bruises around my neck.
“Really,” I insist.
Both their gazes finally meet mine, and I nod, showing a strong face. It’s not an easy task while sitting on the lap of a psychopath, but they trust me. They finally sit down, and I allow myself to scan the room. Five guards surround us. Four at each corner of the room, and one by the door that leads in.
Sam is sitting, his chair on the opposite side of the room to Nate and me, but he’s not at the table. He’s farther back, observing all of us.
And finally, on parallel sides of the long table, facing each other, are members of my crew, and my lifelong enemies.
To my left, the Kings.
Elliot sits in the middle of the Kings’ row. He’s my right-hand. I never do anything without running it past him. On his right is Jade, sandwiched between him and his dangerously impassive brother, Ethan. She’s a tiny thing, but fuck if she can hold her own. Plus, she’s one hell of a driver. And Ethan, no one in this room but us knows, he’s a serial killer who has gotten away with more than one should in a lifetime. When I need him to, his job is to torture people for me. The real hardship is to get him to keep them alive.
On Elliot’s left is Cuts. He manages all my drug dealers. Once the man gets our products, he and his team cut our keys of pure cocaine into bags, split our methamphetamines into manageable custom-size packets, and distribute them in all the areas that belong to the Kings. Sometimes even in gray territories we’re fighting over. On Cuts’ left is Ana Sofia. People tried to get the nickname Colombian Strap going for her because she is my arms girlie. But most of them ended up dead so they stopped. With such a pretty name, it really would have been a shame to reduce her to her job and nationality. Since the Wolves let us go and they’re not our providers anymore, Ana Sofia has been pretty much out of a job, especially since I can’t find someone new to work with.
And the last of my crew here today is Cole. Cole, the collector, aka the man who collects our debts. At first sight, he’s your typical blond, All-American-Jock with the attitude of a golden retriever. He’s got such bright white teeth and a killer smile. Don’t owe us money and you’ll never have to meet his dark side. We’re loan sharks; if you can’t pay back your debts, Cole will gladly go from golden retriever to hunter in no time.
Elliot, Jade, Ethan, Cuts, Ana Sofia, Cole. These people are the essence of the Kings’ crew. They’re a team I put together to make us the most effective gang on the North Shore. Well, before Emma pulled the rug from under our feet.
On my right, Nate has called upon the equivalent of my team, but from NSC. The North Shore Crew have their own smartly put-together squad.
Emma, of course, sits on my right, the closest to Nate and me. And she brought all her besties with her. Logan, her right-hand man. Racer, who pretty much does anything she asks. Nino, her arms guy. Her collector is missing, Law, but I now know he didn’t last long after Nate laid down his own rules. And her IT girl is here, Tamar. No one ever sees her because she prefers to hide behind her computer.
To my surprise, on their side of the room but not sitting with them, is Xi. He’s leaning against the floor-to-ceiling windows, arms crossed, wearing his usual scowl.
Xi is equivalent to Cuts for NSC. Or at least used to be. He’s meant to have left this life behind since his girlfriend begged him to. But see, this is where the ties on the North Shore become complex, and this is where Emma gets her advantage. She might not be the smartest, but she sure as fuck can pull a good scheme.
Emma is Xi’s stepsister. He would never let her down if she ever needed him. Doesn’t matter if he’s in or out, family is family in their eyes. But hold on, it gets better. Emma’s other stepbrother, or Xi’s blood brother, if you prefer, is Lik.
