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Instead of answering me, he left the building and headed toward the SUV. He lit up a smoke, the spicy scent hitting my nose as I followed him. Every cell in my body told me to turn around and go to Ainsley. Not to talk but to just be with her. To be around her. She had an air about her that calmed me. I understood why she was placed at the front. Victims could see her first and would find that sense of calm they needed. It made me wonder if she ever had that for herself. Not that I knew her whole history, but I wasn’t stupid. She didn’t stop speaking just for the hell of it. Something happened. I would make it my personal goal to earn her trust enough that she could share that piece of herself with me. To let me into her darkness. To be the light she needed.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Sammy went up to the SUV and pulled open the passenger door when I slammed it closed.
“Talk to me,” I demanded.
He took a puff of his cigarette and let out the smoke slowly, blowing it in my face.
My jaw clenched, a sharp pain shooting up the sides of my cheeks. “If you weren’t my brother, I’d have you on the ground already.”
“You wouldn’t do that shit here.” Sammy chuckled. “You wouldn’t want your precious little girlfriend to see that side of you.”
I took a step closer to him until we were nose to nose. “Try me.”
His eyes widened a bit.
I had a good twenty-five pounds on him. Even though he worked out as much as I did, he could never gain the muscle I could. I often used it to my advantage, especially when he was being a shithead.
“Try me, Sammy.” I waited for him to respond. When he didn’t, I continued, “You better keep those dirty looks to yourself and worry about your own personal life. Maybe I should approach Amber myself and tell her that she deserves better.” It was a low blow, but he was pissing me off and I’d had enough of his shit.
Sammy lifted his chin, sticking the smoke back between his lips. “Do what you want, Cyrus. Anything you say won’t stop her from craving my dick.”
“Why the hell are you so damn crude when it comes to the woman you clearly have feelings for?” I was all for dirty talk and telling my partners exactly what I wanted and how I wanted it but Sammy...he took it to a whole other level.
“She likes it,” he mumbled, stepped away from me, and opened the door to the passenger side of the SUV.
I stared at him, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. I realized then that Amber would need a whole hell of a lot of patience to break down Sammy’s walls.
My phone dinged, interrupting my thoughts.
Pet: You good? You and your brother looked like you were having a heated conversation.
I let out a heavy sigh before responding.
Me: He’s a dick. Ignore him.
Shoving my phone inside my leather cut, I joined Sammy in the driver’s seat and drove us to the Hell’s Harlem clubhouse. He was silent the whole way, puffing on that damn smoke of his. When he finished one, he lit up another. He was stressed about something. I knew, because it was the only time he lit up smoke after smoke.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked once we pulled into the driveway in front of the clubhouse.
“Do you think Mom and Dad would still be together if they were alive?”
My mouth fell open, taken aback by his question. Clearing my throat, I nodded. “I do.”
Sammy looked at me then. “How?”
“They loved each other. I know we were young when they died—”
“Killed, Cyrus. They were fucking killed. Murdered. Shot. Taken from us before their time.” Sammy left the SUV, slamming the door shut behind him.
I let out a hard sigh, knowing he was right. Maybe it was why he was so damn grumpy lately. It was as though the more years passed where our parents were no longer with us, the moodier he became.
A woman left the large house, running toward Sammy. I realized then that it was our cousin, Bee. When she reached him, he picked her up and spun her around.
I left the SUV, heading toward them, still pissed over how my brother was acting, but would leave it alone. For now.
“Cyrus.” Bee rushed to me.
I chuckled, crouched, and held my arms out.
