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She winces. “She’s a bitch,” is all she can say.
“Then you’re both done.”
“We’ve been friends since we were kids and you’d drop us, forher?” she spits, her trembling lips and moist eyes replaced with daggers and gritty determination. She isn’t done, not by a long shot. This will only fuel their hate more.
“Well, well, well, if there isn’t dissention in the ranks. Looks like you’re losing your grip, Ford,” Monk sneers. His laughter cutting through the air.
“Fuck you, Monk,” Ford snaps. The pain of losing two of his friends flashing in his eyes. I see him shut it down quickly, shut all his emotions down. I know what he’s doing, he’s preparing himself mentally to fight.
“This is my fight, Ford,” I warn him, just the same as I did Sonny.
Behind us a door slams open, echoing through the lobby. The crowd parts and Camden strides in.
“What the fuck is happening here?” he asks, addressing Monk directly. His gaze flicks between us all, apparently assessing what’s going on.As if he doesn’t know.
“This is what’s happening,” I shout, chucking the pieces of paper on the floor. They scatter like petals. My soul ripped out and ruined for all to see. Camden’s eyes darken as his focus lands on the sketch I drew of my brothers and the words ‘gay boys’ scrawled across their innocent faces.
He looks at Monk with narrowed eyes, then at Bram and Red before finally resting his gaze on me. For a long time, he just looks at me. Then his gaze flicks to Sonny and Ford who are standing on either side of me. He seems to make up his mind about something.
“You went against my explicit orders?” Camden says to Monk. Like Ford, he remains calm, holding his temper, but I see the anger bubbling just beneath the surface.
Monk sneers at him but doesn’t respond. So, Camden turns to me instead. “Monk has wronged you, so I’m going to give youonechance and one chance only at retribution. None of my crew will intervene.None!” Camden snaps when some of the HH crew mumble their distaste. He turns to face them. “If any of you motherfuckers have an issue with that, I suggest you speak up now and face the consequences. I’m done being lenient.”
Not one person does, except Monk.
“What the fuck are you doing, Camden?” Monk asks, looking somewhere between shocked and downright livid. “This ain’t going to go down well with the…”
“Shut the fuck up, Monk!!” Camden roars.
Monk flinches, his hate focusing on Camden now who is oblivious as he regards me.
“You can choose your punishment, Asia, and I will guarantee no interference from me or any of my crew, but I have one rule and one request.”
“And what are they?” I snap.
“You cannot ask that I cut Monk from the HH crew and you spend the rest of the evening with me.”
“Over my fucking dead body,” Sonny snaps, stepping forward. I grab him by the arm, squeezing hard.
I daren’t look at Ford because I know that if I do he’ll lose the very precarious hold he has on his rage.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then all bets are off, everyone chooses a damn side and we settle this right here, right now.”
Pink and Kate gasp, their shock palpable. I can’t do that to them.I won’t.
“Don’t do it, Asia,” Ford finally says, breaking his silence. “Don’t play into his hands.”
But what choice do I have? I don’t want my friends dragged into this mess.
“I accept your terms,” I respond.
“So, how do you want to play this?” he asks, drawing a surprised gasp from Monk and the rest of his crew, not to mention the half dozen kids from the No Name crew who are watching the whole sorry exchange.
“The Tower. Me against Monk. A week today. If I win, Monk leaves me and my friends the fuck alone.”
“And if you lose?” Monk smirks, puffing out his chest.
