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He laughs softly and leaves into the dark of the night.
If I thought hating Caden was bad, starting to like him is absolutely worse.
14
BILLIE
The Wall - PatricReza
“Be careful,” Caden says low on the other end of the line. “As much as I like your smart mouth, I would hate for it to get you in trouble.”
I roll my eyes but can’t stop my thighs from tightening and the smile that tips at the corner of my mouth. “I don’t have a smart mouth. I’m just telling you I don’t need you to protect me.”
“I’m worried for you.”
If he’s so worried for me, maybe he shouldn’t have started this whole thing. Maybe he shouldn’t have humiliated me at his house, and I might have had a little respect from his crew instead of being called their pet.
“Please,” I scoff. “You’re worried Jade is going to kill me before you get to fuck me. If there’s a risk of Kings girls jumping me when I come to drop off your cash, just do the jobs yourself instead of warning me.”
“So we agree that Iwillfuck you.”
Yes, please!a voice screams in my head.
“There are more chances of me running away with the Wolves when they come drop your merchandise than my allowing you to have sex with me.”
“I don’t really need you to allow me. You know that, right?”
Lead drops in my stomach. Does he always have to go from easygoing to absolute asshole?
“Anything else you want from me? If not, I have to get your shit.”
“Don’t hang up on me, Billie.” The warning in his voice is sharp, but I don’t care.
So I hang up.
I start my car, and it rumbles into the night before the engine finally decides to come to life. It always sounds like it’s going to explode when I try to drive during cold nights.
I did four drop-offs for Caden in the last week and a half, and every time instead of just grabbing the bag of cash, he settled into my passenger seat, and we talked for hours. The first time, I was shocked. I was terrified of parking in front of his house and him asking me inside like the last time.
Instead, he came to my car. He opened the door and just sat there for ages in silence. I didn’t know what to do. For long minutes he was talking to himself. Then, weirdly enough, everything flowed effortlessly, talking about anything and everything except our gangs.
Something must have shifted when he admitted he wanted to leave this town too. Because the moment he mentioned it again, I felt safe next to him. Like I finally had someone who understood me.
Rather than talking about our rivalries, I learned that he has two one-and-a-half-year-old twin nieces who live with him and his family and who he spoils to death. I learned that his favorite meal of the day is breakfast and that he’ll sometimes have two, just for the sake of it. I told him about how Dickie got me off the streets and that I now have an agent, that MMA means the world to me. More than staying here with my family. I told him that my favorite thing to watch is animes, and we bonded overFullmetal Alchemists.
The worst thing of all…we laughed. He made me laugh until I felt like I was choking, and tears were running down my face. He did, too, until his voice was raw and his eyes shone with happiness.
How can I do this to myself? Talk and laugh with someone who I know without a doubt is a merciless man? Who is still blackmailing me into doing a job for him that could send me to prison for the rest of my life. And who, when he loses patience with me, might make me do things I’m not ready to do.
The pickup is the same as usual. I put the bag on my head, wait until they’re gone, and then bring my car to the other meeting point. I leave with the bag of cash, drive to Caden’s house and let him know I’m parked on the street. Instead of coming to the car like usual, he texts me asking me to come to the door.
My heart drops, and my breathing halts.
No.
Everything was going fine. He didn’t bother me for two weeks, didn’t hurt me, didn’t humiliate me.
Fear gripping my chest, I text back.
