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"I am not loyal to them." I jerked my head to him. I wasn't loyal; I did what I had to do to survive—no more, no less. I just needed to protect myself.
"So, why do you do their dirty work?" he asked, easing up to a red light.
"Christian," I blurted out, twisting my shoulders to face him. "I'm not going to talk about Noah or the Villa Boys or girls, for that matter, with you." I didn't have a death wish. The light flashed green, and he accelerated.
"Let's play a game," he said after a long moment.
"What kind of game?" I huffed, falling back into my seat.
"If I ask you a question you're uncomfortable answering, you can trade it for a dare," he said.
"Like truth or dare?" I asked. He nodded. "Isn't that like a kid's game?" He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the road. I'd never played truth or dare, but I had a feeling the way Christian played wouldn't be considered a kid's game. I also felt relieved that he was giving me an out to any question I didn't want to answer.
"Okay, I'll play."
"You can go first."
"Where are your parents?"
"London," he answered. "They have a house there." Wow, a house in London too! I couldn't even imagine living in their mansion in the Valley. "My turn."
"Where are your parents?" He turned the question around on me.
I sucked in a deep breath through my nose before slowly releasing it. I hated talking about anything that had to do with my life or family. I hated the looks they gave me after discovering anything about my life and how I grew up, but I also didn't think I was ready for a dare, which I assume was the purpose of this little game.
"My mom disappeared a while ago," I muttered. "And I don't know who my dad is, but he's probably some drunk or druggy."
"Where did your mom go?" he asked, easing up to a stop sign. Looking both ways, he pulled through, picking his speed back up.
"I don't know. She left late one night and never came back."
"Did you report her missing?"
"Yeah, but this wasn't unusual for her. She's a crackhead, but this is the longest she's ever been gone." I paused briefly. "My turn. Are your parents coming back?"
"Yes, they'll be back for graduation," he answered, spinning the wheel left. "What are your plans after graduation." I shrugged. "What about college?"
"Girls like me don't go to college." I snorted. Those were the exact words my counselor said to me when I asked about scholarships.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He glared at me.
"It means I'll probably work for one of the Southside clubs. Maybe Show Girls. Or maybe I'll walk the streets at night. Maybe Noah will let me into his little gang, if I'm lucky, so I don't have to fuck for money."
"Harper, that's ridiculous. You're a straight-A student with honors classes. Why wouldn't you get into a college? Did you apply?"
"No, Mr. Cosgrove told me I'd be better off applying to a technical school and getting a trade."
"Mr. Cosgrove?" he questioned, eyebrows shooting up. I nodded.
"How about you? Where are you going to college?"
"I'm not, or not yet, anyway. My parents allowed my brother and me to go to college or learn the family agriculture business and take it over. They plan to permanently move to London after we are ready to take over."
We followed Lincoln's SUV into a parking lot lined with different shapes and sizes of vehicles before finding a spot and parking.
"You ever been here?" Christian asked. I shook my head. I had no idea where here was. I breathed in the smell of salt water, and the sound of crashing waves was close. We were on the coast.
"South Pier Boardwalk," Christian answered my unasked question once we were out of the Jeep. I'd never been to the pier, but I'd heard about it. "Come on." He linked his fingers through mine with a grin and pulled me forward to meet up with everyone else.
