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Biting my tongue, I moved toward the back of the café, with Chris in front of me as he pushed open the door that led into the kitchen area. The shiny metal counters were clean, and there was no food out, making me believe the café hadn’t been opened at all today. Chris made sure the door was shut firmly before he faced me.
“I’m disappointed, Jace,” he drawled, shaking his head. “First, you let Gage slip through your fingers. Now the girl is back on top, where you should be.”
“I couldn’t foresee the Riot Crew interfering,” I grated out, attempting to stay calm. “What did you want me to do—”
His fist jammed into my ribs, causing me to choke on my next breath. I didn’t flinch or stumble away. Honestly, I should have fucking seen it coming. Beating me was his favorite pastime when he was enraged. And right now he was pissed at me.
“What I want you to do,” he growled, “is act like the fucking son I raised. Letting a girl get the drop on you? I don’t even know who the fuck you are.”
He slammed his fist into my ribs again, and I took it. I ground my teeth, planting my feet as he hit me again. If I fought back, he’d only drag this out longer. I knew the fucking drill. He was purposely bruising me in places that were hidden.
“We’ll get Little Haven,” I said quietly, in case Kian or Hayes were still in the café. “I’ll do whatever I need—”
“Yes, you will,” Chris cut me off sharply. “I don’t know if it’s from being around your ex-friend or if this girl has some kind of hold on you, but whatever is clouding your head—it fucking stops now. The police chief is on edge because my men are in Little Haven. The vote is a couple months away. We need everything in place.”
“It will be,” I promised.
A loud knock had Chris freezing, and I swung my head toward the closed door.
“Something’s up on campus.” Kian’s voice came through the door. “We need to get back.”
Anger built on Chris’s face from being interrupted, but he stepped back. “Go. We’ll finish this later.”
I didn’t respond, hoping to God there was no reason for me to come back to Pacific Point for a while. Chris would be on a warpath until elections, and I really didn’t feel like dealing with it. Ignoring the lingering pain from his punches, I spun around and opened the door, seeing Kian already heading out of the café.
I hurried after him, snatching the door before it closed in my face. Kian slowed down once we were outside, and I fell into step with him as we rounded the corner to the parking lot.
“What’s going on?” I asked him. “Is it about Rynn?”
He hesitated, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. “No.”
Stopping in my tracks, I grabbed his shoulder, making him scowl as I spun him around to face me. “What’s going on?”
He sighed, shrugging out of my hold. “I remember what Chris does when he’s pissed. I doubt he’s changed. I figured you’d want to leave.”
Shock enveloped me as his gaze trailed over me, as if looking for marks he was sure Chris had given me. Kian rolled his eyes before he turned and began walking again.
“I don’t know why you still put up with it,” he muttered just loud enough for me to hear. “We aren’t kids. He can’t overpower you anymore. Fight back. Or just fucking leave.”
“Get fucked,” I snarled, my pulse thudding as my rage took over. “You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”
“I know you never wanted to lead the Disciples,” he shot back. “Nothing is keeping you here. Maybe you just like being his punching bag.”
My control snapped, and I lunged at him, my fist clashing against his cheek before he could block it. Instead of fighting back like I expected, he only rubbed his jaw, staring at me as he backed up a couple of steps.
“My dad is bad,” he murmured, his eyes locked on mine. “But Chris? He’s a thousand times worse. And even with this bullshit peace, he’s going to be the reason you—possibly both of us—end up dead. His temper and ego are going to get us all in trouble. You know I’m fucking right.”
I laughed harshly. “And what do you want me to do? Turn my back on him and my gang? Helpyou? You haven’t had my back in years, asshole. Don’t pretend like you care now.”
“We’re tied together in this,” he snapped, stepping forward until his chest bumped mine. “His decisions will affect me, and I don’t want to get killed because of it.”
We glared at each other for a bit longer before I realized we were attracting the attention of people walking by. With a shake of my head, I turned around, heading toward my bike. Grabbing my helmet, I quickly hopped on my motorcycle and kicked it into gear, more than ready to get out of my hometown.
Fuck him. Fuck Chris too. But he was a devil I couldn’t escape. I would know—I tried. Years ago, right after everything was blown to shit between Kian and me, I took the money I’d saved and fled town. But Chris found me and made sure I regretted ever leaving. And why would I try again? I didn’t have anything else. No friends outside the gang. No other family. Kian and I hated each other by then. There was no one who had my back. I had fucking no one. And Chris made it abundantly fucking clear what would happen if I tried to leave again.
Then I met Rynn that summer. For a split second, I could imagine a life outside this cruel world, and fuck me, I wanted it more than anything. But I refused to drag her into this life and make her a target for Chris. That was before I realized she was in this world as deep as I was. It didn’t matter now. She was on Chris’s radar. Back in my life in a way I was never prepared for.
There was no point in fighting any of it. My life had been fucked ever since Chris stepped into it when I was six, and my fate was only cemented when I was fifteen. Once Kian and I split ways. When we were kids, we had a pact that we’d leave together and escape the gang life. That obviously didn’t happen. And it never fucking would.
