AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, Longstocking?”
I smile, and really, I should hate that nickname. “Why are we here?”
“To talk.” He sighs softly. “Tell me about the new gangs, changes with the old.”
Diego’s voice is a low caress, and his fingers slip over my hair and along my spine like he’s trying to make me purr.
He’s almost succeeding.
“Hate to break it to you, Fernandez, but I’m not exactly known to be on best terms . . . or any . . . with gangs.”
“Apart from Jay.”
My breath stutters. “Apart from him. I know the new ones are pretty much put in with the old ones in people’s eyes. It’s just there’s been more violence.”
“Linked to this Lander’s Men.”
“Yeah.”
I don’t need to say it. Jay’s mixed in with them. Back in our day, the gang kids would get mixed up with were bad enough, but it wasn’t a lot of grown men. The one on the phone who threatened me sounded like a real man, not a kid in his early twenties. Then again, I’m not sure how much that matters.
Things change, gangs with them.
“Shit.”
“I don’t like that tone.” He eases me back to look down at me. “What is it?”
“Someone texted to meet me near the house—
“When I take you home, I’ll check it out. Inside too.”
“It might have been Jay.”
“You said someone, so not his number. Sorry, Nadie, that kid didn’t have his shit together enough to use another phone. He’d tell you. Fuck, he’s got keys. And he might be practicing his teenage asshole moves, but he cares. He wouldn’t put you in danger, so it wasn’t him.”
I sigh. “It could have been one of the kids I’ve been trying to help with the after and before school programs the principal shut down.”
“You know, those kids will probably know what’s happening with the gangs. Some of them.”
“I’m not putting anyone in danger.”
He doesn’t respond, and though he’s looking down at me, his gaze slips to the side. “There’s a bit of a change in here. Not much, but I can see it. A lot more hardened types. And they’re not wearing gang colors or markings.”
“How do you know that?”
His gaze shifts back to me. “I’ve got experience with these things.”
“Is that a warning, Diego?”
“Not particularly. I’ll tell you things when you need to know them. Just an observation. So, this girl who went missing? Did it stir up any talk about others?”
I frown, drop my head to his chest to breathe in the leather and spiced honey, like it’s a secret elixir that gives me strength. Maybe it does. I always felt stronger closer to him, like together we could do anything.
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Listen out, okay? But don’t go fuckin’ asking shit.” He pauses. “How long since Lander’s Men have been here?”
I look up. “No idea. I’m sorry, to me, a gang’s a gang. A pain and troublesome but also not life-threatening to the average Joe. A few months ago, I guess. When Jay started acting up.”
