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It wasn’t allowed at The Strip. We only ran all-natural races.
“No nitro. Clean as fuck.”
He nodded. “Nice. I wish I could have seen it.”
“You guys should come this Friday. It’s lonely without Mom and Dad there,” I joked, lightly punching Skull in the arm.
Everly threw her head back and laughed. “Maybe we can come by Saturday. Fridays are getting pretty busy.”
“Busy is good, though,” Crow said before taking a swig from his beer.
He was right. Skull and Everly were headed in the right direction. If I knew anything about Skull, it was that he would succeed. He had the drive and the head for engines. Everly was smart as fuck and would handle the business side of things. They were a match made in heaven.
Once we finished eating, I loaded the dishwasher while Joker attempted to wipe down the kitchen. I would have to clean behind him. I always had to. Instead, I put him in charge of taking the trash out.
Everly and Skull stayed late, watching a movie with us, until Everly fell asleep on Skull’s lap. They left a few minutes after the movie ended with a promise that they would see us at The Strip the following weekend.
They kept their promise, and when Saturday night came around, Skull and Everly showed up on Skull’s green and black beast just as the races started. The place was packed as usual, and I found myself looking for the familiar dark locks that haunted my dreams most nights. It didn’t matter how hard I looked, though. She wasn’t there. A part of me hoped she would show up, but I knew it would be best if she stayed away.
Skull raced and won twice, and it was like old times again, seeing Everly bouncing up and down on the sidelines, cheering for him. Once The Strip began to clear, and we started toward our place for the after-party, Skull and Everly hugged us goodbye and went home instead.
At the party, I played cards and stayed up late with the crew, but I cut myself off after five drinks, so I didn’t wake up Sunday morning with a hangover.
THE FOLLOWING WEEK, we resupplied with Donny B. We separated and prepped for sale when we got home, and then Crow threw together a few grilled cheese sandwiches for us before we chilled in front of the big screen and watchedPulp Fictionfor the millionth time.
BesidesNatural Born Killers,Pulp Fictionwas Joker’s favorite movie. He could quote the whole thing. It was both annoying and entertaining at the same time.
Crow had just finished his third grilled cheese when he paused the movie and spoke up.
“I’ve got something I want to show you,” he said, standing and moving toward Skull’s old bedroom.
Joker and I looked at each other, confused, before we followed him. When he opened the door, we were surprised to see an entire grow room setup. Crow had talked about starting our supply many times, but the shit took a ton of work. It looked like he had already done most of it. The room was closed in, the windows darkened, but the fluorescent lights had the place glowing in hazy lights. Plants lined rows of tables, and pipes covered the ceiling, misting the plants and fogging the room. It was fucking beautiful.
“I guess we’re doing this shit then.” I chuckled.
“Fuck yeah, we are,” Joker followed.
It would take a while, and it was a slow start, but Crow had plans, and Joker and I were all in, as usual.
Friday came fast and dirty. I had made it a point to stay away from Waffle House and Tori’s apartment during the week. I had even stopped giving strangers money to tip her with. It was time I stepped aside and stayed out of her life. We were friends. We could be civil and say hello when we see each other. It didn’t need to go any further than that.
However, when it was time to go to The Strip, I did so with a bit of hope that Tori would be there. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but I craved her presence. I needed to touch her even though she wasn’t anywhere near me. My desire for her was getting worse the more I stayed away. I missed the feeling of belonging whenever she was in my arms and how she made my body feel when she was wet for me. Still, I knew I couldn’t cave. I had to keep it up … for Tori.
The last time I wrecked her life, I had a reason bigger than myself. I had to save people from the monster who devoured my young body. This time, I couldn’t find a good enough reason to give in and destroy her with my body and lifestyle.
We relaxed in the back of Stryker’s truck, enjoying the atmosphere and a little nose candy while the races filled the night with the scream of motorcycle engines. I cleared a line before I sat up and swiped at my nose. I felt invincible with the freight train powering through my veins.
“Think you’ve had enough of that?” Everly asked, surprising us.
“Hey, you,” I said, jumping down from the back of the truck and pulling her into a hug. “I didn’t know you and my boy were coming tonight. Two weekends in a row. I must be a lucky man.”
“Or a dead one if you keep reaching for her ass,” Skull said, a grin on his face.
I released Everly and pulled Skull in for a hug. It was good they had turned up. I needed all the help I could get to keep my head in the game these days.
We raced, flying down The Strip and taking people’s money like it was nothing. The place was packed, the neons were bright, and the music was loud. I had lady snow keeping me buzzed, a blunt ready to smoke, and I was half a bottle in … it was a good night.
Once the place died down, we found ourselves chilling in our corner. I took a joint from Joker when he passed it my way, skipping over Everly. I took a big hit, inhaling hard and holding it. When I exhaled, I saw Tori across the way through the smoke withering away.
