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I raced twice, winning both, then spent the rest of the night drinking and bullshitting with my boys. I ran a line or two of the coke and smoked a few blunts, and by the time we pulled away from The Strip and headed to the after-party, I was fucked up.
A part of me wanted to drive directly to Tori, take her in the room, have my way with her, and pass out in her arms, but even fucked up, I knew she was dealing with her shit and didn’t need me getting in the way.
Once I pulled into the driveway at our place, I knew it was probably for the best. I wasn’t in shape for Tori to see me. I could barely stand straight. I went inside, blocking out the loud music and talking to people as I passed, but instead of going to the poker table or any other spot, I ended up in my bedroom with my face in my pillow and darkness pulling me under.
I slept, but the nightmares didn’t stay away. Without Tori in my arms, they brutally attacked, reminding me of my demons and all the harsh shit that had gone on when I was young—reminding me that maybe I wasn’t what was best for Tori. Still, there was no way I could pull myself away from her. She had me. I was hers.
29
Tori
“Whatwereyouthinking,Gracie?” I could hardly believe we were having this conversation.
Gracie was a good girl. She focused on school, her grades, and doing her best. She didn’t belong at The Strip, and seeing her there had been a blow I wasn’t ready to take.
“I don’t see what the big deal is. You go to The Strip every freaking weekend. Why can’t I go a few times?”
I scrubbed my hands down my face, unsure how to answer the question without sounding like a hypocrite. It wasn’t the same. She and I were different people. I wanted more for her, and I wasn’t going to allow her to be around the kind of people at The Strip—the drugs—the danger. Over my dead body.
“You’re seventeen, and I’m an adult. That’s why!”
She rolled her eyes and turned toward her bedroom, stomping to the point that I knew the people below us would complain.
I followed her and caught her door before she could slam it.
“Don’t walk away from me. We’re having this conversation.”
“No. You’re having this conversation. I’m going to bed since you ruined my fun night out.” She pulled open a dresser drawer and snatched a pair of shorts and a tank.
“Ruined your night? You’re not serious right now. You were with a fucking Border Lord! They’re dangerous, Gracie!”
She turned, her hair flying around her as she glared at me. “And Koah’s not? He’s a Son, Tori! They’re ten times more dangerous, and there are only four of them!”
I gasped at her words, wishing a reply would surface, but there wasn’t one. She was right, but it was different. This wasn’t about me being in danger; it was about her and how far she had come and her future. I wasn’t about to let some piece of shit Border Lord or The Strip take that away from her.
She moved across her room and slammed her bedroom door in my face before I could come up with a decent argument, and instead of opening her door and continuing the argument, I went back into the living room, sat on the couch, and buried my face in my hands. We rarely argued. I hated it when we did, but I wasn't going to give on this. She wasn’t allowed at The Strip—end of subject.
THE WEEKEND ENDED on a shitty note, and the week didn’t start any better. Gracie wasn’t speaking to me; I had all the overtime I had asked for but didn’t want, and I missed Koah no matter how much we texted each other.
Wednesday should have felt like a relief since it was the middle of the week, but knowing I would be working all weekend meant it didn’t matter. I was clearing a table, which had left a shitty tip, and wiping it down when I felt heat against my back. I jerked, dropping a plate and cracking it down the center.
“I like you bent over like this,” Koah said, his large hand sliding around my side until his palm was resting against my navel. “Remember what I can do to you from this angle?”
His words brushed my ear, the loose hairs from my ponytail shifting against my neck.
“Like I could forget.”
He chuckled, sending another wave of goose bumps down my body.
I shivered before turning to face him.
He looked so fucking good in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black leather jacket. His handkerchief was loose around his neck, and his light eyes danced with lust. My eyes shifted to his thick lips, and he grinned, knowing I was thinking about how badly I wanted him to kiss me.
“Miss me?”
I nodded, running a hand over his shoulder and pulling him closer.
“Have you missed me?”
