Page 7

Dread washes over me. It isn’t so much what he’s said. It’s what it means. Being one of them is what I’ve wanted from the beginning. I have to get close to do what I came here to do, but what if I get too close? What if I get stuck?
What if I like it?
A musical tone sounds from the other room. Johnny stills then takes off for the bedroom, holding his pants up as he runs. The elastic band of his boxers clearly showing. Not even the sight of that can keep me chill.
“You look like you’re going to be sick.”
Magnum would notice, of course. It’s his job. I stand and start to pace, diving my fingers through my hair. I can’t let anyone get to my aunt and uncle. I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to put everything together, especially not with sadistic people like these guys. What’s left of my family can’t be brought into this at all. They’re my only family left in this world. Fuck, fuck,fuck.
“Now you really look like you’re going to get sick.”
His voice is closer now. When I turn to make another pass through the room, he’s right in front of me, a blockade of muscle and warm hazel-green eyes. There’s something in his gaze that makes me remember the soft way he said I could trust him. But can I? The rational part of me says no. I can’t trust any of these guys. But, I’m desperate. “What’s the probability they got to my apartment?”
“I say about eighty percent,” Magnum answers. “You beat their best fighter. He was third in command under Roza. They probably torched all your shit. Not that you had much, anyway.”
I curl my hair around my ears, then lace my fingers around the back of my neck.
“I take it there’s something in your place you want.”
“I need,” I say, eyeballing him so he knows how important this is to me. “I can’t let anyone else get their hands on it, Magnum. It’s important.”
He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “What is it? I’ll see if I can find it.”
I shake my head. That’s not fucking happening. What if this trust thing only goes so far? He is, after all, charged with keeping Big Daddy K safe, and if I threaten that, I know what he has to do. I’d be willing to sacrifice myself, but not my aunt and uncle. No one else in my family dies. “You said I can trust you, right? I need you to take me there so I can get it.”
Magnums shakes his head. “Not fucking happening. We don’t know who or what will be waiting for us there.”
“Magnum, I’m serious. Ineedit. If you don’t fucking take me, I’m going on my own.”
The soft pad of footsteps sound from the other room. Johnny’s coming back. Magnum’s face twists into a grin. “I’d like to see you try getting away from Johnny. You’re not going anywhere, Kyla. So, you either tell me what it is, or it’s gone forever.”
I suck in a breath. Our gazes lock on one another until Johnny reappears through his bedroom doorway. I turn away from Magnum at the sight of Johnny and take my place back on the sofa where the bodyguard found me earlier.
Hopefully, my silence speaks volumes. If he won’t help, I’ll just do it on my own.
4
I’m left alone again as Johnny and Magnum leave the apartment to talk to Big Daddy K. Before he goes, Johnny shows me where the food is and how to work the expensive smart TV he has even though my aunt and uncle have the same exact TV in their game room in the basement a world away. I pretend I don’t know what I’m doing anyway, and Johnny loves taking care of me. Seriously. The glow on his face and the delight in his eyes is unmistakable as he shows me how to connect to Hulu and Netflix. The kiss before he leaves is strong and fueled by promises he hasn’t said yet.
I’m fucking messed in the head.
While they’re gone, I peek out the windows. I don’t know what I’m hoping to see. A clear escape route? Arrows in the street telling me exactly where to go to avoid the bad guys—both Heights Crew and Fonz’s people. What I do find are guys dressed in black, walking casually up and down the block. Maybe, just maybe, they have other people fooled, but not me. These guys have Big Daddy K written all over them for the simple fact that they look like Magnum. If I walked out of this place, they’d be all over me.
Just to ram the point home, I peek my head outside Johnny’s door into the barren hallway, which isn’t barren anymore. A slew of guys mill around. Big Daddy K must have brought up more security to make sure whoever’s here is safe. A quick scan later and I don’t recognize these guards from being here previously. A few of them might look vaguely familiar, like it’s possible I know them from school or perhaps even last night.
I wonder what the casualty rate was of yesterday’s shootout. Are the police asking questions? Surely, the Heights Crew can’t have a shootout without the police getting involved. Somewhere, Detective Reynolds is all over this even though his hands are tied.
A whistle splits the air while I’m still looking out the hall. It’s a flirty whistle meant to tell females they’re looking fine even when they haven’t asked anyone’s goddamn opinion on the subject, and certainly not asshole men who can’t restrain themselves.
The sea of black-clad bodies part and none other than Glo from the dress shop downtown comes into view. Huge-rimmed white sunglasses take up most of her face. Her lips are painted a bright pink, and of course, her fingernails match. They come out to points, looking more like weapons than fashion. “Hey Girl,” she calls out when she sees me.
I step back into the room, noticing the two bags draping off each side of her. This must be Johnny’s solution for not having any clothes. Glo walks in with a flourish. Next to her, I look like a hobo on the street. I haven’t even bothered to brush my hair today, but mostly because I don’t have the basic necessities here and I’m confined to this space.
A guard follows her in. He’s not Magnum, and I’m immediately tense. She turns on her silver sparkly heels. “This is going to be all girl stuff. You’ll probably get bored.”
He stands off to the side, arms crossed over his chest. He watches her as she moves deeper into the apartment. I don’t like this one bit. I’m not going to get ogled while I talk to Glo. “You can leave,” I tell him.
His jaw hardens, but I just stare blankly back at him until he leaves the room, mumbling shit under his breath.