Page 26 of Into the Blue (Shades of Vengeance #1)

“You trippin’ for real.” I look at my friend across from the diner table.

There aren’t many food spots for miles around the warehouse besides this one.

Since we’re going in for a long day, it’s best we eat before.

I haven’t been here in a while because I’ve been caked up with Racquelle at my spot for several weeks.

Something I’m not at all sorry about.

I know a lot of my people eat here, so it’s not uncommon for a couple of us to be here at a time. We might be the reason this place is in business since it’s so far on the edge of Clayton Terrace.

Like today, I recognize a lot of them in the booths having their own conversations. Vert, Marcell, and Geno are in the booth behind us eating, but still watching for any signs of trouble.

The cracked green leather of the booth squeaks as Redd fidgets, readjusting how tightly he has his arms crossed. I don’t care how tight he crosses them. I’m not getting involved with that.

“You have no issue with your brother going after Steph? What the fuck?” Redd’s skin is light enough that his flush of frustration is apparent under the multitude of freckles and to the tips of his ears.

I know he hates it, but it is telling about just how much he does have a thing for my best friend.

It’s not my fault that he hasn’t made a move or something.

The waitress drops off my steak and eggs on one plate and his Southwest omelette with extra hash browns on the other. I start shaking hot sauce onto my eggs, ignoring Redd’s attitude. “About to be forty-one years old. I'm too old for that mess. Why would I?”

“Man, so am I.” I can see the smoke coming out of his ears. Too many thoughts about his woman with another man. But, we both know that’s not his girl. “It’s not right,” he says, taking the bottle of hot sauce from me for his own eggs.

We both eat in silence while the noise from the diner continues around us. It’s not that I don’t care about my friend’s feelings. It’s just that I don’t actually know anything ‘bout that. I hate speculating. That shit is annoying. He’s been high-key stalking her, but I have zero clue to what end.

I just thought he was a cracked nut.

All of us are a little fucked up to be able to do what we do on a daily basis. His crazy is probably no better than mine.

Only different.

Ain’t no way my girl could be with some other dude. He’d be DOA if he tried to get close. That’s his fault for not locking shit down sooner.

“Guess I feel some type of way that they didn’t tell me, but it ain’t my business.

” I put a hand on his shoulder, leaning over the table.

“And really. I don’t give a fuck.” When Tony was at the house the other night I figured he had reached his wit's end, but I didn’t think he was gonna try to get with somebody that quick.

Definitely didn’t think it’d be Steph of all people.

Kinda surprised she went for that.

“You ain’t shit.” Redd says. “What if your brother dogs her? He’s all tied up in Colton’s baby mama.”

I wipe a napkin over my mouth and set it on my empty plate.

“Yea, not my problem. She’s grown, can make her own choices.

” I shrug, prepared to leave the diner and get back to business.

Then I realize, “Aye, I could go down there with her and check on this man to see if he is makin’ the moves he’s supposed to.

” I scratch my chin. “Yea, it’s a good cover. And I can see what’s up with T. ”

He glares at me, shoving the last bite of eggs into his mouth. My men wouldn’t dare give me shit. But Redd is crazy and often plays cavalier with his life.

“That doesn’t make you feel better?” He doesn’t respond and I drop a couple bills on the table. Standing from the booth I wait for the guards to do the same. To Redd, I shrug again. “Shiiit. It’s done now. I’m gonna talk to her on the ride there.”

“I’m comin’,” he asserts, standing from the booth, too.

“You’re not. Need you here to hold everythin’ down. We can’t both be gone right now.”

He crosses his arms again, shouldering out of the building. “Man, what the fuck?”

“Soo, you and lil’ bro?”

Steph looks like someone has struck her. “Are you really going to do this?”

“I am,” I say, watching her every now and again as she checks herself in the visor in the rental. The flight wasn’t long, but I spent that time working and she did the same. Now, she’s primping and shit to see Tony. “How long you been creepin?”

“It’s not like that. Your brother is very respectful,” she says, giving me a look that implies I’m not .

“Oh. Unlike me?”

Her eye roll is a tangible thing though I have my eyes on the road.“ Unlike any of you and your people. Redd included.”

Weird that she mentioned him. “What do you know about Redd?”

“I don’t know anything.” She dabs at her lipstick and she closes the mirror. It thunks against the roof of the car. Seems like I struck a nerve. “Well, besides the fact that he has the uncanny ability to pop up when I least expect… ”

My eyes narrow as we get close to my brother’s house on Mason Ranch where he works as the ranch manager.

She probably isn’t wrong about Redd, but I’m not gonna confirm anything.

Him looking out for her, even in this creepy stalker way, benefits me.

I like for my best friend to be safe. No one will keep her safer than that crazy motherfucker.

“Didn’t answer my question.”

She rolls her eyes, “Couple weeks. It’s new. He hit me up when he was in Clayton Terrace and we just got to talking.”

“That lil’ shit.”

“What?”

“He was in a pissy mood at the crib the other day. Didn’t tell me he was comin’ either, just showed up all late and shit. Come to find out, he was mackin’ on you while he was here.”

Her head tilts to the side. “Don’t do the big brother thing, okay? I like him and we’re just seeing how it goes.”

“So, you’re gettin’ off and gettin’ gone?”

“Do you have to be so crude?” She’s looking out the window at the mountains passing to our right. I’m in her line of sight so I shrug, waiting for her to answer the question. “No, I’m not. We—we haven’t had sex.”

My lips curl in disbelief. “At all?”

“No,” she says with no inflection in her tone to give anything away. I can’t believe this Boy Scout hasn’t even tried it. A couple weeks? God damn, he is definitely the better brother.

“On purpose?”

“Yes, on purpose. He was very upfront about that.”

Now what Redd said about him being tied up in Drea makes more sense. I don’t have the heart to tell Steph though. Not my business. Tony’s more gone for this woman that I think he even realizes. Maybe Steph will be the one to change that.

“You like it, I love it,” I say, as noncommittally as I can. It doesn’t matter to me whether those two are getting any. This is what I sacrificed for him to be able to do. Be a Boy Scout while I remain the monster.

“I do,” she responds and then adds, “What ever happened to your dancer? ”

“Nothin’.” Though it’s far from the truth. She has had far too much happen to her since Steph and I last talked and it’s my fault. By keeping her at my place, I can keep her safe, but she’s also in more danger. If they only suspected before—it’s confirmed now.

Blue has someone he cares about.

A vulnerability to exploit.

“That’s not what I meant.” She bumps into my shoulder. “Did you ever hook up with her or something? I don’t know what you do…”

“What makes you think I do anythin’?” She lifts an eyebrow. I haven’t exactly been discreet or dishonest about not wanting to be in a relationship. “I could be a good little boy like Tony.”

“I actually know both of you. So that lie doesn’t even begin to fool me.”

“Sure you do, sweetheart.” I tell her a version of the truth of the situation. “She’s aight. I’m watchin’ her, makin’ sure she’s good.”

Her face scrunches up in a way that should be reserved for small fuzzy animals and not the grown ass man that I am. “That sounds really sweet, Blue.”

I mock her dumb face and add, “Don’t appreciate the surprise. I can be a gentleman.”

“Sure, sure. Glad you took my advice then,” she says distractedly since we’re pulling up to Tony’s place. I’m thankful that she’s not fully paying attention and grilling me more about Racquelle. She is not someone I’m ready to share anything about.

I want to keep her all for myself, even in friendly conversation with my best friend.

I park in front of his house and grab my bag and hers from the car. Tony’s dog, Milli, is already barking and jumping at the door before we get there.

My brother opens the door and his dog shoots out, darting to me and then Steph when she sees I don’t have any free hands to scratch her. Steph drops to a knee to show affection to the brown Lab.

Tony has an annoyed look on his face. It usually does look annoyed, but I know it’s even more annoyed because we’re here uninvited and on the day that Drea’s opening her new coffee shop and bakery .

Tony doesn’t know I’m here for work. And I’m gonna keep it that way for now. I leave my bag at the door and let those two do whatever they’re not doing. I’ll meet them at Drea’s new spot later.

After driving around the tiny main street in Alpenglow Ridge for way longer than I’d like to, I finally walk into the bakery. I spot Steph and Tony easily because they’re two of the tallest people in the building.

Mireya, Drea’s daughter, grabs me by the hand, dragging me over to where my brother is.

She tells me about how busy they’ve been and I listen to the teenager’s account of everything.

It’s this kind of mundane shit that makes me grateful for my decision to separate my life from theirs.

Especially when there’s so much goodness here.

I could never have this peace and normalcy.

It’s far out of reach and that’s the best outcome as far as anyone is concerned.