Page 18 of The Love Obsession (Bloody Desires #11)

I had some ideas. The guys around here didn’t entirely trust me.

They knew I didn’t deal in any drugs, and while I wasn’t a rat, they weren’t a fan of me, either.

I spent my time around the park taking care of my sister, and I had one rule when it came to the druggies: stay away from Ginny and Bernadette, her pit bull, or they’d be in trouble.

So, I wasn’t sure if they’d talk to me at all, but it was worth a shot.

I patted his chest. “You need to stay here. They won’t say a word with a stranger around. Got it?”

He brushed a hand through his auburn hair and inclined his head. “Fine, boy, but if I hear one sign of trouble, I’m coming.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can fucking handle myself, Daddy. I don’t need you to fight my battles.”

Ignoring his huff, I shot to my feet and slammed the door open.

I still needed to get Ginny, but she could wait until after I had a talk with these shitheads.

She had Bernadette with her because Mrs. Carmine always loved that dog, and that meant Ginny would be safe no matter what.

Bernadette would protect that little girl with her life.

I made sure to close the door behind me before I glanced around the park, taking in the quietness.

It always got rowdy at night, but the morning, especially around eight, like now, was a graveyard.

I knew one person who’d be awake, though.

He never slept much, too high on whatever drugs he fed himself.

I took the dirt path, walking past quiet trailers to reach another row.

Manky’s home was close to Cider Mill Creek, and whenever the water broke its banks, his trailer and the ones around it always went under.

I was glad we didn’t live on this side at least. One of my old friends, Shep, had before he’d managed to get out of Dodge.

Sure enough, Manky was sitting in one of his lawn chairs, laid out and legs spread like he thought he was some god.

Dressed in nothing but a fucking white bathrobe that he stole from who the fuck knew where.

To my surprise, a couple of his friends were lazing around him.

Sparks had a joint caught between his thumb and forefinger and he was staring at it as though it held all the answers to the universe. Maybe it did.

Manky rolled his head lazily as I approached them. He reached up to scratch the scalp beside his hideous short green mohawk that he probably hadn’t washed in decades. “Look who it is. Butt boy.”

Sparks cackled, kicking a bony leg up in the air before coughing. His fingertips were black and I had no fucking idea why and what he’d done to them, but it looked like they were rotting. “Butt boy,” he sang when he finally managed to get his breath.

None of them knew I was gay, and they called everyone they didn’t like some nickname.

Mine came when Manky decided that “you have a big ass, I bet you like it when guys stare.” When I mentioned that clearly Manky had checked it out, the day had ended with both of us bruised and battered.

I won that fight, even if he wouldn’t admit it.

Beside them, Buds grunted and held out his hand, asking for the joint from Sparks, but Sparks took another drag instead of passing it over.

“What do you want, butt boy?” Manky gave me a stupid grin. His nicknames didn’t hurt me. Everyone in this park knew what he was—a junkie.

“Did you give my mom meth?” I didn’t beat around the bush. I didn’t need to. I was here for one reason only.

Manky’s smile wavered and he straightened, though he was still swaying. “What the fuck did you say to me, butt boy?”

I crouched so I was level with his face and smirked. “Are you that high that you can’t understand English, fuckface? Am I gonna have to say it again? Did. You. Give. My. Mom. Meth?”

Manky bared his missing teeth. The ones he did have were disgusting. “You fucking watch your mouth. I didn’t do a fucking thing. You accusing me, butt boy?”

Buds waved his hand impatiently. “Come on, man, give me the weed.”

Sparks cackled again. “No way, man. This is good.” He pointed at me. “Didn’t ya hear butt boy? He wants meth. Get the meth for him, Buds.”

I shot him a glare. “So, you did give it to Mom?”

“We never fucking said that.” Manky hauled himself to his feet.

I rose as well, and I was much taller than him. He barely came to the middle of my chest, but somehow whatever drugs he took always made him stronger than he should be.

He jabbed a finger into my left pec. “Fuck off, butt boy, before we make you regret it.”

I laughed and shoved him, and he went flying over his lawn chair, tumbling over the top and splaying across the dead grass.

Sparks’s eyes widened. “Oh shit, man. You okay?” He didn’t move to help.

I stepped forward as Manky flailed, trying to regain his balance. “All you have to do is answer a question.”

Buds raised his hand and waved at something behind me. “Peanut, you got any meth? Moose’s lookin’ for some.”

I went to turn to check in with their other friend, Peanut, who was my size and was on enough steroids to kill an elephant, when something hard came crashing against my temple.

The ground met my face as I collided with it.

My world spun, the sudden urge to vomit rising in my throat.

Oh fuck, this wasn’t how I planned for this to go.

Peanut was a monster. His shadow enveloped me as he raised a brick over his head. My vision was hazy already and my head was throbbing. I couldn’t get up, so I clenched my eyes shut, hoping he didn’t kill me. Ginny had already lost a mom, she didn’t need to lose a brother, too.

If this was the end, I had a lot of fucking regrets.