“Met her at the club the other night.” I take a sip of coffee and stare at the label. “Turns out she’s my neighbor.” I don’t tell them she took off that night and now she’s stuck with me. My grin widens; her ass really is stuck with me this time.
Needles chuckles. “That’s a real fucking tease.”
“You’re telling me.” I think about how she pushed me away. She’s teasing both of us. I fucking love it.
“She’s a good girl and real fucking smart, too.” I took a look at her books when I helped her unpack. I have to admit, the more I get to know about her, the more I like.
“Sounds like she’s out of your league.” Garret walks past us as Needles puts his two cents in.
Out of my league? Probably. But I still fucking want her. Besides, I'm just talking about a fuck. Every good girl likes a little taste of the bad boy.
“If she’s a good girl, and she’s not slumming it for the night, my money is on her staying far away from you.” It’s like he read my mind and he’s determined to put me in a bad mood. I know how she felt with my body pressed up against hers. I know she wants me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” My fist clenches, and my brow furrows. What the fuck? Needles is like my fucking brother. He's supposed to be on my side.
“I’m saying she’s too good for you.” He takes a look up from the books and realizes how pissed off I am. “Not that that’s a bad thing. She’s probably stuck-up and wound too tight anyway.”
“All 'cause her name is Madeline?” He doesn’t even know her.
“No,” he says in a hard voice. “'Cause you wanted her, and she turned you down. She’s the bitch from the club who left you hanging, isn’t she?” Fuck, I wish I hadn’t told him that.
“Watch it. She's not a bitch.” My voice drops low and I narrow my eyes at him. Yeah, she turned me down. Nothing fucking wrong with that. I need to take it easy and slow with her, but I’m going to have her. I fucking know I will.
He puts his hands up in surrender and gives me a look I’ve never seen from him before. A look as if he’s scared I’m gonna kick his ass. And he should be scared. I don’t like the way he’s talking about her. This protective nature in me is something new to me. But I can’t help it. I don’t want my best friend talking about her like that.
“I’m just saying, if she doesn’t like you, then that loss is on her. That’s all I’m saying.”
I let it slide and try to get this tension out of my shoulders and just relax. He’s only looking to defend me. He doesn’t like her for running off, but he doesn’t know enough to judge. If he met her, things would be different. Just that simple thought calms me enough to let it all roll off my shoulders.
“Who’s that?” Garret asks. As far as I’m concerned, it’s none of his damn business.
“Just Zane’s neighbor,” Needles answers, and I wish he hadn’t. I don’t want Garret knowing about her. Or Vlad, for that matter. They sure as fuck don’t need to know where she lives.
Garret’s brows raise and a crooked grin grows on his face. I don’t like it. My stomach sinks, and I have to set my coffee on the counter.
“She givin' you a hard time?” he asks with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. Both him and Vlad have been known to rough up women. That, and fuck women a little too close to being too young. My first thought is to make it very clear that I want him to stay far away from her, but I can’t say that. Knowing him, he’d go after her if he knew that’s what I wanted. Just to fuck with me, and just to hurt her.
“Not at all. She’s just making me work for it.” I try to come off casual, and I think it works.
Garret lets out a humorless laugh. “Well if you need any help taming her, I’d be happy to join in.” A sickness rolls through me and Needles is quick to look away. His face is pale, and he keeps his eyes on the floor. He forgets all the fucking time who we’re dealing with, and what Garret’s capable of. I’m the only one in here who’s a member of the Koranav. I’m the one who has to deal with these fucks. I try to keep the two separate, but I wish Needles would shut the fuck up sometimes.
Marky starts to say something, but I cut him off. “All good,” I say. I’m quick to just shut it down. “If I ever need anything, I’ll ask for it. But on this issue, I’m all good on my own.” I hold his gaze, daring him to push any further.
He tilts his head and grins. “Alright then.” I hope I didn’t tempt him. I don’t think I did, but I’m sure as fuck gonna be keeping a closer eye on Maddy, and Katie, too.
“Catch you boys later,” Garret says. I give him a nod, still holding his gaze until he turns away.
It’s quiet in the shop for a minute. I take a sip and cut Needles off as he starts to apologize to me. I shake my head and reassure him, “It’s all good.”
“So about this girl?” Marky asks. I stare back at him, wondering if I should even go for her. She is too good for me. I shouldn’t bring her into this shit. I’ll look out for those two if Garret starts coming around, but I shouldn’t bring trouble to her doorstep.
“You really hung up on her?”
I cluck my tongue against the roof of my mouth. It’s not like I wanna marry her. I’m just intrigued by the challenge. And I know she wants me. I remember the way she molded her body against mine. I remember the spark between us. Fuck, yes. I need to have the broad.
I clear my throat and give Marky a small smile as my first client walks through the door. “She’s a real good girl who’s gonna find out what it’s like to be with a bad boy like me.” I give Needles a smile which finally puts him at ease.
He chuckles as he says, “Yeah, okay. I’ll believe it when it happens.”
Chapter 7
Madeline
For the next week, I avoid Zane like the plague. Not that I have any time to see him. My class schedule is packed, and I’m usually awake by six a.m. and home by seven p.m. on most days. I don’t have much time after homework to do anything but argue with Katie over dumb shit and then turn in for sleep.
She gets on my damn nerves, but I love her. I’d be lost without her, and the same goes for her.
The bus I’m on comes to a stop a couple of blocks away from my condo. I get off after thanking the driver, mentally cursing that I didn’t just wait for Katie to get out of her class so we could have carpooled. Though, I could have just taken the car home myself and left Katie there to take the bus.
I would have never heard the end of it, I think to myself. Besides, riding on the bus wasn’t that bad.
That’s one thing I hate about sharing a car in a strange town. I can’t move about like I want. I’d love to go find a coffee shop and open my books up and just relax as I study. I used to do that all the time back home. The walkability in my town was fabulous. Not here though. For a state college there’s literally nothing around it. Main Street has four stores on it. Four! I’m not used to being so far away from shops. I wanna get out and go somewhere to unwind.