"They fucking love you," Keith says as we hop in the car and do our final wave goodbye to the Adams Family. "I'll take your word, but I don't feel it." I lean back in my chair and sigh. We spent a few hours there. It was already two pm. Keith laughs and then shakes his head. "We've never been that kind of family. I know my mom was impressed by your confidence and honesty. Some may try to step to her, but she quickly shuts them down. My dad, on the other hand, people rarely make eye contact with him, much less talk back." When Keith looks at me, I swear that I see a hint of respect.
"Why did you bring me there? I know you said you were doing this to get them off your back, but it seems like there's more." In all honesty, it didn't look like he needed a girlfriend or wanted to impress his parents. "My parents may seem unconcerned, but they're not. You probably remember the name Eliza. After her, I stopped dating. My parents are concerned that I'm afraid of becoming emotionally attached to someone." I look up from my phone and glance at him. "Well, are you?" He doesn't respond for a few seconds.
"I'm not afraid of becoming emotionally attached, but I don't like the idea of it either. Not because I'm scared, but because it's a lot of work and time. Two things that I no longer have. I'm sure you can relate." I nod my head in agreement with him. "I see what you mean, but I also think that it's a load of bull. I know an excuse when I hear one. It's my job to sift through them. It's okay to be scared of emotions. They're scarier than what you do on a daily. They're unpredictable and confusing." God, I need to get this man out of my head. I send Sebastian a quick text asking to meet up later on in the day.
"Don't get our situations confused. I don't have feelings for a taken man," Keith grins. I drop my phone on my lap in surprise. "Okay, first off, that advice is general and can apply to everybody, including you. Second, I asked you to investigate his past, not the present."
"They're all connected, babe. My job is to know everything about this man to get you the information that you're so desperately looking for."
"I'm not desperate," I scoff and cross my arms. "You're on a mission with a stranger to infiltrate a gang of strangers while having full faith that I won't abandon you just to get information on someone you're not even friends with," Keith states as a matter-of-factly. "I'm not doing it for him. I'm doing it for my sister,"
"Why? Aren't you two like estranged?" I'm not surprised by what he knows at this point. "Kind of. We've talked more than I have with my other family members. While her personality leaves a lot to be desired, I want her to be happy and would do anything for her. She's young and dumb. At least she's doing what makes her happy in life. Literally and figuratively."
Keith puts his hand on my lap and the other on the wheel. "Don't worry baby, I'll rock your world and you'll forget all about him. You need to let loose and live dangerously. No feelings, no emotions, nobody else. Just us." He looks at me before looking back at the road. I grin and entangle my hand in his. "Sounds like fun," We stay like this for the rest of the ride as the wind laps through my hair.
We pull into the driveway of a surprisingly clean house. "This is...not what I expected." I eye the two-story house that says everything but gangster and degenerative. "Honestly, when I first came here, I didn't expect this either. The inside is just as clean as the outside. They're very particular about it. The chicks have claws and the guys have fists. Do your best to not be yourself. Some of these guys are attracted to a woman like you and would love to make you beg. Others have no qualms with roughing you up a bit. It's a rule that women aren't to be hit or passed around, but there are always a few rule-breakers. Make it clear that you're mine, but don't act like you need me because they will pounce the moment I turn my head. I'm not the biggest guy in that room, but I can take them on. I'll have your back when I can." I nod my head and look at him. He gives me a small reassuring smile. Why does every guy I meet have to be so complicated?
"I'm ready," I tell him. He nods his head and we go up to the door before he reminds me of one more thing. "Whatever you do, do not stare at the guys for too long. As a matter of fact, barely even glance at them. These women are top-tier possessive and you'll never get an in with them if they think that you're trying to take their man. Almost everybody here is taken. I know this all sounds like a lot, but they're not that bad of people as long as you don't cross them." Keith hands me his phone and I'm staring at a young woman, maybe in her mid-twenties with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. Despite her innocent features and doe eyes, she's laced with tattoos. A few look rather regrettable. Thankfully she stopped the face tattoos at her cheek. "That's the sister of my client. Make sure you keep her out of this mess and learn everything she's done here and all of her connections. Documents can only go so far and stalking is out of the question here."
I give him his phone back. "Great, what happened to 'they don't have rules around here?' "
"They don't, not really. I learned this by observing, but it hasn't been explicitly said aloud."
Keith knocks on the door three times, pauses, then knocks four more times. I keep the pattern in my head. It isn't long before I come face to face with a tall guy with dark brown hair. He's also laced with tattoos and has a cigar in his hand. I fight the urge to cringe. "Keith, there you are. This must be your girl." His smile is kind but I still feel uncomfortable under his gaze. Keith wraps his arms around my waist and presses me to his chest. Strangely, I instantly calmed down. I put my face in the crook of his neck and briefly kissed it. This catches Keith off guard, but we keep up with the ruse. "Babe, this is Keagan, Ke, this is my woman, Soren." I reach out my right hand to shake his right hand, the one that isn't holding the cigar. His grip is strong, but it doesn't hurt given that he doesn't squeeze. My hand is an insect in his. The recent increase in testosterone around me has been killing me lately.
He invites us in. We're immediately taken into the living room. A few men chill with women at their sides on the couch watching TV. Others are hanging by the bar. The house isn't big and I can see the stairs that lead to the second floor from the entrance. It's quite the full house, but it's not crowded. There was a lot of diversity in the crowd. An Asian man with hair longer than mine walks by. A few black men and women of all types are around, just as many white people, and a few Hispanics. A few of the girls sniff cocaine up their noses. Jesus, I'm not getting high here.
The house doesn't reek of cigars, thank God. "Damn, Monica! What are you doing?" A guy screams as F.R.I.E.N.D.S plays on the TV. "Aye, it's Keith! Who is that fine lady beside you?" A black guy with dreads walks up to us. Keagan responds and introduces me. All of the women whip their heads around. One of them whistles and grins. "Damn, Keith. Where did you pick this cutie up?" A black woman with a nicely styled bobbed wig, speaks. "From her house," Keith responds playfully. The girl flips him off.
I'm given a brief introduction to everybody. Soon enough, I see the client's sister walk out of the bathroom. She goes up to Keagan and places a fierce kiss on his lips. The sight is...disturbing. She glares at me and sizes me up. "Who is this supposed to be?" I speak for myself this time. "Soren, you are..." She stares at me for a while longer before she decides to not respond. I unintentionally scoff. This bitch. Of course I have to get the most stuck up girl as my target. "C'mon baby, I didn't teach you to be rude." Their dynamic makes me want to barf. She rolls her eyes and doesn't bother to look at me. "Felina,"
"See, that wasn't so hard now was it?" Keagan babies her. She pouts but then grins. "No," she smiles. He grins and pecks her on her lips. She's attached to this man like a parasite. She already doesn't like me! There's no way that I'm going to be able to trick or convince her into leaving him or this gang.
"We gotta stick together girls! How about we all go upstairs and let the guys do their thing?" One of the girls whose name is...Tasha -I think- responds. She's Caucasian with dyed pink hair. "No, thank you. It's been too long since I've hung out with Ke." Felina says. Another one of the girls, May, an Asian female, rolls her eyes. "I'm sure you can breathe without him for a few minutes." May gets up, and heads upstairs. The rest follow and kiss their man if they have one. "Come on Felina. I'm sure Kegean would love to take a breather from your 24/7 gorilla grip on him." Alysia, a white female with blonde hair and green eyes, says with a little bit of temper.
"You wouldn't know what he wants, isn't that why he dumped you in the first place?" My eyes enlarge a bit and I look at Keith. Even he's a bit taken aback but he's clearly amused. Alysia's face turns beat red. I can't tell if it's from anger or embarrassment. She clenches her fists and goes up the stairs. Felina grins and kisses Keagan on the cheek. "I'll be back, baby," Kegean looks uncomfortable but doesn't say anything. Felina sashays up the stairs. Keith looks at me and nods his head toward where the girls went. "You're joking," I tell him with widened eyes.
A few of the guys laugh. "Yep, that's how they are. I don't blame you for not wanting to go." The Asian guy with long hair, Han, says. "I'm going to blink and my eyeballs will be gone." I am genuinely afraid for my life. Not because of the rude things they'd say, but because I know I won't be able to hold back and would most likely get my ass kicked by one of the guys. This draws out a few more laughs. Keith kisses my head. "I believe in you," I sigh but walk anyway. "If things go left, don't blame me," I remind Keith before going up the spiraling stairs.
The loft is nice but the tension isn't. I sit in a corner by May. She gives me a small smile and I return it. "Listen, I think we all need to have a talk about the recent...disagreements," Tasha says. Felina rolls her eyes and glares at me. "Why would we talk about anything with this newcomer around?" She points her deadly long acrylics at me. "Because she's one of us now. She's with Keith and Keagan trusts him which means by default we all trust him and anybody he calls a friend, or in this case, a girlfriend.
She needs to know how we do things around here, or at least how we're supposed to."
"We were doing just fine before Felina hoed her way into Keagan's bed. Suddenly, she's on her high horse. I think the only problem here is her." May says from beside me, and I wonder if sitting next to her was a mistake. I don't find a thrill in getting caught in the middle of a catfight. "Does it make you seethe that I've been able to climb to the top in less than two years than you have in over five?" Felina smirks. "Don't be like that, Felina. We have respect for people who have been here longer. We can't continue to go back and forth with you on this." Felice, a black woman in her late twenties with bright brown eyes, says.
"Is there some hierarchy thing going on that I'm missing here?" I ask. Of course, there's a hierarchy, but I need to try to get as involved as possible. Normally, I'd sit back and watch everything crumble, but that's not what my job is right now. "I'm so glad that you asked. Maybe Felina will get a clue. On the top of the list, it's usually the female that's with the leader, Keagan. But since Felina is young and extremely dumb, most of the responsibilities of representing our gang go to the woman who has been here the longest, me. Keagan and I built this from the ground up together, but some things just don't work out. Next, would be the oldest woman, and from there, it's whoever has been here the longest to the shortest. So, right now you'd be at the bottom. Things work a bit differently with the guys."
Alysia finishes explaining. "Alysia is above Felina, but you wouldn't be able to tell," May comments. "If that's so, then why do you let her step all over you?" I ask Alysia, disregarding Felina. Maybe the girls could help me get her out of this life. They clearly hate her, but they might be more loyal than I think. "I don't let her step over me!" Alysia gets defensive.
May and I share a look. "It's okay, sweetie. You can't have a comeback for everything Felina says," Tasha places her hand on Alysia's shoulder. A maniacal laughter rings through the air. "The nonsense you all are spewing is hilarious. What a bunch of idiots. How do you think I stole your man in the first place or even got this far?" She gives us a condescending look.
"Because you're a spoiled brat?" Tasha suggests. "Your brother is rich so you've never had to work for anything," May adds. "Used your body," Felice continues to line of insults. "Please, if Keagan was looking for somebody with a good body, he wouldn't have left me for her." Alysia deals the final blow. Felina looks like she's about to pounce when I get a phone call. Thank the lords. I look down and see Jason's last name appear on my phone.
"As much as I enjoy whatever this is, I have to take this call. I'll be back...maybe," nobody really hears what I say as they're ready for a fight to go down. I make a hasty escape. When I go downstairs, the guys are huddled in the living room drinking and eating. "Felina is crazy man, why did you ever get with her?" One of the guys, Jace, asks. "Like you said, she's crazy. I didn't really have a choice." Keagan responds. "Dude, is she blackmailing you?" Keagan doesn't respond. Hell, if nobody wants her here, this may be a lot easier than I thought. The guys shut up when they see me come down the stairs.
"Soren, right?" Jace asks. I nod. "I have to take this call, but one of the girls may be injured by the time I'm done. Things are getting fairly heated between them, and between you and me, I don't think Alysia is going to last. Well, not against the verbal assaults anyway, I don't know about her fighting skills." Keagan suddenly looks five more years older. "Alysia can handle herself in a fight but she's never been good with her words." He reminisces. "You still love her," I state. There's no mistaking that look. The guys whip their heads at him, surprised. Once again, he doesn't respond. I quickly answer the call when a piercing shriek that could rival a banshee, is let loose.
I cringe and rush outside. The guys get up and head upstairs. "What the hell was that?" Jason growls through the phone. I sigh, remembering that I have my own troubles to deal with. I sit on top of Keith's car. "Nothing that concerns you. What's up?"
"I wanted to tell you this in person, but it seems like we won't be able to talk outside of work hours for the time being. Saiya and I have to prepare for the wedding, so I'll be staying at her place for a while so that I'll be able to spend all of my free time with her. I think we should distance ourselves. We clearly can't control whatever is going on with me and I don't want to hurt you or Saiya," This is perfect. If Jason and I aren't spending much time together the chances of him figuring out about this secret mission with Keith will lessen. "I completely agree. I think that you and Trevor should practice shifting. I know that he says that you'll need me to bring you back, but I'm sure Trevor can handle you." This earns me a growl.
"Wow, I didn't think that you'd agree that quickly. You really think that Trevor could take me in a fight?"
I slightly smirk. "Of course not, our previous interaction proved that. But I'm sure he wouldn't let you get too far if it really came down to it. You also need to get your other side under control."
"Right, so you're fine with this?"
"I mean we've only gotten closer because you're marrying my sister and this whole...thing. Everything has been moving so fast. I'm sure that we could both use a break. By the way, I know that what happened back at your place is eating you, but we will be able to tell her soon, I promise. I just need to do a few things first, okay?"
There's a small pause before he answers again. "Soren, where are you?" I slightly tense at the question. "We're distancing ourselves, remember? You don't need to know. Have a good day." I hang up the call and start to walk to the entrance. I open the door in time to see Alysia and Felina going at it. Alysia throws Felina my way and I have to dodge her body. "What the hell?" I say before backing up. Felina lets out a sharp groan. She adverts her attention to me and reaches for me from the ground. "Oh hell no," I say before I step on her hand with my heel. I didn't do it on purpose, it was instinctual. Like when you go to squash a bug. Cue another shriek.
"Oh God, I'm sorry. Kind of." I say before jogging to Keith. He sets his hand out to fist bump mine and I begrudgingly do so. This makes it seem like it was planned. "Is everything good?" Keith asks. "Everything is great," I tell him with a genuine smile. With Jason not being up my ass every two seconds, I'll finally be able to do everything that I need for this wedding to be a success.