Page 7 of I Stop Somewhere Waiting For You

“It was Tijuana,” I snort, coming to sit at the base of the stairs. “And when they found him, he had a tattoo and needed a round of antibiotics to clear up the STD he’d gotten.”

“Damn, Nick,” Daph lets out a whistle, “and you can’t even throw your precious princess a banger to ring in the next chapter of her life? You’re losing your edge, dude.”

“Oh, bite me, Daph,” he snaps.

“Eat me, Nicky.” She raises her hand to her mouth, her index and middle fingers forming a V as she flicks her tongue in between them. Daph loves this shit. If getting a rise out of Nicky was an Olympic sport, she’d take gold every time.

Nicky lets out a sigh as he attempts to burn holes into Daphne with his gaze alone. Eventually, he swings his head back toward me, his eyes softening when they meet my own. “You want a birthday party, Baby J?”

“It doesn’t matter to me, Nick. I just wanna chill with you.” It’s true. I just recently started going to parties again, and never without Nicky or one of the boys. I’ve been doing okay with it though, which is why I asked Nicky if I can go to the Senior bonfire next weekend with Daph. I think I’m finally in a decent place. However, Nicky obviously isn’t ready to loosen the leash yet, considering he’s making me take JP. And you know what? I’m okay with that, too. I love having the boys around. It makes me feel comfortable. It makes me feel safe.

He nods, his lips curving up into a tight-lipped smirk. “And chill we shall.” His head swivels back toward Daphne as he continues. “Satan’s mistress over here is right. What kind of brother would I be if we didn’t celebrate the most important day of the year with a fucking banger? But the party will be here. Understand?” His gaze ping pongs between us.

“Yes. Yes. We know, Master.” Daphne rolls her eyes, waving him off. “We’ll party at the castle where the soldiers can keep watch.”

Nicky’s arm shoots out with lightning speed, snatching her chin in his grip and pulling her into him. He drops his head low, pushing his forehead into hers. “Daphne,” he begins through gritted teeth, “mind your manners.”

“Now, Nicky,” she says as she holds his gaze with a defiant stare, “we both know that doesn’t suit me.” Her tongue snakes out, making contact with the tip of his nose before darting back into her mouth.

Nicky releases her, walking backward toward the den as he redirects his attention to me. “You’re carrying, right?”

I nod, patting the back of my hip where my Smith & Wesson 9mm is tucked away. “Love you, Nick.”

“Love you more, J.” He flips Daphne off before disappearing through the archway into the den.

“Why you gotta provoke him like that?” I snort.

Daphne smirks. “Because your brother is hot as fuck. And that’s the most action I’ve had in months.”

“That’s your own doing,” I point out.

“Yeah, well, I’m trying this new thing where I don’t fuck assholes who are only interested in hitting it and quitting it. You’d be surprised how that severely limits the playing field.”

I shake my head, continuing to laugh at her as I pull myself up by the banister. “Ready? I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, me too,” Daphne replies. “Let’s roll, bitch.”

***

We speed down the highway in my white Range Rover, entering Queen City on the east side. This car is fucking obnoxious and draws more attention than I prefer, but it was my sixteenth birthday present from Nicky—well, the replacement at least—which makes it special to me. The paint job is an exact match to his BMW. The interior is all custom, with the letter J embroidered into the headrest of each seat. It’s also tagged so he can track me wherever I go. After the incident my sophomore year, Nicky doesn’t take chances. There’s not a move I make that he doesn’t know about.

The city is surrounded by five towns: Dutchess, Hope Falls, Middleburgh, Hydetown, and Killington. Dutchess and Hope Falls are situated alongside one another and are firmly established as Nicky’s territories, property of the Queen City Dukes. I can roam freely without escorts as long as I’m in bounds. Queen City itself is neutral ground, so same rules. Technically, no one is banned from any town. Rivals just can’t conduct business in another gang’s territory. However, I’m under strict orders to stay in the designated Duke safe zones.

Hydetown, on the opposite side of the city, is Renegade Rebel turf, controlled by none other than Maverick Bishop. Killington used to have some bullshit wannabe gangbangers running around, but Nicky and Bishop wiped them out a couple years ago. Currently, Killington and Middleburgh aren’t being controlled by anyone, but that’s changing soon. Nicky’s been working hard to expand into those territories and is hoping to lock them down by spring at the absolute latest. It’s why he’s meeting with new distributors next weekend. If he’s going to secure the clientele, he needs a bigger source to feed the machine.

It’s been taking him longer than anticipated to lock the details down because of how selective he is. Nicky may be a drug dealer, but he’s a drug dealer with morals. He only sells top of the line product, ensuring it isn’t cut or laced with any shady shit. Nicky also won’t allow any of his dealers to sell to kids. He caught someone breaking that rule once, and well, let’s just say I went to bed one night and woke up the next morning to some really beautiful rose bushes planted along the fence line on the far side of our property. They’re spectacular when they first bloom each season. Whatever’s in the soil underneath must be providing them with exceptional nutrients.

I drive into the heart of the city, heading toward our favorite taco spot. It’s the beginning of October, and the weather is beautiful in New York this time of year. You don’t need AC or heat; it’s perfect cruising weather.

The windows are down, our hair flipping wildly about our faces as we bump “Between Angels and Insects” by Papa Roach, screaming along at the top of our lungs. We pull up to a red light and within seconds the song switches to “Last Resort.”

Last Resort by Papa Roach (Spotify)

Last Resort by Papa Roach (Apple Music)

I bump it even louder. I love Papa Roach – they’re my fucking favorite.

We thrash about wildly in the seat, throwing horns up, as we scream out the lyrics. The light turns green, and we carry on. Whipping into a parking spot a block down, I kill the engine and the song cuts out. We hop out of the car, and I press the lock button on my key fob as Daph circles around the front to fall in line at my side.

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