Page 11 of The Afterthought

Greyson

"Hey, bro. Are you ready for tomorrow night?" Kai asks as he steps into the kitchen to open up the refrigerator. He grabs the half gallon of milk before snagging his go-to bowl and box of cereal from the counter next to it.

Kai has been like a brother to me over the years. He was the first person who really took me under his wing when I started to officially run with the crew. He may look big and mean, but deep down, he's a softie. He's a few inches taller than me, and I find myself having to look up at him even though I'm 6'2.

He pulls his hair back into a ponytail, and I roll my eyes at him. His hair is his pride and joy right now. One of the other guys in the crew bet him that he couldn't grow his hair out to be long enough to cover his nipples when it's pulled over his shoulders. Of course, he can't resist a bet. It's been two years since he's cut it, and I'd say we've got about another year before he wins the bet. He's committed; I'll give him that.

"I told you I didn't want to make tomorrow a big deal. I don't know why you insisted on throwing something together." I roll my eyes with annoyance.

"It's your birthday, asshole. Of course, we're going to use that as an excuse to throw a banging ass party. Knox can take advantage of the crowd and sell some extra product. That's less the crew has to worry about pushing out the rest of the week."

He's got a point. Parties in Dune Valley have been known to be a bit extreme. What starts as a small get-together always ends up turning into nothing but drugs, sex, alcohol, and loud music. The cops don't bother us because they don't want to deal with the paperwork.

Most of them are on our payroll anyway, save the few that the Cobras managed to get in their pockets. Nobody in Dune Valley thinks they are going to stop the gangs, drugs, or overall lifestyle of this place. The few people who did decide to make an effort to join the police force only did so in order to have their fancy badges and a false sense of security.

The only person we really seem to have any issues with outside of the Cobras is Sheriff Wolfe. He's got his panties in a bunch lately because his daughter started hanging around the gang. He should have raised her better if he didn't want her involved in this lifestyle.

"Fine. A party. What did you have in mind?" I ask because with Kai, I really never know what to expect.

"Nah, it's nothing crazy like that. Just a regular party. I'll grab a few kegs and cups. We can make everyone pay $2 for a cup, and we're golden."

"You're managing the funds this time, then. Last time, you had what’s-his-face do it, and he skimmed a bit off the top for himself. I ended up having to beat his ass for Knox."

Kai raises his hands in defense. "I'll handle everything. All you have to worry about is having a little fun and letting loose. You seem super fucking uptight today. What's going on with you?"

I'm not about to tell him that I've been on edge because the girl I dated seven years ago is back in town, and it’s fucking with my head. No, if I tell him that, he will for sure call me a pussy.

"You're not all up in your feels about getting older, are ya? I hardly think twenty-six is that big of a deal. You're still young," he jokes and pours the milk into his lucky charms.

"Do not even try to talk to me about age while you're eating Lucky Charms," I joke.

"Hey, don't come for the charms. They're magically delicious." He laughs and shovels a spoonful into his mouth.

"I gotta run and do a quick job for Knox. Do you think you can handle all the party shit without my input?"

"I've got you. It’s already planned anyway." A sly smile crosses his face as he shoves more cereal into his mouth. Milk drips down his chin, and I shake my head at him.

"Keep it simple. I don't need any dumb shit like a cake or anything. The less attention there is on me, the better." I step over to the counter to grab my keys.

"Come on, we gotta have cake. What's a birthday party with no cake?" He brings the bowl to his mouth to drink some leftover milk.

"Don't waste your money on that shit," I say before walking out of the door and closing it behind me. I know there's no point in arguing with Kai. He will do whatever he wants. Nobody will convince him otherwise, and nobody fucks with him. It's one of the reasons I have him as a roommate. That, and he has a steady flow of income that keeps the rent paid and the lights on. It means I can funnel more of my money into my savings.

I pull open the door to my car and make my way to Adam’s Garage. It's where a lot of the crew spends their downtime. Our home away from home. We have no clue who the fuck Adam is or why this place was named after him. One of the guys managed to buy it from someone he knows, and it became a safe haven for the Crimson Rose. It also helps that we can launder our drug money through an actual business.

Knox told me to meet him here for a job because he doesn't trust any of the others to handle it. I don’t usually handle this part of the business anymore, but this one is important. I enter the garage bay, saying hi to a few of the guys before turning and making my way to the office. I know that's where Knox is going to be. When I push open the door, he is leaning back in the chair with his feet propped up on the desk. He doesn't look like he belongs here. The ambiance and general vibe of the room is dirty and unkempt, but he is wearing a navy suit with the jacket folded carefully over the computer in front of him. He always dresses so formally as opposed to my usual black T-shirt and jeans.

I shut the door behind me and sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk. He's wrapping up his phone call, so I pull my phone out to clear my messages and shut it off to place it on the desk for him to see. Knox may be my brother, but he doesn't trust anyone. He always says that cell phones are the easiest way to betray people.

He nods at me in approval, and I roll my eyes. His blue eyes roam over me when he hangs up, eyeing me up and down. If I were anyone else, I'd be freaking out. I'd be wondering if this was my last day, but because he's my brother, I know he's fucking with me to try and make me nervous.

"Cut the theatrics. What do you need from me?" I ask him, and he laughs.

He runs his hand through his well-kept beard and raises a brow. "You're so sure I'm messing with you."

"Come on, Knox. I have other things I could be taking care of right now. What's going on?"

"You always have to be such a buzzkill. We have a new client that could change everything. I need you to meet with him and give him a sample of the product."

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