Page 28 of Carnival Obsession

Ty steps forward and shakes Xavier’s hand. “Pleasure doing business with you as always, Blackwood.”

Xavier narrows his eyes and nods. “Yeah, I’ll be in touch when I need more.” With that, he nods at his guys and brother, and they all get back into the SUVs.

I release a slow breath, watching the taillights of the Blackwoods’s SUVs disappear into the night. The tension in my shoulders eases because we made it without the cops showing up or any bullshit from the Blackwoods trying to negotiate.

Remy and Colt approach, their expressions a mix of disbelief and anger.

“What the fuck, man?” Remy demands. “You’ve been keeping us in the dark about this shit for years?”

Colt nods, his arms crossed over his chest. “Yeah, we’ve been busting our asses for this carnival, and you’ve been holding out on us, making shit loads of cash.”

I glance at Ty, who looks unimpressed by their outburst. He steps forward, his expression hard.

“Look, this operation is need-to-know only,” he states. “The fewer people involved, the better.”

Remy scoffs, shaking his head. “Bullshit. We deserve a cut of that money, and you know it.”

Ty’s jaw clenches, and I think he might lose his cool. But then he lets out a heavy sigh, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of cash. We all get a cut for helping him. That’s the deal.

“Fine. Here’s five grand each,” he mutters, tossing the money at them. “But this stays between us, you hear me? No one else at the carnival can know about this.”

Remy and Colt look at each other before thumbing through the bills, their expressions slowly morphing from anger to satisfaction.

“Alright, boss,” Colt says with a shrug. “Our lips are sealed.”

Ty nods, his gaze flicking between them. “Good. Now get the fuck out of here. We’ve got a carnival to run.”

As Remy, Nash, and Colt get back into their van and drive back toward the carnival, I turn to Ty, my brow furrowed. “You sure it was a good idea bringing those two knuckleheads in on this?”

“We didn’t have a choice. They were the best options.” Ty shrugs, lighting up a cigarette and taking a deep drag. “If they get paid well, it’ll keep them happy and stop them running their mouths.”

I nod, knowing he’s right. Sometimes, you must grease a few palms to keep things running smoothly in this business.

“Come on,” Ty says, jerking his head toward his Mustang. “Let’s get back to the carnival. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”

I hop onto my motorcycle, the powerful engine rumbling to life beneath me as I kick the stand back. Ty and Phoenix climb into his Mustang, the engine’s throaty growl cutting through the night air.

Revving the throttle, I nod at Ty before peeling out of the abandoned lot, the back tire kicking up a spray of loose gravel. The wind whips against my face as I weave through the deserted streets, the familiar thrill of the open road flooding my veins.

But all I can think of is Alice. The thought of seeing her tonight has anticipation coiling low in my gut. I can’t shake the memory of her body pressed against mine, the softness of her curves, and the way she trembled under my touch.

I push the bike faster, letting the speed and adrenaline clear my head

The prospect of having her waiting for me later is enough to make my cock twitch in my jeans. I grit my teeth, fighting against the rush of desire.

I take the next turn too fast, the back tire fishtailing briefly before I regain control. A grin tugs at my lips as I guide the bike through the winding streets. This is what I live for—the rush, the thrill. And after the win we just fucking had, I’m floating on cloud nine.

The bright lights of the carnival come into view up ahead, and a fresh wave of anticipation surges through me. Game time. I take a deep breath, steeling myself as I pull up to the gates and kill the engine.

Ty and Phoenix are behind me, and we exchange a wordless look as we head into the carnival. We pulled off the biggest deal since we started our side hustle, and nothing can bring us down.

The familiar chaos is comforting in a way. Amidst the garish lights and raucous noise, I feel centered. This is my world, the one I know how to navigate. Here, I’m in control.

And Alice will see that side of me tonight, too. The thought makes my blood run hot. She thinks she has me pegged, but she has no idea what I can do. What we’re capable of.

I’ll just have to show her.

A grin spreads across my face as I scan the crowd, searching for that familiar head of dark hair. Alice agreed to meet me here tonight. And I plan to ensure it’s an experience she’ll never forget.

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