Page 9 of Spider

“We are going shopping. The rest of them are meeting us there later. Minus Belle, of course. I expect the pair of them will still be fucking like rabbits,” Star states.

I shrug. “And what does that have to do with me?” I ask.

Star smiles smugly. “You are our chaperone.”

I shake my head. “Nah, fuck no. Not happening. Take a prospect, or Hawk, Rage, fucking Ghost. Anyone but me,” I argue.

“Casper said I had to take a chaperone. I choose you, and because you haven’t learnt how to play nice with our new guest, it will give you a chance to stop being such an asshole and become the best of friends, considering her brother is your best friend. I’m pretty sure when Acid does return, he won’t want to be hearing about how you treated his sister like a piece of shit on your shoe,” she rants.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. I look at Nova who instantly averts her gaze to the floor.

“Fine. I will take you, but please for fuck’s sake, stop ranting and bossing me the fuck around. I am the VP. I ain’t no pussy prospect,” I snap.

Star raises her brow before she holds out her hand for me to shake. I place my hand in hers and she smiles. “Deal. I will try not to boss you around too much. Now, can we go? There’s a sale on and I want to grab Enzo some new clothes,” she says beforedropping my hand and walking to the truck. Nova is still stood there unmoving, her head still bowed, looking at the floor.

I step into her personal space and lift her chin, forcing her to look at me. Her pink plump lips part and her eyes are wide with fear.

I smirk. “Here’s the deal. I don’t believe a word you fucking say. You are hiding something, and I will fucking find out what it is,” I threaten, speaking quietly so Star can’t hear. “Now because she won’t give it a rest, we will pretend to get along. I will pretend to fucking like you, and you will pretend to like me. Understand?” She nods. “Good. Now fucking smile,” I order as I move my hold from her chin to the back of her neck. She doesn’t smile. She still continues to look at me with the ‘deer caught in the headlights’ look on her face. “I said fucking smile,” I growl in her ear while giving the back of her neck a squeeze. She flinches under my touch and as I frown and look down her, she plasters on a fake smile. Star’s eyes assess us, flicking back and forth. “We made an agreement to start fresh from today. I promise no more shit from me,” I lie.

Star’s eyes flick straight to Nova. “That’s er, that’s right. All good now,” Nova lies.

Star doesn’t look like she’s completely bought the bullshit lie, but she nods for now as I hold the door open, letting them climb in the truck before I walk around to the driver’s side.

Walking around the mall is fucking torture. I swear when I get back Ghost will owe me big fucking time for this. Standing outside one of the stores the girls have all piled into, I light a cigarette and lean against the wall.

“Excuse me sir, you can’t smoke inside the mall,” a balding, overweight security guard says with his hands braced on his hips.

I take another pull. “Look, I’m just having this one, then I will stamp it out and I promise to never do it again. Trust me, if youwere in my situation right now, you would be smoking too,” I say on an exhale. Slowly, I pull the packet out of my pocket. “Here, you want one?” I offer.

The way his facial expression changes, like I’ve just offered him crack, has me choking back my laughter as I continue to smoke my cigarette. “Sir, if you continue to refuse my order, then I will have to take action,” he threatens.

I stand up straight and step toe to toe with the security guard. Looking down on him, I take a pull on my cigarette and exhale it in his face. “Is that so? So, what type of action? You going to try and restrain me?” I sneer.

I swear I can smell urine as the guy looks like he wants to piss his pants in fear.

“Oh my god! Spider, what the fuck are you doing?!” Star yells. She yanks on my arm, pulling me back before she snatches the cigarette from my hand and stamps it out, all while pushing me behind her. “I am so sorry. He will be leaving right now,” she assures the guard.

“Well yes, make sure he does,” he grumbles, puffing out his chest and trying to act like he wasn’t shit scared.

Maggie gives me a nudge. “What the fuck was that all about?” she hisses.

I shrug. “I ain’t the one with the problem.” Ignoring the looks from Josie and Dixie, I clench my fists, feeling the urge to fight coursing through me. It’s a side to me they don’t see, a side I keep hidden from them. Only my brothers know about my fighting, but only Acid knows why I fight, why I need to fight. I feel eyes on me, and as I turn my head, I see Nova staring at me. She doesn’t look away this time. Instead, she reaches into her bag and pulls out a small bottle of something. I stop moving.

“Open your mouth,” she orders softly. I don’t. “Trust me,” she assures. I slowly open my mouth and she pulls a smallpipette from the little bottle and drops some liquid on my tongue.

I close my mouth and scrunch up my face. “What is that?” I ask. “Tastes like fucking dirt,” I protest.

“It’s Kava, a calming herb. It will help ease your tension,” she answers before placing the bottle back in her bag.

I scoff. “The tension I need relieving can’t be eased by no fucking herbal shit. It’s either fighting or fucking,” I snap. “I’ve had enough of this shit. Back to the truck,” I bark before walking off. I don’t look back because I know that they will all be stood together muttering shit while staring at me.

“What the fuck is with you?!”Ghost barks.

“Acid,” I state.

Ghost rolls his eyes. “Not this shit again.”

I sit forward on the chair and lean my elbows on the table. “Yes, this fucking shit again. It’s not fucking right, any of it. We don’t hear from Acid, then that bitch shows up. He’s in fucking trouble, I can feel it. But all everyone seems to give a shit about is her. She is hiding something. I fucking know it,” I state with conviction.

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