Page 25 of Hollywood

“The guys behind my dad’s scam and his black eye?”

“Yep.” Hollywood nodded, his gaze fixed on the spot where we last saw them before he finally turned to me. “A motorcycle club that you don’t want any part of, trust me. What did he say to you, Winter?”

I closed my eyes and repeated his threat word-for-word and shook off the layer of filth it left behind. “They have a really fucking gross imagination.”

“They mean what they say,” he assured me. “What they’re saying to Winston is worse.” He didn’t wait for me to respond, he just took my hand and led me to the parking lot where his bike was parked. Without a word, we both got settled and enjoyed the long, silent ride home.

Notmyhome, of course. Hollywood’s home.

My temporary lodging.

“I need to make some calls,” Hollywood growled and disappeared, leaving me still slightly shaken and alone.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I picked it up with a smile. “Luisa, hey.” I missed talking to my best friend. So much had happened recently that I hadn’t caught up with her.

“Don’t youLuisa, heyme, girl! Where in the hell have you been? I’ve been calling and texting like a fucking stalkerand you know what I haven’t gotten? A damn call back. Are we beefing and I didn’t know it?”

Her words brought a smile to my face. “No, Luisa. There’s no beef between us. Not ever.”

“Awesome, then tell me what the hell is up? Is that big bad biker holding you hostage? Are you his sex slave?”

Talking to Luisa was just what I needed after that creep threatened me. I laughed and dropped down on the sofa. “So much has happened, Lu.” I gave her an incredibly abbreviated version of the threats to my virtue and safety. “Apparently they want my dad to just give them more money than he’s got so I’m staying with Hollywood until the threat ceases to exist.”

There was a long silence before Luisa spoke. “Holy. Fucking. Shit. Girl, when did all this happen?”

“I don’t know, three weeks ago? Possibly a lifetime. It’s all so crazy and I honestly can’t believe it’s happening either. He’s even going to class with me.”

“Shut. Up.”

“Seriously. It’s the sexiest shadow in the world and it feels surreal.”

Luisa laughed and it was a sound I missed sorely. “All of this forced proximity has to be good for your dirty, sexy fantasies, right?”

“So good,” I whispered into the phone because I didn’t know where Hollywood was. “Incredible. Life changing. Hot as fuck balls, Lu. I swear.”

“I can’t wait to hear all the dirty details. All of them, Winter. You hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah, I think the people at the end of the block hear you.” I laughed and tucked my feet under my body just as Hollywood reappeared in the living room wearing a serious expression. “But not now. I have to go Lu. Talk soon.”

“You have forty-eight hours or I’m hiring a hacker and coming to find my bestie dammit. I don’t care how good the dick is, I miss my ride or die.”

My eyes widened while Hollywood simply smirked. “Duly noted. Talk soon.”

“Looking forward to it. Stay alive or else.” She ended the call, and I stared at the screen until the heat of embarrassment faded.

Then I looked up and found him smirking at me. “What’s up?”

“You told her how good the dick is?”

I rolled my eyes. “She was being metaphorical or maybe aspirational, I don’t know. The point is, what’s up?”

He shook his head and came closer. “What’s up is this good dick.”

I laughed. “You’re ridiculous. But I’m game.” I grabbed him by the waistband and tugged him closer when his hands covered mine.

“We need to go to the clubhouse. Now.”

“Cock tease,” I shot back with a fake as hell pout.

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