Page 170 of River & Crown
"A friend of mine saw it happen. They said a young man got shot, too."
My jaw clenched as the pieces fell into place, each one heavier than the fucking last. "Four was the driver during that shooting?" I muttered, more to myself than to Lakelyn.
"Yes." She nodded slowly.
I didn't say shit else. I stood up fast, heart slamming like a drumline. Lakelyn called after me, but I was already halfway out the door. Even though I believed what she said, I needed to hear it from River. Me and Four? We were peace and harmony when together. Without her, my father's demons roamed free. This wasn't Four cheating like Emily. Nah, this was worse. Those demons weren't just restless... they were starving.
Chapter 44
River Ashland
The wind clawed at my cheeks as I gripped the wheel. My heart was out of rhythm, and nerves tickled my skin. This was my first race, but I couldn't back out, not with him next to me..
"Breathe, baby," Sincere advised from the passenger seat. His voice was soothing like one of those nighttime nursery rhymes. "You got this."
I nodded, but on the inside, Sincere couldn't have been more wrong. Sweat dripped down the nape of my neck, and I was sure my once bone-straight hair was now frizzy and reverting to curls. The engine growling beneath me should have sparked my confidence, but it only ignited my fear. My opponent's car sat next to mine, and the driver seemed to possess every ounce of arrogance that I lacked.
"I'm going to lose," I panicked. My fingers loosened and then re-tightened themselves around the leather wheel.
"Not you... not my muthafuckin' girl." He grinned. "Let whatever you're feeling right now fuel you. Remember what I taught you. You're special, Riv."
I blushed, and for just a second, my nerves went numb. Then the flag dropped. I slammed on the gas. My tires screamed,and the world around me tunneled. I drove, knowing every second was a fight between hesitation and instinct. Hesitation prevented me from winning, so I rode on instinct all the way across the finish line. I won. Shifting the car into park, I hopped out, hands up, eyes wild, and lungs stretched.
"I love you, Sincere!" I screamed.
"I—"
Sincere didn't say it back.
The cheers silenced.
The crowd vanished.
Then something cracked... no, it clicked.
The sharp sound of metal sliding into place snapped me out of my dream. I gasped awake with the taste of adrenaline still on my tongue. It wasn't the race that caused my heart to drop. It was Crown. He stood over me, life lost in the depths of his eyes, and a gun aimed at me.
"Get up." Crown's voice cut like a blade across my skin.
My chest didn't sink in when I inhaled or rise when I exhaled. I was completely still. The silence dancing between us boomed through the room, but Crown cocking his hammer back for a second time, was louder.
"You love that nigga, Four?"
Silence.
"Nah, Four doesn't love that Casper the dead muthafuckin' ghost. To be safe, let me ask this again. You love that nigga, River?"
Again, silence.
"I heard you scream that shit, and it got me thinking." His voice dropped to something gravelly and unrecognizable. "Should I send you to that nigga?"
I swallowed hard, holding his deadpan gaze. This wasn't Crown. When looking at me, his eyes were usually bright, full of love and affection. Now they were vacant, stormy, and cast overby something that wasn't him. This wasn't Crown being jealous or possessive. This was haunting, the work of demons that didn't belong to him. Insecurities passed on to him that he fought so hard to keep at bay. Oddly enough, my mind went to Emily. She was once the lover looking into Crown's haunting eyes. She fed his insecurities, allowing them to run rampant until they killed her.
"Crown," I whispered softly, "you won't hurt me."
His chest rose and fell as if he were barely holding on. The gun didn't waver.
"There's a lot that we need to talk about. I don't love Sincere. I love you," I breathed, eyes locked on his. "I love you, Crown. I have since the?—"
