Page 44 of Stepson

Gabe

If I didn't owe Jeff, I'd be gone right now. I strictly told him to go into the basement of the old apartment building, but is he there? No! And my phone is dead so I can't call him. I left Bentley for this shit?

Getting back in the Mercedes, I drive up Piper Street and keep my eyes peeled for the prick. If he’s already arrested, and I ditched Bentley for this, he can kiss whatever I owed him goodbye. This is ridiculous. The guy seriously needs to get his head out of his ass and stop breaking the damn law.

I slam on the brakes when Jeff jumps out into the middle of the street. He looks around as if he’s being followed before he runs around and jumps in the passenger side.

"Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"Where the fuck have you been?! I told you to wait in the basement!" I bark, feeling my irritation pulse through my forearms.

"Dude, I couldn't get in."

"Bullshit! I was literally just there! And why the fuck would you sell dope to a group of teenagers? You moron!"

Jeff holds up his hands. "Whoa, man! I didn't realize you'd become my father."

If I wasn't driving, I’d punch the lights out of this guy. One of the reasons I haven't really gotten back in with him and my old group of friends is because of the amount of stupid shit they do. I was a kid when I ran with them, but spending seven years behind bars changed all of that for me.

"I'm not your father, Jeff, but seriously. What the fuck were you thinking?"

He laughs. "I was thinking that I needed some fast cash and they were willing to buy. You know the game, Gabe, or have you forgotten? Has prison softened you?"

I glare over at him with fire in my gaze, and he instantly shuts up and sinks into his seat.

"I appreciate you coming to get me, man. I know I fuck up, but it's who I am. Where are we going?"

"I'm dropping you off at your place and then I'm returning to my hotel where my girl is."

He snickers. "Still fucking your dad's wife, huh?"

"Don't call her that," I growl.

He holds up his hands again. "You're a bit touchy lately. You cool?"

"I'm cool, but we're not." I point between us. "I'm not playing these games anymore, Jeff. When you spend seven years in prison, you realize what's important and what's not."

"Ooh, we've got a philosopher on our hands, folks."

"I am five seconds away from kicking you out."

"Okay, okay, okay. I'll shut up, but you should know I don't have a place to go to."

"You've got to be kidding me." I grip the steering wheel tightly while I think about what to do with this asshole. There’s no way I’m bringing him back to my dad’s place, and I don’t have the funds to put him up anywhere else. Fuck.

I drive around with him for a bit, trying to figure out what to do next while thinking about Bentley being naked back at our hotel room for the night. I could kill Jeff for ruining tonight for me. He knows what Bentley means to me, and what getting her back would mean to me, yet here I am, taking care of his sorry ass. The guy seriously needs to pull his head out of his ass and get his shit together. I won’t always be here to get him out of a pinch. What the hell has he done for the last seven years when I wasn't around?

Turning onto a familiar street I had once done all my selling on, I look over at Jeff who’s playing some kind of matching game on his phone. Is he serious right now?

“Dude, where do you want to go? I’m not going to be your chauffeur all night,” I state with a bite to my tone. He’s getting on my last fucking nerve.

Jeff sighs, putting his phone down. “If I knew, would I still be here? Why can’t we go back to your dad’s place? There’s plenty of space for me to stay for the night.”

I grip the steering wheel again, glaring over at him. “Because we’re not at the house tonight, you fuck wad.”

His brows shoot up as if he finally realizes what I’ve just said. “Shit, brother, I’m sorry.”

“Whatever, just tell me where you want to be dropped off at. I don’t have time for this.”

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