Page 110 of As Thick As Thieves

“I gave up too. Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with going back into your dad’s house?” I asked quietly, a small smile curving her mouth.

“Yeah. I know what means the most to him, so fucking with him one more time could be fun. If you were me, would you do it?”

I didn’t answer straight away, trying to figure out my answer. My situation had been vastly different to hers, but it was also the same. My father hadn’t loved me or my brother, we were pawns in his game too.

“My dad was part of a wannabe gang,” I said quietly, speaking before I lost my nerve. “He raised us to follow in his footsteps and beat us when we refused to heel. My tenth birthday gift was a thirteen-year-old girl in a business deal. Dad wanted me to be a man, and the girl was an unwanted virgin. The business deal was that Dad got what he wanted for me, and the girl’s potential buyer would agree on the deal once she was broken in. I wasn’t opposed to sleeping with her until I found out she hadn’t wanted it. I figured she worked with the sellers how I worked with Dad, so naturally, I thought she had agreed to the deal.”

“What happened to her?” she whispered, my arms tightening around her as if to stop her from running away when I told her the truth.

“I walked into the room to find her bent over a table, being restrained so she couldn’t move. They’d gagged and blindfolded her, but I could still hear her sobbing. That’s when I questioned the business deal and said I didn’t want to do it. He hit me so hard my ears rang and told me to man up. I had no choice but to do as I was told.” I swallowed, staring at the wall to avoid Penn’s eyes as I said the words. “I raped her.”

“You were a child, Stone. You didn’t want it either.”

“Doesn’t change what happened,” I mumbled, finally looking at her. There was no disgust on her face, just understanding and sympathy. “She was sold to the buyer, but she ran. Girl didn’t live to see her fourteenth birthday.”

“Where’s your dad now? What about your mom?” she asked as she teased the back of my neck with her nails, attempting to soothe me.

“He was killed in a drive-by shooting a month after my birthday. Ezekiel was fifteen, and he’d already gotten deeply involved with the gang world. He did a year in juvie, but he’d always had good connections. Mom didn’t know what to do with us, and looking back, I’m pretty sure she’d been forced into marriage with Dad. She hated the criminal life, was relieved when he’d died, and when she met her new rich boyfriend, she had no problem walking away from us.” I had a feeling my brother and I were the products of domestic violence and rape, but I still couldn’t help but resent her for abandoning us. “Ezekiel turned a handful of criminals into what the Night Thieves are today when he got tired of being someone else’s bitch six months after that, and he raised me alongside it while managing to dodge the foster system. I was in and out of juvie regularly, but after the first short trip or two, he realized the potential those kids had in there. As he got older, he started asking me to keep notes on the regulars. A lot of our current members came from juvie, and we still bring newbies in that way sometimes.”

She turned on my lap to face me, curiosity in her eyes. “What made you want the guys? You don’t seem to be besties with the other members.”

“Cruz had my back in there, and I had his. We weren’t exactly close, I didn’t trust anyone other than my brother, but I had a little altercation in the yard one day and he proved himself loyal to me. Drake was a similar situation.”

“And Knox?”

I chuckled at the memories, confusing her. “Knox didn’t like me. Broke my fucking nose. He was a big guy even back then, and I saw the potential he had, even if he didn’t like me. We all stuck together in there, but we didn’t become this close until we lived together here in the compound. Our friendship was formed out of survival tactics, but it eventually grew to more of a found family.” I tucked her hair behind her ear, loving how she leaned into my touch. “Then after years of building his empire, Ezekiel got wrapped up with some rich fucker’s wife in Kingslake and got killed. The bitch cried rape, but they’d been banging for ages. He was so fucking in love with her, but the thought of losing her cash cow husband? She’d never walk away. She didn’t know the kind of money Ezekiel had, or she would’ve happily jumped ship for him.”

“Is that why you had a problem with me being a rich bitch?” she teased, making me snort.

“Mostly, but I’ve just met a lot of girls who I thought were like you, and the outcome was never good. We’ve had to bury a lot of bullshit over the years, and I didn’t need your Kingslake princess drama on top of it.”

“And now?”

I smirked, leaning closer so that my lips brushed hers. “Now, I want you on top of everything. The table, the hood of my car, the bathroom sink—”

“After last night, I think I need a day or two before we tackle the bathroom sink. I’m really tender today,” she laughed, snuggling into me. “I appreciate you telling me about your family. I wish I could’ve met your brother. You’re a dick, but he obviously raised you well for you to be able to take over this entire organization. I think he’d be proud of you, Stone.”

My throat tightened and I nodded, not wanting to speak in case my voice cracked. I’d buried a piece of myself the day I buried Ezekiel, and as much as I’d never get that back, Penn was making the edges a little smoother to handle.

Penn sensed me clamming up, so she suggested we look over some maps with street names before we had breakfast. She turned so that her back was pressed against my front, my arms going around her to use the keyboard, bringing up the local map for her.

I was in the middle of giving Penn another driving lesson by the time the guys finally woke up and crawled out of bed. She was focusing on starting and stopping along the driveway, only stalling a few times now that she was getting used to the clutch. She was using the gas today, too, instead of creeping the car around, her confidence a lot better today as I gave her pointers. I only had to interfere once by grabbing the wheel when she wasn’t turning enough.

A few more of these lessons, and I’d take her to get her damn permit, that was how sure I was that she’d ace it.

She stopped by the house when she noticed Cruz leaning against the wall watching us, a content smile on his face as he walked in our direction. He opened the driver’s side door, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. “Morning, baby. How long have you been awake?”

“Since five. I got too hot in between you guys, and Stone was already in the office so I just stayed up,” she shrugged.

“You’re doing good with the driving,” he noted, her face lighting up as she went on about everything she’d been doing. I watched Cruz as he paid attention, and I opened my door and motioned for him to take my place.

“Go for a lap or two with her so she can show you. Just be mindful of when she turns right to come back, she doesn’t always swing hard enough on the wheel when turning that direction.”

He nodded, happily jumping in, and I stood back as I watched her drive back along the driveway. I knew I had to spend the rest of my damn life making it up to her for how I’d treated her, but this was a really good start. I’d opened up and let her in, I was taking my time to teach her things that interested her, and I hoped the more time we spent together, the stronger her trust with me would grow.

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