Page 19 of A Hurt So Good

“I also met the guy’s friend, Rachel. She seems great,” I say sarcastically. Harlon and War share a look before going back to their food.

“Rachel? I don’t recall that name. Maybe you should bring her around,” Jarrod remarks, looking at both his sons.

“Yeah, that’s more a Denz thing,” Harlon chimes in.

“I’m sure it is.” I can feel the tension in the air after I brought that up. I wonder why. Who the hell is Rachel to them?

Shrugging it off, I finish my dinner and watch as the waitress cleans the table. When dessert is offered, I decline, but the others have something. They carry on a conversation between them as I sit here like a fool. I have no interest in being here. I have no interest in learning about the guys, either. We all know we’re not going to be around that long, so it’s pointless.

“Well, I think I’m calling it a night,” Harlon announces as he stretches, the seams of his suit jacket straining against the muscles in it. He catches me looking and winks at me before I turn and look the other way.

“I’m glad you guys made it, and thank you for picking up, Arya.” Jarrod looks at Harlon.

“It was nice meeting her,” War says as he licks chocolate off his fingers right here in front of everyone. My mouth falls open before I quickly snap it shut. I watch as Harlon and War stand and excuse themselves, leaving me with mom and Jarrod.

Chapter 10

Denz

My muscles ache from the gym today. I worked out like crazy. War gave me a fucking run for my money in there, too.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he says, walking past me and into the house. I nod my head and lean against the house, lighting up a joint. This last week has been hell, but I don’t care because Sasha is taken care of. I’ll work my ass for that girl, and I’ll break myself while doing it so she has a good life.

My sister means everything to me. Since the day she was born, she’s been by my side. Mom has always been a drinker, and that’s her first love. That’s why she and my dad didn’t stay together. She wanted alcohol more than she wanted a family, and I accepted that at a young age. But when Sasha came along, I couldn’t understand how anyone wouldn’t want a family. When she came into the world weighing a tiny five pounds, and thick dark hair, she became my world. Mom drank all through her pregnancy, which didn’t surprise me, and Sasha ended up spending time in the hospital. Why anyone in their right mind would give that baby back to a drunk was beyond me, but I took her in and raised her. And regardless of what some might say, I think I have done a damn good job so far.

I blow smoke from my lips into the night sky as I look up at the stars. There isn’t much to see tonight as the clouds roll in.

“Yo, Denz? Go grab some drinks,” Harlon calls out from inside the house.

“Yeah, I got it,” I call back. I finish my joint and head down the road to the liquor store. I know I shouldn’t drink after everything I’ve seen with my mom, but I don’t drink daily the way she does.

I crack my neck from side to side as I walk past the abandoned house where we killed that man. The smell coming from it is enough to make you gag, but no one has reported him missing, and I’m sure they won’t. Even if they did, the cops don’t like coming around here anyway. It would take a fucking miracle to get them to come down to this side of town.

I glance in the liquor store and see a few assholes I don’t feel like dealing with tonight, so I walk off to the side of the building and light up a cigarette. I close my eyes for a long second when I hear someone speak to me in a hushed tone.

“Hey,” they say. I pry my eyes open and look at the girl standing in front of me. She has a pair of cut-off shorts on and a huge T-shirt that hides what I’m sure is a nice body. Big blue eyes stare back at me as she tugs her long blonde hair up on top of her head and ties it with something.

“What?”

“I need help.”

“And?” she rolls her eyes. Okay, I’ll bite. I shift on my feet to stand up taller as I eye her. “Okay, I’ll play. What do you need?”

“A gun.” I burst into laughter as she stares at me like I’ve grown two heads. Why the hell does she think she can come over here and ask some random person for a gun? Is she crazy? A cop?

“A gun?” I ask. She nods her head, keeping her eyes on me. “And you think I have a gun to sell you?”

“I don’t know, asshole, that’s why I’m asking.”

“Do you always go out on the streets and ask random people to buy a gun?” She huffs out a breath and turns to walk away, but this is too much fun. I reach for her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back a few steps. She turns to look at me, a pissed look on her face.

“If you’re not going to help me, then I’ll find someone who will,” she snaps at me before glancing down at where I still hold her wrist. I don’t release her. Fuck that shit.

“You don’t live around here, do you?”

“No.”

“That was obvious. Let me explain a few things to you. Every couple of blocks, you’re going to find someone new. Over here, where I live, they’re called gangs,” I talk to her in the most condescending tone I can muster. The girl rolls her eyes once more. “Now, if you venture into another gang’s territory, it could be bad.”

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