Punk 57(86)

The cop regards me. “Well, the other young man is claiming he stole a watch,” she explains, “however, he doesn’t have it on him, and we have no witnesses. We were going to let him go anyway, but he won’t tell us where he lives or his parents’ names.”

Will nods, straightening back up. “Trust us. We’ll take him home.”

She looks around at the three of them, seeing their perfect black suits, clean fingers, and not a tattoo in sight, so of course they’re upstanding gentlemen. “Alright,” she finally concedes. “Take him home, and keep him out of trouble.”

They shake her hand and walk away from the counter, looking smug as they head over to me.

I shoot out of the chair and stand in front of Will, staring him eye to eye and trying to keep my voice low. “I’m the black sheep?” I challenge. “I’m the black sheep? Did I just spend two and a half years in prison? How could she not know who you were? Why don’t you roll up your sleeves and show her your tattoos?”

Will adjusts his collar and cuffs, primping himself. “I told you, never let anyone see all your cards. Didn’t I say that? I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They have no idea what I’m capable of until it’s too late.”

His friend, Kai, quietly laughs at his side.

“I told you not to get a tattoo on your neck,” Will scolds. “Didn’t I say that? Did you see how we worked her? You should’ve been able to get yourself out of that if you had any sense.”

“It’s not on my neck,” I argue back. “It’s just like,” I gesture to my neck, “up a little and…”

“Hi.” I hear a calm, deep voice and look over to see Kai staring at Ryen.

Michael follows suit and moves close to her. “So this is the one who was at a party, without you, doing body shots, huh?”

She scowls, and I retort, “Dane needs to shut his mouth.”

But Michael just smirks down at Ryen. “If that was my girl, her ass would be red for a week.”

“Yeah, I don’t physically threaten my girl, okay?”

“And look where she was.”

Will pushes Michael back. “Don’t listen to him,” he soothes Ryen. “He doesn’t lay a hand on his girl. She has swords.”

Kai laughs quietly off to the side, but Ryen’s face is twisted in disgust. She looks to me. “Who are these pigs?”

I walk for the front door, knowing everyone will follow. “Will’s my cousin. These are his friends. I called him so I wouldn’t have to call my dad.”

“And how’s my baby?” Will calls from behind, referring to his truck. He lent it to me when he got arrested a few years ago. I had it the whole time he was on the inside, but since he’s been out, he hasn’t come looking for it, so I hoped he forgot about it.

“I hope you don’t want it back,” I tell him. “I have some good memories in that truck.”

I shoot a look over to Ryen, seeing a blush cross her cheeks.

“Yeah, me, too,” Will answers. “I guess I can let you hang onto it for a little while longer.”

Ryen stares ahead, her jaw flexing. “I’m out of here.”

She pushes through the doors, but I call after her. “No. I need to talk to you!”

But she powers toward her Jeep, which is parked on the side of a building at the left of the parking lot. I run after her, forgetting Will and his friends.

“Stop!” I take her arms and pull her to a halt next to the passenger side of her car. “What do you want me to say, huh? That I f*cked up? I know I did. I’m sorry.”

I’m sick of her defiance and how she won’t give me an inch. Just say you miss me.

I take her face in my hands. “Look at me.”

But she pushes my hands down. “I hate you. Let me go.”

“Why?” I lash out. “So you can go back to that party? Back to your prom date? You gonna f*ck him, too?”

“Maybe!” she yells. “Maybe I’ll sink as low as you, and we’ll have something more in common. Maybe I won’t hate you so much.”

I bare my teeth, staring at her. “You don’t hate me. You love me, and I love you.”

She slaps me so hard my head whips to the side and the burn spreads across my skin. “Don’t say that,” she growls low. “I want Masen. He doesn’t love me. He’s just good to me.” Her tone taunts, turning breathy and sultry. “Really good.”

I don’t miss her meaning. I was a f*ck and nothing more. She liked me when I was just that. When I wasn’t Misha.

“Yeah?” I turn my eyes back on her, playing along. “Is that what you want?” I come in, grabbing the backs of her thighs and lifting her up. “Your dirty little secret who will f*ck you in the back of a truck, hiding you so your stuck-up, shallow friends don’t know how good I give it to you?”

Her breathing hitches, and she only hesitates a moment before her hands come up and grip my shoulders. I dive down, kissing her neck and reveling when she bends it back, opening for me.

But then I see something out of the corner of my eye and look up, realizing the guys are still here.

Michael and Kai are in the front seat of an SUV, Michael leaning far forward from the driver’s side to watch out of Kai’s window, while Will is paused at his open back door, looking amused.