Uppercut Princess (The Heights Crew #1)(25)

Nerves pool in my stomach. Boss could probably only be one person, and I doubt it’s Rocket. He had to have been talking to Big Daddy K.

My heart lurches, and I stare at the phone as Magnum puts it away. I’m a call away from the man who took my parents. Since coming to the Heights, I’ve moved closer and closer. My plan is working, even if it makes my stomach roil at the same time.

I pretend to not care who he was talking to and walk back to the stool I’d been sitting on. I’m getting antsy. I really don’t want to wait around here all night. If Big Daddy K is calling Magnum on the phone, that probably means he’s not here.

Relax, I scold myself. It’s not like I can just walk right up to him and take him down. I take a deep breath, trying to release all the stress I’ve been bombarded with. I’m in. I’m close. That’s all I need to accomplish right this minute. I don’t want to just kill Big Daddy K and get caught. That was never the plan. I have to bide my time. I have to make a concrete plan. I’m not ruining my life just because I want to take his. That wouldn’t give me satisfaction at all. I want to live a long and happy life after he’s gone, after I’ve made him atone for what he’s done.

The door opens then. Magnum turns stealthily, the first quick movement I’ve seen him make while he’s been here. I look around him, hoping to find Brawler. I’m admittedly worried about him, but also knowing it’ll probably be Rocket who’s come back up the stairs.

It’s neither.

“Princess?”

I stand from the stool. Oscar’s glaring at me with a confused expression. He isn’t the only one who’s surprised to see me up here.

He looks around. “Where is everyone?”

“Brawler jumped into a fight. Rocket had to take care of it,” Magnum answers.

Oscar rolls his eyes. “Always so dramatic, the big lug.”

Oscar looks at peace here. Maybe he wasn’t at my fight earlier, but he’s certainly watched the fights from up here before. The way he joined the Heights Crew would make me believe he would be a low-rung guy, but his attitude at school and familiarity with this place makes me think he has a bigger stake in the Crew than I thought.

He winks at the girls in the back, and they titter. As I’m beginning to notice, Mag doesn’t prolong their conversation, so Oscar has to return to looking at me. His dark eyes narrow, taking me in in my outfit that is so different from what I normally wear to school.

“What’s she doing here?” he finally asks, inclining his head toward me. His gaze moves down my body, pricking my skin at his attention. In this outfit, I’m exposed. Not that I don’t like it. I actually do. But to be this revealed in front of him makes me want to go hide in a corner.

“What? You just get here?” Magnum asks.

“Had to take care of some shit.”

Magnum eyes Oscar as he moves closer to me. I stand up straighter. Mag’s voice sounds far away as he says, “Let’s just say she kicked Cherry’s ass. Rocket was impressed.”

Oscar’s eyes gleam. “Kicked Cherry’s ass? Didn’t know you had it in you, Princess.”

“Don’t call me Princess.”

Magnum’s marble-like face starts to move until I see him almost smile. “If you saw her fighting, you wouldn’t use that nickname anymore. She was far from it.”

I glance over. The smile of appreciation hinting at his face leaves as soon as he realizes I’m looking at him.

Oscar can’t help but to be surprised. His lips part while he studies me again. This time paying particular attention to my arms and shoulders. “That good, huh? It’s a shame I missed it.”

“You mean it’s a shame it wasn’t Nevaeh whose ass I kicked.”

He winks. “Maybe we could still make that happen.” Moving closer, Oscar’s all smiles, slinking in like he’s got charm in spades to spare for me.

His heavy gaze drowns me in lust. I felt it the first time I saw him, and I feel it now. This time’s worse, though. He’s trying to draw me in. The sexy smirk of his plays on his lips like he knows exactly what he’s doing, and what girl doesn’t want a guy who knows exactly what he’s doing?

Before I know it, Oscar’s being hauled backward. He’s slammed into the opposite wall as I stifle a scream.

“My. Girl,” Rocket seethes. “You’re already on thin ice, Drego. Don’t make me kick your ass for this.”

Oscar holds up his hands. He’s trying to be his casual, nonchalant self, but his gaze flicks to the imposing body in front of him and then back to me. Magnum’s hand hovers over his gun as he eyes Oscar to make sure he won’t retaliate, but he doesn’t move from his spot either. When Rocket turns to look at me, Oscar drills a hole into the back of his head.

Rocket’s pale blue eyes harden to ice chips. “If someone touches you, it’s your responsibility to tell me. Got it?”

His curt words drill a warning into me. In theory, possessive guys are sexy. Hell, maybe they can be if I actually had a say in the matter, but it’s alarmingly clear Rocket claimed me, and there’s nothing I can do or say about it.

I may as well have my muzzle still in place when it comes to Rocket because I’m sure he wouldn’t find it endearing if I told him just what I thought of him claiming my body for his and no one else’s. Instead, I push my now dry hair off my shoulder. “He didn’t touch me.”