Uppercut Princess (The Heights Crew #1)(58)

He gives me a fleeting smile that’s more forced than anything. I’m sure he deals with a bunch of damaged, disgruntled kids all fucking day. I’m no one to him. “As your principal said, I’m Detective Reynolds. I work for the Rawley Heights Police, and I want to ask you a few questions.”

“About?” My attitude tells him I don’t give a fuck, but inside, I’m trying to figure out how to play this. This has got to be about the Heights Crew. It has to be.

“Word on the street is that Johnny Rocket has a new girlfriend.”

“Yeah?”

He smiles, for real now. “Is that you?”

“Is that really what you brought me down here to ask? Surely there’s something more important than who’s getting Johnny off every night?”

The police officer shifts in his seat. “Alright, I won’t beat around the bush then. I hear you’re a fighter in one of Johnny Rocket’s underground rings.”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” I say. Johnny doesn’t get to have underground fighting rings without the police turning a blind eye, but that doesn’t mean they want it thrown in their faces.

He eyes the soft bruising on my face. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

I stop myself from squirming. My injuries don’t even hurt anymore. The slight discoloration on my face is the only remnant of what’s transpired. “Then why’d you ask?”

“Glutton for punishment, I guess. Comes with the job description.”

I shrug. “Can’t help you there.”

Detective Reynolds leans back in his seat. He places one of his legs over his thigh, tapping his fingers against his shoe. “Well, let me tell you a few things I can help you with. Big Daddy K and Johnny Rocket—I’m sure those are names you’ve heard of—well, they aren’t the only thugs on the street. They aren’t the only thugs with an underground fighting ring either. They’ve had some territorial fights about it recently. Had one guy show up charred in a dumpster fire. You might recognize him.” He takes out a picture from his pocket, glances at it a moment, and then hands it to me.

I take it from him. Immediately, I know who it is. It’s the fucking waiter from the restaurant. The one who accidentally touched me then showed up at the warehouse the very same night calling me a whore. I hand it back, face stoic. “Sorry, I don’t.”

Detective Reynolds gives me a tight smile like he expected me to say that. “That dead guy’s from Roza Fonz’s underground ring. She sent him to scope you out. Sounds like you put on a show when you fought.”

“Sounds like you don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, even though my stomach twists. For being on the outside, he knows a lot about what happens on the inside.

“You’re new here, so I’m going to tell you some things you don’t know, Kyla. Roza Fonz had the fights first. She had that ‘territory’, if you will, here in the Heights before the Crew was even a thing. Then one day, Big Daddy K took it over and moved her out. They’ve been fighting about it ever since. If you’re on Roza’s radar, it’s not good. I’m here because I care. I doubt anyone’s explained to you how deep you’re in. Not Johnny, Big Daddy K, or any of his henchmen. Roza aims to take the underground fighting ring back. If you’re in her way, she’ll take you out.”

My stomach roils. He’s wrong about one thing though. I’ve been warned about the Crew. Three people have told me just about the same thing Detective Reynolds just did.

The door bursts open, making me jump. I spin in my seat to find Oscar standing there, chest heaving in front of him.

“Goddamn principal fucker,” Detective Reynolds curses, his face growing beet red.

I get it now. The principal’s in tight with the Heights Crew. Of course he is.

Oscar holds his hand out to me, and I take it. He helps me to my feet. “You’re done here,” he spits over my shoulder. “They won’t be happy about this.”

“Ahh, Drego,” Detective Reynolds says, recovering quickly. His stare drops to my hand in Oscar’s. “Just in time. I was telling our friend Kyla here about Roza Fonz.”

“Kyla doesn’t have anything to do with that.” He squeezes my hand like he wants to protect me from this.

“I hear Roza’s not too pleased about the hype going on about her.”

“Always nice to see you, Reynolds. As usual, get fucked.”

Oscar drags me away. I glance over my shoulder to find Detective Reynolds smiling our way. He tucks the picture of the waiter back into his inside pocket, and I swallow. Magnum told me it was more than just an accidental touch. I didn’t believe him. I thought they were being paranoid. I thought Johnny was being overbearing. Criminal.

What if they were right?

“Rocket’s so fucking pissed right now,” Oscar growls. He’s still dragging me down the hallway, so I tear my arm away from him. He looks back. “Sorry,” he says. “Word got out that the cops were here and then someone mentioned you being asked to go to the office. I came right away. Johnny’ll be here soon to come get you.”

“I’m fine,” I tell him, rubbing my wrists. “I can stay.”

Oscar shakes his head. “For the love of God, don’t do anything to piss him the fuck off even more. Just go with him. He was trying to keep you safe, but now that Reynolds has outed some shit, he’ll have to explain things.”