Uppercut Princess (The Heights Crew #1)(61)
Oh okay. Sure.
Maybe the conversation was lengthier than that, but that was the bones of it.
Johnny reaches over and tangles his fingers with mine. In the moment, it’s comforting. I don’t want to analyze it and tell myself that it’s disgusting what I’m doing. He’s offering me comfort, and I’m taking it. That’s it.
Within ten minutes, we’re pulling up to a modern building on the outskirts of the inner city in the Heights. Magnum takes a right, the road slanting down until we’re at a lower parking level. It’s an expansive parking area, but very few cars are parked inside it. “Who all lives here?” I ask.
“Dad, me, a few of the other guys at the top. Magnum,” Johnny finishes like his bodyguard is an afterthought.
I avoid the gaze that’s burning into the side of my face right now. Magnum sure is doing a good job of being intimidating. He doesn’t like that they’re bringing me here. I doubt he sees me as that much of a threat, but the fact that I’m going to be so close to Big Daddy K has him on high alert.
“Do you have your own place?” I ask. It comes out sounding like I want to know what my boyfriend’s living situation is, for reasons, but I actually need to know for recon. And you know, maybe reasons. After I figure out what the fuck is wrong with me, I’ll worry about my traitorous body.
Johnny’s fingers tighten in mine. “We live on the same floor, but I have my own place,” he says, his voice oozing sex. That incident earlier really got him ramped up. I’m going to have to avoid him until I straighten shit out in my head. Then again, he could be leaving me in a moment to go find someone else to fuck. Big Daddy K’s orders are still in place.
My skin crawls with that thought, but I rub my arms to ease it because that shouldn’t be my focus right now. Even if it was, I might actually think Johnny hasn’t done that again. He certainly blew off the lady at school for me.
Magnum parks the car near a nondescript door with a glass side panel. Johnny pushes the back door open and gets out, reaching back for my hand once he’s standing. I get out next to him, my heart thumping in my chest like the furious beat of hooves during a horse race. He touches my cheek. “You’ll be fine.”
Magnum moves ahead of us, opening the door which reveals an elevator. Once we’re all inside, he presses the button for P, which I’m assuming stands for Penthouse. Other than that, there are two other floors. He’s literally surrounded by other higher-ups in the Crew. If I decide to take him out here, escaping will be tricky. Then again, I might not have a choice. I haven’t seen Big Daddy K out anywhere. When Johnny says he’s going to meetings, I’m pretty sure they’re held right here.
The elevator moves us up briskly. When it stops, Magnum steps out first and then turns to face us in a bare, but high-ceilinged hallway. There are two doorways. One to the left and one to the right.
“Hands up,” Magnum says as I step out.
“Um, what?”
He reaches for a black metal detection wand that sits on a table—the only piece of furniture in the hallway.
“It’s just a precaution,” Johnny says before moving to stand next to Magnum.
They both face me, and I bite down on my lip, but widen my stance and hold my arms out to the side. Magnum waves the wand over me. It goes off over my chest. “Underwire in my bra,” I say. I cock an eyebrow. “Should I take my shirt off?”
“No,” Johnny grunts.
Magnum keeps the same fierce look of concentration as he finishes up. The detector doesn’t go off again, but already I’m pleased with what I’m finding out. I’ll probably have this same treatment every time I come up here, unless I somehow put myself on the other side with Johnny. If they trust me enough, I just might someday not get the wand treatment. Otherwise, I have no option. I’ll need a weapon to take down Big Daddy K, and right now, their security is on top of things to make sure that doesn’t happen. I suppose I could always hide it in my bra. Especially if I’m with Johnny. He won’t let them make me take my shirt off.
“All good,” Magnum says as he places the wand back down.
“No shit,” I deadpan.
My words don’t faze Mag though. He’s just doing his job, and he probably doesn’t care if a teenager gets salty about it.
Magnum turns toward the door on the right and opens it. Johnny follows him, and I take up the rear. Now that the metal detection part is over, the nerves are back. My palms sweat. Overall, there’s a sickening feeling twisting my stomach. This is like meeting your real-life boogeyman. The guy who’s haunted your dreams and terrorized you for years. Sure, I may be older now and able to comprehend that he probably won’t do anything to me, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a bunch of turmoil going on underneath the surface.
The worst part, I don’t know how I’m going to react when I see him.
We walk into a posh suite. Everything is modern with sleek lines. Brushed silver and grays seem to be the color of choice of Big Daddy. The king of the Heights Crew obviously lives in opulence, which I highly doubt the same can be said for a lot of his members. Oscar, for one, who’s living with a junkie mother. He told me he wanted to get out of the Heights to make a better life for him and his mom, and this guy, who has the nicest place I’ve seen since coming to the Heights, holds him back.