Better When He's Bad (Welcome to the Point #1)(23)

“Be here Friday, Bax. I hope you remember what it’s like.”

Bax just lifted an eyebrow. “You mean it’s different from trying to keep your ass safe in the yard every day?”

Nassir laughed and I saw both his companions’ eyes glaze over in arousal. Man, he was potent.

“Good point. It really is good to see you, Bax.”

Bax didn’t respond in kind, but gave me a little shove so I was leading the way down the staircase. Once we were back on the main floor, he couldn’t seem to get out of the club fast enough. I almost had to jog to keep up with his purposeful and long-legged strides back to street level and the car.

I had a million and one questions I wanted to fire at him, answers I wanted to demand, but his jaw was locked and he looked mad. Not at me, not at his criminal cohort, just mad at the world in general, and I didn’t want any of that pointed in my direction. I hadn’t survived as long as I had on my own without knowing when to keep quiet and disappear into the background.

We drove in silence for fifteen minutes out of the city. I was surprised when he pulled the car to a stop in front of a cute little bungalow right on the border of the Point and the Hill. This was a nice neighborhood. Kids could play outside here. Parents didn’t need bars on the windows or handguns under their pillows. That being said, I had no idea what we were doing here or what I should do when Bax parked in the driveway and turned the loud engine off. I turned to look at him and noticed his jaw was clenched and that the star was throbbing as the vein under his skin moved.

“This is my mom’s house.”

I wasn’t going to ask. I didn’t think it was my place to do so, but something was off, so I had to wade in.

“Okay. She won’t mind me staying here until I can work something else out?”

His jaw clenched and I was pretty sure I heard his back teeth crack under the pressure.

“She doesn’t live here. The place is empty. It has been for years.”

I blinked in surprise. Mostly because I never would have pictured him coming from a nice, suburban background like this.

“I’m sorry. Did something happen to her?”

If it was possible, his jaw got even tighter.

“No. I bought this house for her right before I got locked up.”

I blinked at him. “Didn’t you go to jail when you were just a kid?”

He made a noise in his throat and rolled his head around on his shoulders.

“You grew up in the ghetto. Are we ever really kids?”

It was a valid point, but that still didn’t explain a nice house in a pricey neighborhood.

“Why doesn’t she live here if you did something so nice for her? It had to cost an arm and a leg.”

I was really starting to think Race hadn’t bothered to tell me anything about his life before finding me. A few insights into his complicated friend would have been really useful right now.

“Whoever said crime doesn’t pay is an idiot. It pays great, which is why there is so much of it. I bought her a house because I knew eventually I was going to end up dead or in jail and I wanted her to be okay no matter what happened to me. The one stipulation I put on her was that she had to be sober. She can’t stay here while she’s drinking.”

I hissed out a breath, because addiction and mothers were a sore spot for me as well.

“You mean to tell me she has this house free of charge and all she has to do is not drink?”

“Yep.”

“Wow.”

He looked at me and opened his door. “Anyway, it’s empty and no one knows about it because she never dried out enough to move in, so you’ll be safe here for a while. We’ll try and figure out some food and clothes tomorrow.”

I got out of the car and looked up at the house. This was my dream. A cute little house in a safe place. I had never even been close to something like this. It was just sad that some people couldn’t let go of their vices long enough to appreciate a gift like this.

“It’s lovely. Who took care of it for you while you were locked up?”

He grunted, his standard response when I asked him anything he didn’t want to answer.

“Same person that took care of my car.”

I wanted to ask who that was, considering the only friend he seemed to have was on the run and in hiding right now, but I didn’t want to push my luck and I really wanted to see inside the house.

“Are you leaving me here alone?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I was worn out from being in his presence for the last few hours. Being around him was like constantly getting shocked by a jolt of electricity. I just couldn’t find solid footing around him, and yet, besides Race, I had never felt more like someone wouldn’t let anything hurt me.

Those dark eyes were fathomless. I wished he was easier to read.

“For tonight I’ll crash on the couch.”

I wasn’t going to ask where he typically spent the night. I was sure the answer had to do with the impressive package I had felt pressed against me when he kissed me earlier. It wasn’t my business and I didn’t want to start feeling like it should be.

As he cracked open the door and walked inside, I asked, “What did you set up with that guy at the rave? A race or something?”

“No, I wish. No one will run a street race with me anymore. I never lose, so they stopped asking.”