Kobe, Bad Blood (Blood Roses Book 1) by Danielle Norman (great reads TXT) 📕

“Is that all?” she asked with a chuckle, and I had to smile at her.

“I also slept with my brother’s best friend last night. He was gone when I woke up.”

“Well, fuck,” she said and lowered her mitts.

“Yep.”

There was something soothing about working out, it released all of the pent up stress. Maybe the fact that I had Ridley to talk to, also helped.

Before we left the gym, we decided to exchange numbers. It was the first time I had a friend, a real girl friend.

Easton

Sweat beaded down my neck, I was under the interstate overpass of I4, all senses were on high alert. This was the first time I had been in this situation. Sure, I had prepared myself for what to expect, but actually being here for a major drug deal was fucking alarming.

Mostly because the DT Coyotes were the real thing. I was not working with some teenagers who thought they could earn some street cred, selling weed on a street corner. Nope, this was oxy, and if this deal went sideways, and the cops showed up, we could be facing twenty years in prison. I wouldn’t be shocked if the DA tried to get us on RICO charges since the oxy was coming from outside of Florida.

I tried to focus on what was going on around me, but at the same time thoughts of Kobe played through my head—hell, she had been there all day. I hadn’t heard from her, but in all fairness, I hadn’t reached out to her either. It was for the best really, what happened between us was stress and pent-up unresolved trauma from the murder of Jared. I was angry because she wouldn’t quit Sasha’s, that was all, that was all last night was, it was an angry fuck. Yeah, that had to be it. At least, that was what I had continued to tell myself.

“Fucking, motherfucker, what’s taking them so long?” Spider asked as he shifted his weight uncomfortably and wiped his brow on the back of his hand.

Obviously, I wasn’t the only one feeling the heat tonight, which gave me some comfort, I was sweating. Mine wasn’t so much heat as it was nerves. We were all on edge. I knew some people lived for the thrill of this, but I’d rather get my kicks at a gun range, or driving just a little too fast on my motorcycle.

“They’ll get here when they get here,” Crow snapped and pulled out his iPhone and began scrolling.

“Get here when they get here. What kind of saying is that?” Spider asked, irritated.

I sighed heavily, one of the most frustrating things about working with these people was the bitching among each other. I was shocked that they were constantly ratting each other out. Whenever Dante wasn’t in a room, it was like spending all day with a bunch of teenage boys with too much testosterone and Mommy issues.

“Just try to take your mind off it,” Crow said and slid his phone back into his chest pocket. “Think about everything we’ll do. You’ll probably get five thousand dollars to blow at the next strip club. Maybe we can ask Dante to give it to you in singles.” He teased, and the other men joined in the laughter.

“Ha ha, fuck you. I’m not going to spend it all on strippers. Just a small portion of it, enough to get my baby Crystal to come home with me.”

I shook my head, the man was so delusional. Crystal was one of the highest money makers in the area. She worked at Diamante’s, it wasn’t a popular hangout for the DT Coyotes since the place attracted local businessmen as well.

“What are you gonna do with the money, Crow?” I asked as I leaned forward on the handlebars of my bike.

“I’m gonna take me a week-long vacation to the Bahamas, hang out, and pass out on the beach in an alcohol-induced stupor with whatever pretty local I can scoop up that night.”

It wasn’t a bad plan, and I found myself wishing that I could take a certain brunette on vacation with me as well. Something told me that Kobe had spent entirely too much time concentrating on Jared’s case. It would be good for her to get far away, relax, and just be the young woman that she was.

“Know what I’m looking forward to almost as much as the cash?” Spider asked as he rubbed his hands together. “The oxy itself.”

Crow nodded in approval and closed his eyes as if he could already feel it in a system. “You pop oxy, Easy?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

“When it hits you, God, it feels great. So high—a euphoria, if you will,” Spider said and smiled at the memory. His thin skin stretched tight over his hollow cheeks, and I wondered if he swallowed more pills than he ate actual meals.

“We’re gonna have to give Easy his first dose. What do you say, Crow?” Spider turned to the dark-haired man who stared at the shadow of the underpass.

“Huh?” Crow said, glancing back at us.

“I was saying that we should let Easy here have the first couple pills. What do you say?” He wasn’t offering to be nice, it was just another test.

Crow frowned as if contemplating. “I don’t care as long as Dante is cool with that.” He shrugged and wiped the sweat from his brow as he continued to stare at the overpass.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Something don’t feel right,” Crow said, and I followed his gaze to the shadows.

“What do you mean?” I asked and squinted into the darkness.

“Let’s get out of here,” Crow said and revved his engine.

Before he could speed away, fifteen police officers marched forward, guns raised.

Crow had kicked his motorcycle into gear so fast that he was the first to speed away, leaving the rest of us in a frenzy.

“That bastard,” I muttered and revved my own engine.

The panicked voices were a roar, almost as