The Havoc We Wreak (The Four 3)

I gave him a brief nod. “Z? Want a coffee?”

“Black.”

“Like your soul.”

He smirked at me. “What soul?”

I laughed and helped myself to coffee, setting a mug down in front of Zayde. “Mack? You want one?”

“I’m good,” he replied, turning off the tattoo gun and wiping the bicep of the guy he’d been inking. “Done. Let’s get it wrapped, then you can go.” They both stood, their low conversation fading as they walked over to the mirrors at the back of the shop.

“You sure about this?” Zayde asked me again. “This shit is permanent.”

“Yes, I’m fucking sure, just like I was the other fifty times you asked me,” I said irritably.

“Alright. Calm down.” He flicked through the book of tattoo designs that rested on the table in front of us, deceptively casual.

“I’ve got another stop to make after this. You wanna come?”

“Depends. Where?”

I eyed him carefully. He was tense, again. Whatever shit he’d been doing this morning had left him on edge. “I’ve got to pick something up. A birthday present for Winter.” He was opening his mouth to say no when I added, “It won’t take long. We can grab a drink after, if you want.” I’d been wrapped up in Winter and all this shit with her mother lately, but Z was my best mate, and he’d been disappearing more and more often lately. He needed this. Even if he didn’t know it.

Abandoning the book of tattoo designs, he picked up his mug of coffee and met my eyes. “Yeah. Okay.”

Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic in the city centre, I idly noticed the admiring glances of the tourists as they took in my car. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I’d say they were probably admiring me and Z as well.

Speaking of Z, I glanced over at him, needing to ask him the question that had been playing on my mind ever since the Allan bombshell. He reclined in the passenger seat, tatted arm propped up on the windowsill, and aviator sunglasses hiding his icy gaze. “You wanna tell me what happened when you disappeared when the rest of us went to the docks?”

He continued staring straight ahead. “Alright. I remembered Creed mentioned one of his boys had seen an older, balding guy when he was watching the docks. I had to check it out.”

“Was it Allan?” I inched the car forwards, before coming to yet another stop. This traffic was a fucking joke.

“Yeah, think so—sounds like him, anyway. No fucking clue what he was doing, but he was seen talking to the security guy in the guard hut, then he disappeared inside the docks for about twenty minute

s, then left.”

“That’s it?” I couldn’t hide the disappointment in my tone.

“Yeah. If I knew more, I wouldn’t keep it from you, mate.”

“I know.” I indicated to turn the car onto the side street that led to the private underground car park we used when we came into the city. Glancing over at him again, I chose my next words carefully. “Anything else you want to talk about? I know we’ve had all this shit going on, but I’m here for you, yeah?”

He was silent as I pulled up to the car park entrance and leaned out of the window to punch the entrance code into the pad mounted on a stalk in front of the entrance barrier. As the barrier lifted and I drove inside, he finally spoke.

“Nah, I’m good.”

I didn’t think so. I backed my R8 into a large space near the exit. “If you ever, y’know…”

“I know. Thanks.”

After we’d picked up Winter’s present and had a quick drink, I dropped Zayde back off at Mack’s shop so he could pick up his bike. Once we got away from the city traffic and onto the open roads, we raced each other home. He only won because he cheated, sneaking between the cars on his bike when I got stuck behind the world’s fucking slowest tractor.

Back at the house I managed to stash my purchase where Winter wouldn’t find it, then went to find my girlfriend. She was playing darts with my brother, both of them doubled over laughing when she kept missing the target. Without making my presence known, I stood back and watched her, carefree, her dark hair falling over her back, her sexy little ass encased in yoga pants that looked borderline illegal. My dick stirred as my eyes raked over every inch of her hot body. Fuck. I needed to be inside her.

I didn’t disturb her, though. My dick would have to wait. She needed this time to have fun and forget her worries for once. Weston, too, for that matter.

Not only that, but it was her birthday tomorrow, and I had research to do.