Ride or Die (Rejects Paradise 4)

She sucks in another breath, almost struggling to hold herself together. “Oh, no, no, no. I know where this is going. Please tell me that you didn’t go to the Wolves and get yourself involved in this mess?”

I press my lips together, regretting having to tell her this. “I did.”

“Shit,” she grunts, propping her elbows onto her desk and hanging her head. “What did my father do to you?”

“Your father?” I grunt, whipping my head up to meet her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

Miss Davies presses her lips into a tight line, giving me a sad and pained stare. “Mikhail, Ocean. Mikhail is my father.”

I stare at her blankly. “What… What are you talking about? I came here to tell you that I met Christian and tell you how much he loves and misses you.”

Her eyes go wide. “You what?”

We both sit in silence, lost in the revelations until she finally lets out a breath. “So, you’re a Wolf, and you met my big brother?”

“Yeah,” I say, unsure why I feel so shaky. “He’s kinda awesome and told me all about you, though I have to admit, it took me a while to put the puzzle pieces together, but he misses you, like a lot. He didn’t actually admit that, but I could tell.”

She presses her lips together and gently shakes her head. “Then my brother is a better actor than I gave him credit for,” she tells me. “He hasn’t come to visit in over two years. I highly doubt that he’s missing me.”

“He told me that,” I murmur. “He said that he stays away on purpose because of how well you’re doing out here. He was so proud when he told me how you made it through college and have this big job at a fancy school. He’s scared that if he was to come and see you, you might get close to him again, and he doesn’t want to take away from everything you’ve achieved.”

Her gaze drops to her hands. “If I got close again, my father would try to bring me back.”

I nod, completely understanding. “You never mentioned that Russo was your father when we talked about it last.”

She laughs. “It’s not exactly something that I shout from the rooftops. I had my name officially changed to my mother’s maiden name so that when I started going for jobs, I’d have no visible ties to gangs.” I nod, and she continues. “Look, Ocean. I don't envy the position that you’re in. Gang life is not for the faint-hearted, but you’re strong. There’s no way out for you now, so I can’t help you, nor will I allow myself to get involved, but I can promise to be a shoulder to cry on when things get hard—because they will. But I think you already know that.”

I nod and rise from my seat, keeping my eyes on her as I go. “Thanks, I should really get to homeroom before I get in even more trouble.” I murmur, truly appreciating her gesture. “It’ll be nice to talk to someone about it that actually understands.”

“Trust me, I know the feeling,” she laughs, getting up and walking around her desk. She instantly pulls me into a tight hug. “I’m rooting for you, Ocean. Play it smart and don’t do anything stupid. It’d be a real shame if you were to get hurt. This world … it’s brutal.”

“I know,” I tell her. “I’m being careful.”

“Good.” She pulls out of my arms and looks at me with a grim stare. “Do me a favor and don’t mention me to anyone, and certainly don’t tell Christian that we had this conversation. My father has wanted me back in the ‘family business’ for years now, and if he knew I was this close—”

“Of course,” I tell her. “My lips are sealed.”

“Good. Now, let me write you a note, excusing you from homeroom.”

I grin wide. This might just be a friendship worth fighting for.Chapter 11The rest of the week drags by painfully slow, probably because I’ve spent every minute of it searching around corners and looking over my shoulders. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for Christian’s warning, but a part of me is starting to wish that he hadn’t called. That way when it finally happens, it’ll be a surprise, and it’ll be over before I know it. This way, while I can do my best to prepare, I'm also spending everyday living in fear.

Part of me wishes that the Wolves would just get their shit together and get it over with so I can get rid of this fear that lives inside of me. Who knows, maybe because I’m a chick and knocked up they might take it easy on me, but then, these guys don’t give a shit about that.

What the hell have I got myself into? No, scrap that. What the hell did my father get me into? I was more than happy going about my days, looking at the Wolves as the enemy. That’s what Nic had taught me to believe, and that’s the truth that I stood by, but maybe they’re not the enemy. Maybe they never have been.