Beautiful Brute (Court University 3)

Out of his wallet, LJ fashioned a thick wad of bills, grunting before slamming the cash into Knight’s awaiting palm.

“Nice doing business with ya, buddy,” Knight crooned, standing before fanning the cash. He grinned. “We had a little wager that was what hung you up.”

“And here I thought better of you.” LJ’s string-bean-looking ass tackled me in what was easily a five-thousand-dollar suit. I knew since I had a few. I often had to wear them for events back home and, of course, whenever I appeared at one of my moms’ restaurant openings. Our buddy Royal had expensive tastes, and where LJ might have cared before since he didn’t always have money, he didn’t now. He wasn’t in the drug game anymore, but he’d been smart and invested a fair amount of it, I guessed. The dude was basically printing money these days so here was Daddy Warbucks tackling me. He used to do that a lot in high school since he was taller than like, well, everyone in the goddamn world. He wrestled my hair. “So who is she, buddy?”

Again, none of his goddamn business. I wasn’t ashamed I was sleeping with my stepsister. Fuck no. But none of that shit was any of these fuckers’ businesses. Growling, I turned the tides and got behind LJ, and when Knight looked like he wanted to join in too, Royal barked a throat clear.

That shit drummed in this empty place, and stepping off his podium like a friggin’ lord, he snarled at us.

“If you’re done,” he stated, his eyes green fucking fire. He jerked his chin in the direction of the changing rooms. “Jax, you’re set up in room four.”

“Yes, Daddy,” I pouted. This fucker actually grabbed my goddamn head, faced me in that direction and pushed me off like his kid. I laughed my ass off the whole way, and when I turned around, I noticed both LJ and Knight pretended not to find the whole shit funny as well.

Knight had shrugged, “What?” before scampering back to the racks and pretending to look at shit. LJ dodged Royal’s eyes completely, and I rolled mine before getting into the room.

Royal had me set up with a similar three-piece suit, gray with coal-black tie and matching dress shirt. He himself just wore a different cut and since my buddy always had good taste, I wasn’t surprised to come out looking ready for a red carpet event.

The guys whistled like assholes when I came out, but Royal actually smiled before shaking his head and getting a look. I ragged on him for all this wedding shit, but I really did want to make him happy. We all did.

“So who was the girl?” he asked, standing behind me. Considering how we’d left things the last time we’d all seen each other, it was nice to not see him blazing daggers into the back of my head. Looking back, I realized those were deserved now, but still, I never liked the tension. We were brothers, friends since before I knew what a friend was.

I shrugged and only got a head shake behind me through the mirror. He’d find out soon enough. They all would. They’d been shocked as hell I’d entertained the idea of inviting Cleo to December’s bachelorette party. Obviously, December had been the one to throw that idea out there, but I had passed on the information. That fact alone had shocked the hell out of them, and I did get questions.

I dodged them all, not wanting that pressure. I didn’t know what Cleo was to me, but I didn’t need folks overanalyzing it.

I did that enough for the both of us.

In any sense, the door to the shop pinged, and Royal and I both turned, I think, on instinct considering no one else was here besides us.

“Hey, guys. Sorry I’m late.”

A fifth came in, a fifth I definitely recognized as the fucker’s height matched my boy LJ’s height and then some.

Ramses Mallick, a kid I knew from high school, walked up in this bitch and greeted my boys Knight and LJ like they’d been expecting him. They put their hands out to him, a shake and a back pat. I was fucking floored and even more so to see Royal’s reaction.

Mallick sprinted his ass over to us and not only had Royal given him his hand, he cuffed Mallick’s shoulder.

“Looked up the weather in Providence. Glad you were able to beat the storm out,” Royal said, actually smiling at this dude.

What the fuck?

These guys were the epitome of rivals in school, understood as Mallick had tried to mack on Royal’s girl. It got so bad at one point the two nearly killed each other.

Yet, here he was, hand in hand with Royal like they were friends? Nah, that was a strong word. Civil was a better one when Mallick shook back and slid a hand in his pocket. He was dressed for Rhode Island weather, jeans and a collared shirt, and his curly hair did look like he’d been caught in the rain at some point before it’d dried. He had it all over the place and wrestled with it.

“Yeah, delays out the ass coming away from Brown, but I made it,” he said. “Sorry for being late.”

“No worries. We got you set up in five if you’re all set.”

Royal waved him to follow him and as they passed, Mallick noticed me. He raised a hand. “Hey, Jax.”

“Hey… Mallick.”

A nod and more than friendly at me. I felt like I was in the fucking Twilight Zone as my buddy walked this dude he literally couldn’t stand last I checked toward the dressing rooms. Mallick trailed after him, and I moved into the center of Knight and LJ, who didn’t look as shocked as I felt. I tapped Knight

’s bear chest. “What the fuck?”

I got a smirk from LJ and a chuckle from Knight, who propped his arm on the racks again. Knight lifted his fingers. “What? You didn’t hear?”