Why that pisswad gorgeous asshole! He was playing with Cameron. Cameron's eyes narrowed, but other than that his face was blank. He pushed away from the post and turned to leave. "My mother and I came here with nothing," Damon said quietly. That stopped Cameron in his tracks. "Mike took us in, shared with us the food on his table." I could feel the tension in the air between them. Cameron turned, looked at Damon. "I will protect Kara just as her father protected my mother. If you hurt her, I'll do my damned best to hurt you more." Cameron nodded. "I can respect that. I would never hurt Kara," he said. "But between you and me, we both know who'd come out the winner." I knew it too. Damon was tall, lean and strong, but Cameron was a giant. Cameron was built like a warrior, with hands that could easily crush someone's head. But I could tell Damon wasn't intimidated. He jumped off the railing, movements agile and fast, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "You know the problem is with big guys?" Damon smirked, climbed down the stairs so that he was eye to eye with Cameron. "They're so hard to miss." Then he walked away. I thought Cameron would be offended, but what I saw was a small smile on his mouth. "Mind blown," Dylan whispered beside me. "So cool." "Which one?" "Is that even a legit question?" I nodded. "Both of them," he whispered reverently. "Like Spiderman and Venom." He was right. * Sometimes you come unprepared for something important. It doesn't matter if some people are in the same boat as you. Sure, they can bring a little comfort, but what stands out more are the people who came ready, standing close to the escape pods in the crashing spaceship when shit hits the fan, ready to rock and roll. Aren't they just annoying? They say these people's seeds will populate the Earth, because they are resourceful, reliable, lucky, who knows? If that were true, Earth would be full of my descendants. I was gloating, just a little, as I hitched the bag on my shoulder. It was impulsiveness that drove me to get the last gift I didn't need to buy. Christmas was only a few days away. I had already bought and wrapped all the Christmas presents I needed a few months ago. Yes, I came prepared. Yes, I am ready. Yes, I am one of those annoying people. You should see my smile right now. I watched out for sales, deals and I almost always get the perfect present. You see the trick is to listen. If you spend enough time with a person, they leave comments here and there of what they want or need, intentional or unintentional. And I was a good listener. So, when a powerful, roaring engine growled behind me, speeding like a demon catapulted from heaven to hell, I didn't even blink. I just reacted and jumped out of the way, damn near imprinting my body to a tree. A memory from a while ago where a black Ferrari was outside Cameron's house shot in my head. It was almost the same sound—a powerful, purring engine. But when I turned around, my jaw fell open. It was a Bugatti, one of the greatest cars in the world and could easily cost more than a couple million dollars. I had heard my dad gush about it so many times. It was in gleaming black, and the sound it made was aggressive and vicious as it sped ahead, then stopped. I watched in fascination as the driver turned it around in a smooth maneuver, then crept to where I was standing on the sidewalk. The tinted window slid down soundlessly. "Hello." Her hair spilled long and black like a panther's coat on her shoulders, glossy and smooth against the red backdrop of the interior of her car. Her lips were painted a crimson blood, her eyes shielded by huge and round sunglasses that probably cost more than our electricity bill for the whole year. It was impossible not to recognize her. It was the woman in black at The Yard I saw last week. I was sure of it. What in the hell is she doing here? "I wonder if you can help me," she said, her voice smooth and cool as ice. Her tone hinted of sophistication. I shifted the bag in front of me, gripping it close. "What can I help you with?" "I'm lost." She let out a laugh that sounded like silky smoke and luxurious sheets. Men must fall at her feet at the sound of it. She took her glasses off. Later I would remember that I had taken a step back. Her eyes had an eerie quality to them, startling in their intensity and piercing as though she was drilling into my soul as they watched my face. "You know something? You look awfully familiar." "I saw you. At The Yard the other day," I said. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh! You're one of Rick's little soldiers. He's a good friend of mine." She smiled. "I dropped by the other day, hoping to surprise him. Silly me. I should have called." I forced myself to relax. She was a friend of my boss, and I'd probably meet her again at The Yard or talk to her on the phone while she scheduled a date with Rick. Maybe she was even Rick's girlfriend, but I doubted it. "You said you're lost. What's the place you're looking for?" "A car shop. You look like you're from this town. How about you point me to one, sweetheart?" "My family owns a car shop." She beamed. "Well, lucky me!" She reached over and pushed open the passenger side door, peering at me over her sunglasses. "Are you brave enough to show me where it is? I'm terrible with directions." She was a very beautiful woman, stunning even. I had no idea why I couldn't relax. Something felt...off. Maybe the reason was simply because we were worlds apart. I had never met anyone like her before. "Rick is supposed to help me with this. As you can tell, I'm not from around here. Just passing through, hunting down some old friends. Would you like to hop in? Show me where your shop is. It's a special car," she said conversationally. No shit. What an understatement. My dad would salivate if he got his hands on this. "Come on," she cajoled, patting the seat. She smiled, and I had to blink. There was something mesmerizing about her, something that drew me in. I couldn't put my finger on it. "It's a special car and not many people get to ride in it. Besides," she added, amusement in her voice, "I rarely ever bite." A chuckle came out before I could stop it. "I'm not sure our shop can handle your car." "Don't be silly. I'm sure it's fine." Again, she was a friend of my boss, I reminded myself, and apparently, he was supposed to help her with this. My shop was close, and it was good advertising if people saw a Bugatti coming in. Why the hell not? It smelled of wealth and indulgence the second I slid inside the car. The seats were leather and buttery soft, the stitching perfect, the panels smooth. Everything about it was dripping with the best money could buy. "Sweet ride." "It was a gift."