Page 55 of House of Scarlett
I let go of Rolo’s shirt, and he slumps against the seat. “Where the fuck did the whisper come from?”
“I ran into Black’s buddy, his cutman, on the subway coming back from Brooklyn. He didn’t say much. Just that he wanted the fight, bad. You can make a fuck ton more from a grudge match because of the hype. You know it. I know it. Let’s make it real and cash the fuck in.”
I don’t answer him. There’s nothing left to say. I get up and walk the fuck away.
“Legend. What the fuck?” Rolo yells after me, but I keep going. “Gabriel! Wha—”
He finally goes silent when I disappear through the hidden glass door. I don’t turn around to see his face, but I can picture him gaping after me.
I don’t give a shit.
If Bodhi Black did anything to fuck with my club, he’s going to answer for it. I’ve let the need for revenge against Moses Buford Gaspard eat at me for fifteen years, and I’m not doing that again.
It’s time to handle shit.
Thirty-Three
Scarlett
I’m stuffedafter the pint of mashed potatoes I managed to devour, and now Flynn and I are laid out on my bed, flipping through our phones and comparing social media feeds.
Hers is all cars, exotic locations, and dark-haired men with tattoos, while mine is light, fun pictures of families, design, decor, flea markets, auction houses, secondhand stores, fashion, and fitness. We couldn’t be any more different if we tried.
“You really follow these families, people don’t know, like they’re celebrities?” Flynn still can’t get over my obsession with my favorite hashtag,#LifeIsMessy.
“Why should I care more about what celebrities are doing than real people, living real lives?”
Flynn gapes at me like I’m nuts. “Uh, I don’t know. Maybe because first, you are a celebrity, and second, they’re your biggest clients.”
“Which is exactly why I follow all the stuff they don’t know about so I can show them what they want.”
“That seems unbelievably backward.”
My phone buzzes with a text, and I’m surprised to see it’s Christine, my financial advisor. Then I remember the time difference—she’s in California.
Christine: You up for a call tomorrow? Ryan and I have been trying to hold off. He really wanted to bring the gift basket to the hospital personally, but I wasn’t sure you’d want even more company than you already had.
Scarlett: You know I love you both, and having it delivered was more than enough. My schedule is wide open. Amy has banned me from working until next week.
Christine: Good, then you’ll have time to catch us up on what the hell is going on with you. Ryan’s worried.
Scarlett: You mean you’re worried and passing it off on Ryan because you don’t want me to know you have feelings?
Christine: My heart is black. I’ll text with a time in the morning. Take care and heal fast, Scarlett.
I send one last reply with a dozen heart and kissy faces, which will make her throw her phone down in disgust. Christine doesn’t do emotion. She lives for the numbers and hard facts.
The sound of a car engine revving from Flynn’s phone steals my attention. “What are you watching?”
“Race videos. Want to see me kick some ass?”
My head jerks back and I stare at her in surprise. “You post videos of your races online? They’re illegal, Flynn! That is thedumbest thingyou could possibly do. It’s like robbing a bank and posting a picture of the money!”
The side-eye I get from my former stepsister borders on legendary.
“Do you really think I’d take a risk like that? I’m not stupid. Ever since boarding school, I’ve worn a black helmet with a bandana over my mouth and nose under it, so I’m totally anonymous, even when I flip the visor up. No one knows who I am in real life. They only know me as the Black Widow.”
I drop my phone on the bed and dip my forehead to rest against my raised fingers. “You didn’t just say that.”
