Chapter Twenty-nine

"Show's over!" Seb, hollers to the crowd and they cheer, holding their bottles and cups in the air.

"Are you ok, Reina?" he asks Shorty.

Who the hell is this guy?

We're the same height and build but he's built like a boxer as his muscles strain through the black, tight-fitting shirt. He doesn't look like a high school student, but then again neither do we.

Anger swells up inside of me when I see this fucker pick Shorty up and twirl her around like a fucking baby. Who the hell is this guy and why does he have his hands all over my girl? Ash senses the change in my stance when he grabs me by the arm, forcing my head to snap in his direction. Glancing at his hand on my arm and back to his stare, I give him the "get your hands off me" look.

"Relax. He's just a friend of hers. Besides, he's already got a girl." Ash flicks his head toward the door where Lupe, I think her name is, stands. By the look on her face, she is not threatened that her boyfriend is holding another girl too closely in his arms. Instead, she almost looks happy to see them together.

Ash and I lean against the kitchen counter watching Shorty interact with her friends. This is Shorty's life. She truly is down to earth, a girl who's real which is very rare nowadays. Just like I always imagined she would be.

The people who are loyal and protective to her surround her. I'm glad to know that she has been well taken care of despite all the shit she's been through.

"These guys with you, Shorty?" A dark tanned smaller guy takes a drink of his beer as he points the bottle in our direction.

"Yes." She proudly smiles.

Shorty walks over to stand between Ash and me, placing her hands on our backs. "This is Ash, and Donovan." Her head bounces between Ash and me when she says, "Guys, this is Sebastian, also known as Seb. That little guy is Giovanni, but we call him Gio. And that's Máximo, also known as Max." She points to an average size Latino with dark black hair pulled into a ponytail with fades on the side who is sitting on top of the counter eating a handful of chips. He greets us with a nod.

Sebastian pulls two bottles of beer from the cooler and walks toward Ash and me. "Any friend of Shorty is familia to me, and the rest of us." He hands us the beer.

"Thanks man." I glance over his shoulder to see Shorty smiling in approval.

We venture out to the backyard, away from the loud booming music. The girls sit at a patio set with an umbrella, while Ash and I stand behind Shorty with our backs against the deck. Seb is standing right next to Shorty, taking her in as if he's savoring every moment with her. Which makes me wonder if there was ever more than friendship between them.

Gio and Máximo are sitting on the deck steps with a beer in hand laughing at whatever the redhead dressed in a cat suit said.

"I want to dance, mi gente!" Tia jumps from her chair, startling me, hollering while holding her red cup in the air as she shakes her hips. She's got the look of lust in her eyes, and they are directed toward my brother. She wiggles her finger at Ash, commanding him to go with her. I glance over at Ash, and he has a big stupid grin on his face. Yeah, he's got feelings for this girl but is playing cool, trying not to make a big deal out of it. I chuckle as I watch her walk over to him in a seductive manner, grab his hand, and lead him back inside the house.

A lot of oohs and oh shits echo behind them as they disappear from the patio. Tiny yanks Shorty off the chair, begging to dance.

"Sade! Our song is playing!" she screeches excitedly while her drink is spilling all over Seb. "The Way I Are" by Timberland is heard through the open back door.

"Fuck, Tiny! Calm your shit." He stands up and wipes the wetness from his shirt and bicep. The rest of the guys stay behind while the girls follow Shorty and Tiny.

"What's your deal with her?" Seb questions. I don't know if he's genuinely trying to be friendly, or if wants to kill me.

"There's no deal," I respond in a shorter tone than I intended.

He chuckles. "No need to get offended, hermano. Just trying to know the company she keeps. Making sure she's protected."

"She's safe with me."

He nods.

"So, you know what she's been through?" He leans forward, placing both elbows on the table and spinning his beer in his hands.

"Yeah. We go way back," I admit in a hard tone, knowing she's been fucked with for years, and I couldn't do shit to stop it.

"She's stubborn as fuck, you know. Refuses to let any of us to take care of it, if you know what I mean." I don't have to guess what he means. He must've noticed the expression on my face, knowing I would've done the same thing, because he nods and stands up to walk over by me.

"She's one of us and will always be one of us. We protect what's ours." Gio says it almost like a warning.

"You know she can take care of herself, Gio. And the way she looks at these two payasos means we can trust him." Máximo raises his beer to me and gives me a smirk.

"You don't need to worry. She's safe with us," I say, taking a swig of my beer.

"We know. Because if we find out you or her brother hurt her or couldn't protect her if something were to happen to her, I can guaran-fuckin-tee we will hunt your asses down," Seb says with the look of death in his eyes as Gio and Máximo stand beside Seb like a fucking army ready to fight.

"Understood. I wouldn't have it any other way," I deadpan, keeping my eyes focused on the leader. He needs to understand that Shorty means everything to me. I couldn't take care of her when we were kids, but I'm all grown up now. There's nothing or anyone will get in the way of me protecting what is mine. I need these guys' respect if I am going to get them on my side.

"Alright," Seb says as he starts to walk toward the door. "Let's go take care of our girls." He motions for us to follow him.

"You're one of us now, brother." Gio laughs as he smacks my back like we're friends.

As we walk through the narrow hall that leads toward the front room, a line of black and white photographs catches my eye. The first photo is of an old woman sitting in a rocking chair on a porch looking out into the sunset as if she's content with her life. The second photo is of Seb working on a classic car, deep in thought with a rag hanging out of his jean pocket and his face drenched in sweat. The detail and quality of the picture is amazing. The last photo is of the guys drinking and laughing by a lake with Tiny, Telle, and Tia laughing hysterically, standing in front of them.

"Amazing, aren't they?" Seb's deep voice interrupts my thoughts of admiration.

"Yeah," I whisper. "Who took these?"

"You don't know?" he asks in surprise.

I shake my head.

He looks back at the photos and says, "La Reina."

"What? Are you for real?" I ask, astounded and feeling like a fucking idiot. Of course, it would be. She loved taking photos when we were kids.

"Yeah. She does it as a hobby, but I fucking told her she needs to pursue this shit." He laughs. "She's a natural," he says proudly, still staring at the photos.

"No doubt."

"This picture here is my abuela. She died last year of lung cancer. Smoked like a fucking chimney," he continues.

"I'm sorry."

He nods. "Shorty knew how much she meant to me, so she took this picture a month before she passed. It's like she fucking knew, you know? This picture made me realize how happy my abuela was with her life. Shorty gave me that peace."

"And this one right here." He points to the photo of him and his friends. "Is my favorite. This was taken last year on my birthday, so we all went to the lake. This picture right here reminds me of family—my boys and my girls. He gestures to the high school kids drinking and dancing.

"She's special, man. I love her like she's my own sister. Yeah, a long time ago I wanted more, but her heart belonged to someone else, even though she knew he might never come back for her. But I promised her that I would always be there for her, no matter what."

"She told you about me?" I had a feeling he knew who I really was and what I meant to her the way he was eyeing me as soon as she introduced us.

"Yep." He laughs before taking a swig of his beer. "She told me she's saving her heart for a boy with blue eyes." He shakes his head and glances back at the photo with a somber look.

"I'm counting on you. I know you will do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

"How do you know that?" I ask.

"Because you look at her the way we do."

"And that is?"

"You're a possessive asshole like we are. And that is my assurance that you will be her savior. You're her ticket to freedom."

If those words didn't send shivers throughout my body, it certainly sends the message. He thinks I can save her and give her peace. I know I can protect her because of my father's connections, but also because of my love for her. I love her more than anything, more than life itself. I would give up my life to protect her.

"The only flaw in your plan is that she will fight me every step of the way." I take a swig of my beer.

He throws his head back and laughs. "I know. But I have no doubt you can handle her."

"Seb! Dance with me, baby," Lupe shouts over the music.

"Duty calls." He grins and smacks my chest with the back of his hand.

We walk toward the larger-than-average living room. The couches are pushed against the wall and windows, leaving extra space for a dance floor. There's a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall and Catholic saint candles on the black entertainment center. The large multicolor thin area rug covers the worn out and scuffed hardwood floors. The rug matches the yellow undertone on the wall and provides a warm and cozy feel.

The walls are covered with family photos in wood frames. There's a photo of a little girl in pigtails wrapped in red ribbons. She's wearing light blue jeans with red roses stitched to both sides of the legs and a red shirt with ruffles on the shoulders. Her large brown chocolate eyes are full of light and love. She's smiling big with her little white teeth on display.

There's a taller boy with his arms wrapped around her shoulder smiling while looking down at her like she's the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. I know because I had the same look. It's Shorty and Seb. My heart breaks every time I see a glimpse of her past that I missed. Knowing someone else took my place should make me feel happy that someone else was looking out for her, but it doesn't. It chips away a piece of me little by little.

The sounds of people calling out whoop whoop and yeah fills the space when.

Gio the song ‘Hey Shorty by Chris Andrew and Ozuna blares through the speakers. I watch in awe as Shorty takes the floor and sways her hips back and forth, getting lost in the music, then dips low, shaking her ass as she shimmies herself back up.

Holy. Shit. She's fucking sexy—lethal sexy. The long baseball jersey doesn't hide the outline of her ass.

The rest of the girls join her as they stand beside one another dancing simultaneously. She rolls her hips and runs her hands up toward her body, neck, and hair.

Fuck.

Watching her move her body in a seductive way is getting me all hot and bothered. I rub my hands down my face. This girl has got me fucked over so bad and she doesn't even know it.

"Latinas are sexy as fuck," some asshole with a Michael Myers mask on top of his head says as he walks pass me.

"He's not wrong." Ash laughs but then shifts his eyes toward Tia taking a sip of his beer. He watches her the same way I watch Shorty. He adjusts the big boner in his pants and walks over to Tia.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Ash wraps his hands around her waist while she rubs her ass against him. He hangs his head back for a second and laughs before he rubs his body against her while dancing to the rhythm. Moving my eyes back to Shorty, she's looking right at me. She bites her lower lip as she entwines her hands in the air and rolls her hips and dips low to the ground.

Rubbing my fingers on my lower lip, I take her in like a fucking creeper ready to pounce. First, I'll throw her over my shoulders and drag her ass out of here so I can have my way with her. She's doing that sexy walk, swaying her hips as she saunters toward me. She puts her hands on my chest and swings her hips in slow motion, then she shimmies down to the floor with her hands moving to my hips, holding me in place while she twists her hips.

My heart is pounding against my chest.

She makes her way back up to me, keeping her hands on my chest, hips still swaying. My eyes travel down her body and before I know it, my hands are on her hips as she grinds her body against mine. I follow her lead and move with her as my hands glide down to the swell of her ass. I give her a tight squeeze and she gives me a mischievous smile in return. Her plump lips are glistening like glitter, making me want to kiss them and bite on her lower lip. I don't know how long we dance like this because I'm so fixated on her and the way she moves her body against mine.

Usher's "Yeah!"is the next song that takes over Shorty's body. Holy fuck can this girl move and not break a sweat. It's like the music and dance is her safety bubble. Looking at her now, shining like a goddam diamond, you wouldn't know the hell she's been through.

"I'd rather you dance like this for me only," I whisper in her ear as my lips brush against her neck with both hands still holding her hips. Her body shudders at the sound of my deep voice and the heat from my breath.

She slowly turns around and wraps her hands around my neck as she gets on her tippy toes and seductively whispers in my ear, "Oh yeah? What's the fun in keeping me to yourself?" She flutters her long sexy lashes at me.

My dick is throbbing, itching to be inside her.

"I don't like to share," I say in a possessive tone, squeezing her tighter.

This beast inside of me is hungry for the girl who loves driving me fucking crazy. The look in her eyes tells me she feels the same way. The little girl—my best friend from my childhood— is now the one person I want to make mine.

For keeps.

Forever.

The DJ announces the next song: "Tú No Balias Mas Que Yo" by Jerry Rivera and Don Omar.

"Do you know how to salsa?" Shorty angles her head to the side, giving me a wicked sexy grin.

I grab her hand, spinning her around and back to my chest. Keeping one hand on her lower back and the other holding her onto hers, I lead her to the dance floor. Allowing the music to flow through me, I surprise her by turning her body at a 180 to her left and bringing her back to me. Her eyes go wide.

"You dance salsa?"

"Why are you surprised?" I grin and spin her again a few times in one spot and back to me.

I learned to dance salsa when I took Spanish class. It brought me closer to Shorty knowing how much she loved the music and the memory of Shorty and her mom dancing in the living room. One day, I watched her from the window, and I was blown away at how she moved her little body and had the biggest smile on her face each time she danced to the rhythm of the music. I wanted to make her smile like that, so I vowed to learn to dance salsa.

"?Juepa!" Tia yells, clapping her hands together. Soon the rest of her friends scream the whoo-hoo with a look of shock and excitement.

"Oh, shit!" Telle yells over the music, dancing in place with a drink in hand.

"?Oye! ?Ahora es una fiesta!" Max hollers, laughing like a high motherfucker.

I"m not listening to anything, but the music and my eyes are solely focused on the girl in my arms. There"s something about salsa dancing that is sexy and intimate.

"Oh, God! That"s the sexiest fucking thing I have ever seen!" Shorty laughs, throwing her head back.

I pull her close to me and whisper in her ear, "You are the sexiest fucking thing I have ever seen." And then I do something stupid. I suck on her earlobe, then a lingering kiss on her neck. When I pull back, her face is beet red but there's a sensual look in her eyes.

The room erupts when Ozuna"s "No Se Da Cuenta" rumbles through the speakers, making the windows flex. Shorty's friends, including my brother, join us, dancing around us.

When Usher's "You Got it Bad"comes on, the dance is more sensual but slows the heat down between Shorty and me. She wraps her arms around my neck with my hands on her hips guiding her to the rhythm. My leg separates her legs apart just enough for me to move with her. This is the most sensual feeling I've ever had.

From the corner of my eye, I see Seb march toward us with panic etched on his face. "Hey, you need to leave. Right now." He grabs Shorty by the arm and leads her away.

"Hey. What's going on?" I pull her back to me.

"I don't have time for this!" he growls with eyes so black you'd think he was possessed.

"Seb, what's going on?" Shorty asks him with her hands on his bicep, concern flooding her eyes.

He sighs and rubs his hands down his face in frustration. "I got a heads up that some guys are on their way here." He turns to Shorty with sadness in his eyes. "It's Frankie, baby. You need to take your friends and get the fuck out of here."

Shorty's eyes go wide, and her face goes pale. "Oh my god," she whispers, looking around anxiously.

Seb turns to me, "Get her out of here, now Sadie!"

Tia's voice is full of panic when she reaches Shorty. "What's going on?" She holds onto Ash's hand.

"It's Frankie." Shorty responds.

Tia's face mirrors Shorty's from a while ago. She nods and we make our way through the crowd toward the back door until a deep voice puts the party on pause.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" I push Shorty behind me and pin her against the wall with my back underneath the back of the stairs.

Ash holds Tia to his front, standing beside me.

My eyes then focus on the man with broad shoulders standing in the hallway face to face with Seb, Gio, and Max standing beside him. There are two other guys standing beside the leader, who I presume is Frankie. They look our age or a few years older. Frankie looks to be in his twenties, with a short buzz cut with tattoos on the side of his face leading down to his neck.

"What the hell is going on?" Ash asks, keeping his voice low. "Should we call the cops or something?"

"Have you forgotten where you're at? No one's coming," Tia whispers in a shaky tone.

"I gotta say, I was pretty hurt you didn't invite me."

"What the fuck are you doing here, Frankie?" Seb's voice pulls my attention away.

"Now, come on, cuz. What did you think I was gonna do when my family betrays one of our own?" Frankie responds, rubbing his thumb across his lower lip.

"The fuck you on about? I didn't betray anyone. Now, get the fuck out, cuz," Seb snaps back, unafraid.

Frankie takes a step forward and rubs his hands together with a cocky look on his face. "Nah, I don't think so. We just got here." He spreads his arms wide. "Right, boys?" He keeps his eyes on Seb.

Seb takes a step forward. "I'll ask you again. What the fuck do you want?" he hisses through clenched teeth.

"Well, you see, a little birdie told me that Christian's girl is here. Christian wasn't too happy to hear about this, but if you hand her over to us, we'll leave, and nobody gets hurt."

More rage rumbles through me than I've ever experienced before. The blood in my veins begins to boil, the anger circling within me ready to unleash its wrath.

"Last time I checked, she's not his girl." Gio tilts his head to the side, cracking his knuckles and his eyes bore into Frankie.

"Even if she was here, there's no fucking way we would hand her over," Max says in a calm voice.

Frank snorts with a cocky grin when he pulls out his phone and holds it up on front of Seb. "You see this? This is a picture of Christian's girl looking hot as fuck grinding her ass against a rich white boy, a Du Pont motherfucker no less."

How in the hell…

A small gasp comes from Shorty.

"So, this is what you're going to do." Frankie rubs his hands together. "You're going to bring her to me, or I'm going to start shooting one person for every five minutes you waste my time."

Silence.

Shorty interlaces her hands with mine. I look over my shoulder and say, "You need to leave. Now."

She shakes her head.

"Shorty. Please. I'm begging you. Go. I will keep you safe, but you have to move." She's squeezing my hand, stopping all the blood from flowing through my fingers.

"Come on, cuz. You know you're no match to me. Now…stop pussy footing around and bring her to me or I'll finish what Christian started," Frankie threatens.

Tia gasps and shakes her head as she covers her mouth. Ash looks terrified, a look I've never seen before, and my hands are going numb because of Shorty's tight grip.

Seb's face morphs into an expression of anger, as if trying to reign in his urge to kill. "You won't lay a finger on her. I'll fucking kill you." he says through clenched teeth.

Frankie lets out a mocking laugh. "What do you think Christian is going to do to you when he finds out his own cousin stole his girl?" He's baiting Seb.

Wait. His cousin? Shorty's fucking ex is his cousin.

"She's not a fucking property, you sick fuck," he bellows out as he pulls out his gun, locked and loaded and ready to shoot. Frankie's guys pull out their guns, aiming at Gio and Max. Loud gasps are heard from the crowd as people start to run towards the back door.

"Don't move!" Frankie yells to the stragglers trying to escape. "Stay the fuck where you are, or you'll end up with a bullet in your back."

"You kill me, don't think my guys won't take out the rest of you fuckers before I hit the ground? Don't be stupid, cuz. Bring me La Reina." Frankie is getting impatient, rubbing his hands together.

When Seb doesn't respond, Frankie calls, "Oh Sadie!" He sings out the words. "Come out, come out wherever you are! If you don't come out when I count to ten, your boys here will be riddled with bullets but don't worry, I'll leave Seb for last so you can watch him die." He pulls out a handgun and points it at Seb.

I turn around to a pale stiff Shorty with empty eyes. I don't even think she's breathing. I turn around and pull her into my arms, keeping her hidden.

Tia continues to sob, and Ash is looking at me, clearly wondering how the hell we are going to get out of this.

This can't be happening.

"One."

"Don't come out, Shorty! No matter what," Seb cries out. You can sense the concern etched in his tone. He knows Shorty will do anything to keep them safe.

"Two."

My palms are sweating as I rub them up and down Shorty's back.

"Three."

"Sadie…" Tia chokes out a cry. "Seb won't forgive you if you give yourself up."

"The hell she is!" I whisper yell.

"Four."

"I have… otherwise, I won't forgive myself if anything happens to them. I won't be able to survive it," Shorty mumbles in my chest.

"Five."

She looks up to me with red puffy eyes.

"Shorty, don't you fucking dare," I warn her with a mix of anger and sadness all wrapped in one. I give her a somber look as tears roll down her face. I wipe them away with my thumb. "Don't do this, please. I'm begging you." I plead. I know it's breaking her heart because it's breaking my heart even more.

"Six." Frankie pushes the gun into Seb's forehead.

"Keep counting, fucker," Gio says, still pointing his gun at Frankie.

"Sev—"

"Stop. Please. I'm here," Shorty cries, trying to move around me. When I try to keep her behind me, she kicks me in the shin and yanks her arms free from my grasp.

Fuck!

"No! Don't, Sadie!" Tia cries while Ash holds her back. "Let me go! You don't understand! Let me go!" Tia continues to thrash in Ash's arms.

Seb snaps his head toward Shorty, looking at her with sadness, and anger toward me for not keeping her safe. Gio and Máximo shake their heads in despair as if she just sentenced her life away.

"Well, if it isn't La Reina. Long time no see, preciosa. Was that Tia?" Frankie asks looking over Shorty's shoulder, but she blocks his view. "Leave her out of it."

Frankie moves his gaze back to Shorty. "You always had a mouth on you. I thought Christian beat that attitude out of you, but it looks like I'm going to finish what he started anyway."

The fuck he will.

Seb keeps his eyes on Shorty, ready to rip her a new one. I can't blame him because I want to throttle her ass. Frankie turns away from Seb toward Shorty, their guns still aimed at the guys, but Seb's threatening voice stops him from going forward.

"Frankie. Don't. You. Fucking. Dare. If you touch her, I will fuckin kill you." His voice is eerily calm.

Frankie's serious smile slightly turns upwards into a mischievous grin with his eyes still on Shorty. He slowly turns his head to the side, peering over his shoulder toward Seb.

"You'll be dead before you pull the trigger. Put the gun away."

Before Frankie takes another step, Seb holds the gun against Frankie's temple. Frankie lets out a wicked laugh when his guys cock the triggers of their guns that are still aimed at Máximo and Gio.

"Seb, stop! Please," Shorty begs through her cries.

"Stay out of this, Shorty. I told you to stay away," Seb hisses.

"Please. Just do what he says. I can't lose you," she cries, taking a step forward and fisting her jersey against her chest. My anxiety kicks in full gear as I watch Shorty is seconds away from losing it.

Seb turns to face her with a look of mourning, as if she is already gone. "Why don't you ever listen to me?" He speaks softly, his voice full of emotion, letting his guard down. "For once in your goddam life why won't you listen to me?" he yells.

"Enough of this shit!" Frankie bellows. "You are coming with me." He points his finger toward Shorty, but she doesn't move. Frankie loses his patience and moves the gun, directing it right at Shorty.

Before any of us can make a move, the sound of screeching tires snaps our attention to outside the house. I hear several feet hit the pavement when they exit the vehicle, slamming the door behind them.

"The fuck?" Frankie yells in shock when he turns to the front door. "When did they let you out?"

"Doesn't fucking matter. What matters is you need to stop aiming that gun at my sister."

Frankie's guys move their guns toward Josiah.

While Josiah keeps Frankie busy, Seb forcefully pulls Shorty behind him and I'm itching to grab my girl.

"You fucked up, Frankie. You fucked up real bad by showing up here. Stay the fuck away from my sister and get the fuck out of here," Josiah warns.

"Big brother back to save the day," Frankie mocks. Josiah's white knuckling the gun, ready to pull the trigger.

After a few seconds of silence, Frankie makes his decision. "Alright. I'll let you have this one, for now. But this ain't over, fuckers. I'll be back to collect what's rightfully Christian's." He turns to face Shorty. "I'll be back for you."

Frankie and his guys walk out the door, slamming it behind them. I sigh in relief when the engine roars out into the distance.

"Shorty," Josiah mutters in frustration.

Shorty squeezes between Seb and Gio, trying to get to her brother.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jo?" She smacks his chest with her little fists. "You just risked your life! Why? Why would you do that? They know you're out now." She turns to Gio, Seb, and Max. "And why would you call him?"

Josiah grabs Shorty by the shoulders. "You got a baby, Shorty! Start thinking about her!" He takes a breath and says, "Look, you need to—"

POW! POW! POW!