The high was fucking incredible.

I felt invincible as Bear took the bill from my hand and snorted his own line. He passed it to King who shook his head and held up the joint he was smoking.

“Don’t tell me you don’t party anymore,” I said. “You that pussy whipped where you can’t do a little fucking blow with your long lost dead fucking friend? I mean, we’re following all the rules right? It’s after dark, the kids aren’t home, and we’re in your shop in the garage. Article FIFTEEN, LINE TWENTY SEVEN of all your new fucking rules clearly states that this is an acceptable time to get seriously fucked up.”

“Nope, these days I just prefer to slow the fuck down instead of speed the fuck up. It’s called relaxing in case you’ve never heard of it.”

“Sounds fucking awful,” I said, dumping more powder from the baggie onto the mirror. “Although whatever you’ve been doing has really upped your tatt game.” I pointed to the collection of pictures on the wall. “Some of that shit is downright amazing man.” I tipped my chin to one on the bottom. A sleeve on a woman’s arm with light grey colors mixed with pinks and blues. “I mean that one’s girly but still really fucking badass.”

King laughed. “Ray did that one.”

I knew she was assisting King and that she’d tattooed the bird on his hand, but I didn’t know she was on that level.

“She’s getting pretty fucking good,” King said, beaming with pride.

“So I figure I can borrow your truck for now if that’s alright with you, Boss-Man,” I started, taking the joint he passed me. The blow putting into overdrive my lazy brain and for a few moments made me feel almost fucking normal.

Almost.

“I think I’ve got some cash buried somewhere just gotta remember where first, then I’ll go into Dunn’s over in Coral Pines and get my own ride, seeing as how my last one exploded and all.”

“Why?” King asked like it was a far fetched idea.

“See, cars take you from point A to motherfucking point B,” I pointed out. “Wait, you’re the one who has a degree and Bear’s the high school drop out, right? That’s not something that’s twisted up in my memory?

Bear laughed and King rolled over and kicked his foot.

“How the fuck else am I gonna get to the GG’s to inspect and collect?” They paused their little tickle slap and I didn’t miss the concerned look that passed between them.

“Preppy, you don’t have to go back to work. We only have three or four left of the GG houses anyway. I got Billy working them for now, plus Ray helps out. There’s no rush.”

“Billy? Like chef Billy?”

“That’s the one. His place got flooded a few months back and until the insurance kicks in he’s been helping out here and there,” King explained.

Bear scratched his neck. “Yeah, man. So you can relax for a hot second. Heal. Take some fucking time for yourself.”

I shook my head. “I’ve spent too much time alone thinking. I don’t need to do it anymore. I’m fucking ready.” I stared them both down and wiped at my nose. “Are you gonna tell me that I’m not?”

“Preppy,” King said, leaning forward and taking a long slow drag on his joint. “Ray needs the truck for the kids and I’ve got my bike, but Bear and I already talked about it and he’s got a few rides around the club laying around we can get fixed up for you.”

“Alright then,” I said, snorting two more lines and lighting my own cigarette. “I missed drugs,” I lamented. Cocaine may not be comforting to some people, but to me it was like meatloaf and apple pie.

It was home.

I looked up to the ceiling and then through the window of the backyard. “How the fuck did you afford this garage? The house being fixed up? Last I checked your finances solely revolved around getting Max back and that was more than any of us had combined.”

King filled me in on the story, although I felt like it was more of the same deja-vu I felt with Thia when he was telling me about Ray’s ex husband and Max and going to rescue her from the psycho.

“That didn’t answer my question. How can you afford all this?”

Bear chimed in. “Because as it turns out, King didn’t need the money for Max. Senator man brought her back on his own accord. Then it seems that Ray came into some money. Like a lot of fucking money.” Bear smiled, “So...”

“Boss-man,” I said, turning my attentions to him. He was already rolling his eyes. “You’ve got a sugar mama?”

“Go fuck yourself, prep,” King said although he was laughing when he said it. He took the bottle of whiskey from Bear and poured a long stream down his throat before passing it to me.

I was still swallowing when Bear sat up from the toolbox. He looked at me with a serious look on his face. A look I wanted to avoid because serious looks came with serious questions and I wanted nothing to do with those. “Prep, I gotta ask you. The girl. The one who came to see you. I remembered her from back in the day. I thought she was a BBB or something but that doesn’t seem right either.”

“Or something,” I shrugged, taking another shot from the bottle. I passed it back to Bear.

“Prep, I’ve known you since we were stupid and young, now that I’m older and a little less stupid, I know there’s more to this story then you’re telling me ‘cause there ain’t no fucking way a BBB would be comin’ round here unless it was to knife you in your sleep.”

“I’d like to hear this too,” King said, leaning forward onto his knees.

“Ain’t much to say,” I lied. “You might know her a lot better than you think you do,” I said to Bear.

Like backdoor better.

“Well if she was a club girl then yeah, of course I know her. And I recognized her right away when she came over to the house. I just can’t remember her around the club, or being at the parties with the other BBB’s.”

“She wasn’t a BBB. She was...a girl who hung around,” I tried to explain without going into too much detail, growing more and more frustrated with the fucking inquisition.

“A friend...who you were fucking?” King asked.

I sighed and leaned my elbows on my knees. “You’d just got sent away,” I said to King. “And Bear was out on that long ass ride to wherever. Grace was in the treatment center. Dre came around strung out on H.” I smiled at the memory. “She tried to rob one of my GG’s. Turned out to be her grandmother's house. Mirna. She stuck around. Helped me with some shit I needed help with. Then she left. That was all there was to it.” I shrugged and passed the bill to Bear who snorted two lines off the table. His dark blue eyes were open wide, bright, and clear as fuck. “Not a fucking big deal,” I added.