Sweet Like Candy (MANxMAN)

11 - Lusty Looks

Chapter Eleven

Tobias's POV

Antoine curled up on the couch, his chest slowly rising and falling as he slept. A lean leg poked out of a plaid blanket, and reruns of the Big Bang Theory played on the flatscreen. After I'd helped him back upstairs from the bathroom, I'd make sure he was settled on the couch with gatorade and pillows before I locked myself away in my room. I'd searched one name, inhaling every bit of information that flew over the computer screen.

While Antoine slept, I dug through every inch of Bowie David Bazar's life. From the day he was born, to the foster homes, the juvie record, the prison time, and eventually his release. I'd called his parol officer, who'd said he was a "reformed man, ready and able to enter back into society".

I barely refrained from bashing my head onto the keyboard when he went on about how great Bowie was doing and how he'd just gotten out of the halfway house. I'd hung up the phone immediately after. Anyone who stayed in Citadel wasn't "reformed", they just talked real pretty and made you think they were.

Regardless, I scribbled down the address and stuffed it into my pocket. I stretched out of the computer chair, listening to my back pop in protest. Going to the closet, I pushed aside the jumpers, my hand grabbing and spinning the dial of the safe at the back of the wall. Stacks upon stacks of hundreds lay inside, their chunks tied off with rubber bands. I filled the bag and left the apartment in minutes.

A striking African-American man leaned against a brand new black Tesla SUV, dressed to the nines in all white. While Brotherhood of Cain's second in command was devastatingly handsome, he was also absolutely vile. Women fell for the pretty green eyes and the body that Adonis himself would envy, while men took one look at his biceps and felt the need to cover up. Despite this, the wolves respected his almost obsessive loyalty to the pack and fair justice, if not a bit skewed.

While Tamal was unable to go a single conversation without being a crude asshole, I never made the mistake of forgetting just how dirty he fought to be Draven's right hand.

A smile stretched across his full lips. "Here comes trouble."

I hiked the backpack higher on my shoulder, walking to the car. "Please, don't flatter me too much."

He snorted, before going around to the driver's side and getting back in. I buckled up in the passenger seat as Tamal pulled away from the curb, smoothly emerging into Citadel's traffic. The sunroof was open, displaying a jaw-dropping view of the moonlit sky from the front seat to trunk. Tamal tapped something on a long strip of glass where a radio should've sat. A second later, a soft hip hop song played through the car.

"This is a hell of a car."

"For the price I paid, it better be. Besides, the Mercedes is more of a cruiser. Lately, I've needed an SUV." Maybe investing in a second car wouldn't be such a pointless endeavor after all. Business for Draven brought me out to the country more often that not anyway. "Did you come from a date?"

Tamal's mouth curled at my question, looking like lust incarnated. "Something like that."

Asshole. "You know Cherie's been asking about you."

Tamal's smile dropped, and he glanced over at me with narrowed eyes. I could tell he didn't want to let his guard drop, but damn did he want to know. My renter had an on again off again thing with Tamal ever since he showed up at my door with a job for Draven. Tamal couldn't resist the striking french woman.

"About what?"

"Where you were, and then she went off on a tangent that involved quite a few curse words. I think at one point she mentioned a Jared who she planned on seeing again."