Vintage (Adrenaline Series Book 2) (14 page)

Merrick

Spotting Knoxie in the kitchen slurping through a bowl of oatmeal, I drop down at the bar seat across from where she's standing with a wide smirk. Suspicious as she should be, she raises an eyebrow waiting for me to say something.

Cheerfully I greet her, “Morning.”

“What do you want?” She drops her spoon. “You only bring out the baby blues when you want something. So what is it? Did Ben end up in jail again and you don't wanna tell Madden?”

“Nah. He's crashed on my bedroom floor.”

“Did he forget he had to work today?” She scoffs annoyed. “It's my day off-”

“Mine too.”

“I'm not going to cover for him. He needs to get his ass out of bed-”

“The floor.”

Annoyed she drops a hand on her hip. “You want my help or not?”

“I do.” I chuckle and surrender my hands. “Sorry.”

“Mmhm,” she hums. “If it's not bail money, what is it?”

“I need you to help me pick out something for Jovi.”

Knoxie lifts her eyebrows again. “Something like a steering wheel cover?”

“A little smaller than that.”

“Like an air freshener?”

“Smaller.”

“Is it for a car?”

Am I really not being obvious what I want to get her? You've figured it out right?

“Not exactly.”

Knoxie pushes her bowl out of the way and plants both her hands on the counter. “Merrick Jacob McCoy you can't possibly be fucking thinking about what I think you're thinking about.” When I don't deny it she snaps, “Are you fucking crazy?”

Chuckling, I give a charming smile. “So you keep telling me.”

In a harsh whisper she bites, “You can't ask that girl to fucking marry you.”

Take a deep breath. It's okay. I can. I really can. And I will.

I fold my hands together and lean forward. “I'm going to.”

Still speaking in a hushed tone she growls, “Have you lost your mind?! You can't ask the police commissioner's daughter to marry you, for Christ's sake!”

“Let me ask you this.” I lift my hand to pause her. “If Jovi wasn't the police commissioner's daughter-”

“But she is-”

“But if she wasn't, would you give me this much shit?” She hesitates. “Exactly. You wouldn't.”

She stumbles over her next words, “Maybe...a little. Yeah. You're so young, Merrick.”

“I'm not that young.”

“You're not that old either.”

“Old enough to know when the right girl literally falls in your lap, you make her yours. Forever.” Knoxie looks like she wants to get a dreamy expression but folds her arms across her chest instead. “Look, I know it's crazy. It's only been a few weeks, but I can't imagine my life without her Knox. Not for a second. Isn't that the person you're supposed to marry? The
one
person you can't imagine your life without? That one person you'd risk your life for? You'd die trying to protect?”

Before she has a chance to reply, Madden walks down the hall fixing his collar. Instead of watching him, I watch her and the pained longing she hides well, most days.

She's getting worse about it...or maybe I'm just getting better at noticing it.

Madden gives me a firm pat on the back acknowledging my presence. Immediately after he greets Knox warmly, “Morning.”

Her face curls into a smile. “Morning.”

“Madden!” A high pitched female voice calls out wiping away the smile. Heels come clicking down the hall behind me and Knoxie's face hardens. “I need-”

“I know.” He cuts her off. Nodding his head at Knox he asks, “Can you hand me two shots of EA?”

She opens the drawer closest to her, pulls out two vials, and two needles. Knox pushes them across the bar before tossing him a mint as well. “You have whore on your breath.”

The girl squeaks, “I am not a whore.”

“Fucking a dude you just met doesn't make you a lady.” Knoxie counters coldly.

“You're just jealous you didn't,” the girl snaps in response.

That has merit but Knox will never admit that.

“Jealous I didn't just become another dent in the wall from a McCoy's headboard? Please. His dick has given more rides than a penny pony outside of Walmart.”

“Let's go,” Madden interrupts before the argument can get uglier.

Or more truth can come out. Though to be honest, not sure that last line is true. Madden fucks the least amount of chicks out of all of us. Well, not less than Destin. But close.

The chick mumbles something to him, but he turns his words to Knoxie. “Can't you just fucking learn to keep your mouth shut?”

“As soon as you learn to keep your pants zipped.”

“Fuck off Knox.”

“You first Madden.”

With a sharp slam of the door, the kitchen goes silent. I stare on at the hurt look that's seeping out through her blue eyes. The ache that's rolling through her is easily felt throughout the room.

In a soft voice I say, “I don't want that, Knox.” Her eyes look up. “I don't wanna turn into that because I didn't have enough balls to tell the girl I love that I want her to be mine forever. That I want her to be my future because fuck my past. I don't wanna live the rest of my life stuck pretending I don't want more out of life than I do. I want so much more then this shit we do Knox. And I'm gonna get out of this lifestyle one way or another. That's my word.”

Slowly she nods, swallowing whatever emotion was trying to get out. “Yeah. No. I get that. And you're right. I'll take you. Let me change.”

I lean back on the stool. “Sure.”

Knox knocks her dishes into the sink and walks away mumbling, “Pathetic that the youngest McCoy is the fucking smartest.”

That's just the anger talking...but I am the smartest. What? What do you mean that's debatable?

Ben questions on a yawn tucking in his work shirt. “Shit, was that Knox?”

“Yup. And she's already pissed you're late for your shift.”

He shrugs. “Who the fuck starts work before noon?”

“Almost the entire working class,” I chuckle my reply.

Ben gives me the finger before heading for the fridge. Grabbing an energy drink out of it he says, “So...I was thinking races, Friday?”

I had plans on Friday. You can probably guess by now what they involved. Jovi's last class let's out Thursday, since she's going to dinner with her family, I was gonna take her to celebrate Friday night. Dinner. Sex. Proposal. Some order of that.

Seeing the hesitation on my face he slams his drink down. “Fucking seriously? You can't not fuck your girlfriend
one
night?”

“Fuck you,” I counter. “I didn't even say anything.”

“Exactly. Man...” He shakes his head slowly. “I remember when you used to piss and moan a little about going out, but you still went out. Now? If it isn't revolved around that girl or your fucking tagging-”

“Painting.”

“Tagging! That's not fuckin' art cuz! It's illegal! It's destroying private property!” Bracing myself for a tantrum in the making I fold my arms across my chest. “My point is, if it doesn't have anything to do with that shit,
you
don't have anything to do with it.”

Imagine how he's gonna freak out when he finds out I proposed to Jovi. I'll get him wasted first.

“If I go to the races-”

He points a finger at me. “And race.”

“Will you get off my dick about this?”

“Add after party celebration at Olympus to the list and you've got a deal.”

Rolling my eyes I sigh, “Fine.”

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

He grins before finishing off the can seconds before Knoxie's voice calls out, “If that is Benjamin Brice McCoy may the devil tap dance on his soul when I'm done with him!”

“Shit...” he grumbles. Ben pushes his finger to his lips. “I was never here.”

I nod as if I'm going to keep his secret before shouting back, “He's trying to sneak out!”

“Damn it cuz!”

Knox yells, “I'm kickin' your ass when I get downstairs!”

“Run and hide.”

Taking the warning he disappears out the front door. With a chortle to myself, I pull out my phone to send Jovi a message. As soon as my fingers hit send, Knox comes around the corner in a pair of tight fitting distressed jean overalls with a floral tube top underneath. Her light brown hair that's littered with natural blond highlight is loose and pulled to the side.

My brother is an idiot.

“Let's go. I've got another McCoy to cuss out before we go.”

On a warm laugh I follow her out of the apartment.

At least it's not me, right?

***

After hours of wandering around the mall looking at various ring shops, all more disappointing than the last, we end up back in Knox's jeep. Feeling defeated I hit my head against the seat and shut my eyes.

Ring shopping is worse than car shopping. At least when people start talking details and stats I know when they're full of shit. If Knox tries to give me the four C's of diamond hunting again, I may add a 5
th
of killing myself. Yeah I know it doesn't start with a C but it makes the same sound.

“I can't propose without a ring Knox.”

“And that's my fault that you're being picky as fuck?” She snaps shoving the key in the ignition. “Just pick something already.”

“I can't just pick anything. It's gotta be special.”

Knox whines, “Ugh. You sound like such a fucking girl.”

Don't back her up please.

“All I'm saying is it's like being stuck with the same paint job for the rest of your life. How would you feel if your jeep was painted hot pink and it was the only color it had to be for the rest of your life?”

“I'd probably murder whoever touched my jeep.” Realizing what I'm trying to communicate she sighs, “Fine. I get it. I have one more place I can take you.” Knox turns sharply and points a harsh finger at me. “But I swear to the transmission titans if you ever so much as utter a word that
relates
to this, I will make your nightmares look like Satan's happy thoughts. Got it?”

“You're terrifying Knoxie.”

She winks and lowers her sunglasses to her eyes. “I know.”

Before I have the chance to buckle up she's peeled out of the parking space.

You know that nervous feeling you get moments before a roller coaster takes off? Yeah. That's the state you're permanently in when she drives this fucking thing. Don't understand her refusal to part with it after all these years, but would never suggest it. Drew did once and she gut checked him.