Thizz, a Love Story, page 15
“Hey thanks,” the waiter yells as we bolt out the door.
I try like hell to keep up with Nick as we weave through the crowded sidewalk. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain later,” he yells over his shoulder. “Hurry up.” Nick is always so chill, like nothing bothers him. Something about those men scared him. And it’s scaring me.
“Nick, where you off to so fast, buddy?”
Nick’s back stiffens beside me, but he keeps walking. I turn around and see the two men from the bar following us. I run the last few yards to the car.
“Yeah, we were just about to come over and have a drink with ya,” the other one says.
For old fat guys, they sure walk fast. Nick stops at my door and unlocks it with his key. Having an old car without automatic door locks really sucks when you’re being chased. The lock pops open and Nick hurries to his side to get in. I push the little button on the silver handle to open the door, and I feel a hand on my back. My entire body freezes.
“Let me get that for you, honey.” I step away from the scruffy-faced man as he opens my door. “I just need to talk to your boyfriend for a minute,” he says with a twisted smile. I look at Nick. He’s standing with his car door open, watching the bikers closely. He nods for me to get in the car. I shake my head no. There is no way I’m getting in the car while these men confront Nick. I’m helpless in there. At least out here I can run for help if I have to. Plus, my adrenaline is pumping so hard I can’t keep still. I feel like I’m about to explode.
“Suit yourself,” the man says and walks towards Nick’s side of the car. His vest has “DEVILS GOLD” written across the back.
The other man has already joined Nick on the other side of the car. He is shorter than his friend, but just as burly.
“Do you know who I am?” he asks Nick.
“Santa Clause,” Nick smirks. He doesn’t sound worried anymore. A minute ago he was dragging me down the street to get away from these two men, and now he’s mouthing off. I’ll never understand why men, boys, males in general, have to act the exact opposite of how they feel.
“He’s got jokes, Teddy,” the shorter one says.
“Yeah, he’s a fuckin comedian. Are you a comedian, Nicky?” His face is so close to Nick’s, it looks like he’s going to kiss his cheek. “Or are you just some punk high school baller?”
Nick flinches when Teddy wraps his arm around his shoulders. “What the fuck do you want?”
I don’t think Teddy the biker is used to this kind of disrespect. “Your little after-school job is fucking up my business.”
What after-school job? Nick doesn’t work.
“Last time I checked, Humboldt County was an open market,” Nick challenges. I wish he would keep the attitude to a minimum. Pissing off these two men doesn’t look like a good idea.
The small guy shifts and clears Nick’s line of sight. When Nick sees the terrified look on my face, he pushes Teddy’s arm off his shoulders.
“Do you know who I am?” Nick sticks his chest out and stands a little taller, but he’s still several inches shorter than Teddy. The men look stunned at Nick’s sudden burst of confidence. Neither of them answers Nick’s rhetorical question. Nick spins his keys on his finger and says, “Why don’t you ask around, then come back and see me.” He pushes past the short guy and opens the door. “Get in.” He flashes me a reassuring smile. I jump in the car and slam the door. The sound of the car coming to life forces Teddy and his partner to back up. Like me, the bikers are in shock.
As we pull away from the curb, Nick rolls down his window and yells, “Thanks for the beer!” Then he punches the gas, leaving the men in a cloud of white smoke.
The drive to Lucy’s is a blur. Nick barely hits the brakes the entire way. He watches the rear view mirror to make sure we aren’t being followed. I don’t say a word until we pull into Lucy’s driveway.
“Do you want to come in?” I ask him.
“Yeah, we should lie low for a minute.” He smiles and opens his door. He’s acting like nothing is wrong, but I hear anxiety in his voice. “We need to talk.”
I look at the pictures of my parents hanging around the room, and I could care less about Nick asking questions about my family. I sit on the edge of Lucy’s couch and brace myself for whatever it is Nick is trying to tell me. He paces from the window to the couch, running his hand through his hair. He finally turns around and says, “I sell thizz.”
You know when you watch a movie and a bomb goes off, and special effects shows the impact as a pulse that jolts a room, blowing hair back, shattering glass, and knocking someone on their ass? That’s what it felt like when Nick said those three words to me. Boom! My mind has officially been blown.
“You sell thizz,” I repeat to make sure I heard him right. “You’re the drug dealer?” I choke on the words. He nods once; his lips are pressed into a line. He’s waiting for me to blow up or freak out. I try to keep my expression calm and even because I honestly don’t know what I’m feeling.
As if on cue, his phone rings. Only now, I know why. He shoves his hand in the front pocket of his jeans and pulls out his phone. He checks the number and turns off the ringer. “My uncle Will, the one in San Francisco, got me started.” He runs his hand through his hair. “This is what I wanted to tell you at the restaurant. I want to tell you everything about me.”
“So, tell me,” I say. I want to know the real Nick. Maybe then I can tell him about the real Dani.
“I never knew my parents. My father died in rehab—he snuck in some drugs or someone gave him something and he overdosed.” He sits beside me and takes my hand. I have to fight back tears. “Mariann said my mom was a junkie. That she married my father for his money. That wasn’t true. Will said she never did drugs and she loved my father.” I bite the inside of my already chewed-up cheek to keep the tears in my eyes from spilling over. “When my father went to rehab, Mariann only agreed to help get my mom back on her feet if she signed away her parental rights. She had to do it. My father needed help, and she had no money to live on.” His tone turns bitter when he starts to talk about his family’s wealth. “My father blew all of his money on drugs. He left my mother with nothing. She had to give Mariann custody of me, but she never thought she would lose me. It was insurance. To prove she wouldn’t take the money and run away with me. She never had a chance. Once she signed her parental rights away, Mariann made sure she never saw me again. My grandmother told me all my mother wanted was money, but that wasn’t true. She wanted me, and I didn’t know until it was too late. She died of cancer when I was thirteen. That’s when I met Will and he told me the truth about everything. My mom and dad, how they met, and what kind of woman Mariann Marino really is.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I don’t know what else to say.
Nick kisses my hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about selling thizz. It’s just that you seemed to have your own opinion on drug dealers.” I think of our first conversation about the pills in K’s bedroom. It all makes sense now. “I want to make my own money, have my own legacy. I want nothing to do with Mariann or her money. She let me grow up thinking my mother didn’t love me, didn’t want me. I’ll never forgive her for that.”
I can’t reply to anything Nick has just said. I’m speechless. He is from one of the most successful, respected families in the state, and he really believes selling thizz is a career he can be proud of. I don’t know what to think about that. I’d be a hypocrite to judge him. I have no problem taking the pills that he sells. Does that mean I condone it?
“Are you doing this by yourself?” I start to wonder about the pills in Matt’s room. Maybe he was stashing them for Nick.
“No. Matt and Arnie work for me.”
“Matt works for you?” Matt’s been lying to me too. Lying about Nick and himself. All this time I thought I knew him. I thought I could trust him. A lump forms in my throat.
“Matt’s my boy.” He smiles proudly.
Matt is your friend. Not mine.
I suddenly realize what kind of danger we were just in. I knew dating Nick could be dangerous, but I was thinking more like getting my ass kicked by girls like Katie. Not being shot by a biker gang. “Those bikers think you’re in their territory?”
“Don’t worry. Once they find out who I am, they’ll be the ones backing off.” His arrogance has a whole new meaning. “I wanted to tell you so many times.” He stops and kisses my hand. “I had to make sure my plan worked first.” Nick smiles, hoping I will too. I offer a weak grin and pretend I’m not freaking out. “Thizz has been so huge that Will says if we partner up, we’ll be major players on the West Coast. We can control the thizz market.” Nick kneels on the floor in front of me likes he’s begging me to see things his way. “I’m not hurting anyone, Dani. You know that,” he says. Is he insinuating that I know more than most because I love thizz? He’s right. I’m not hurt by his product. I can’t live without it.
Nick’s phone buzzes again; he takes it out and checks the number before declining the call. I’ve been an accessory to his life this entire time, and I didn’t even know it. My father would be so disappointed. Being with Nick is such a betrayal to him, to what he stood for. How can I stay with him now that I know? How do I leave knowing he’s the only one I know that has thizz?
“You better go. Lucy will be home soon,” I lie.
Nick takes my hand and pulls me into his arms. “Is everything cool?”
“Yeah,” I say with way more enthusiasm than needed.
He takes my face in his hands and looks into my eyes. “I love you, Dani. This doesn’t change anything.” This isn’t the first time Nick Marino has told me he loves me. But I do believe it is the first time I’ve felt the meaning in his words. If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that Nick Marino cares about me. His love is a gift, one I should appreciate. “Then I don’t care that you sell thizz.” The words feel like the truth. Being Nick Marino’s girl for a little longer doesn’t seem like a bad idea anymore.
Nick stands and I walk him to the door. “So, does this mean I get an unlimited supply?” I’m joking, but Nick doesn’t seem to think so.
Nick grabs my shoulder and turns me to face him. “No. We don’t get high on our supply. We can party like we’ve been doing. Once or twice a week is fine, that’s it.”
His words make me feel two inches tall. “Ok,” I say quietly and bite back tears.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I don’t want any of my friends, especially you, taking pills like that. Just like I wouldn’t want you drinking every day. It’s the same thing. You feel me?” Nick never talks to me like this. I don’t like it. I just want him to leave so I can do whatever the hell I want.
“I understand.” I fake-smile and kiss him goodbye as the pill I took sends another jolt of pleasure through my body.
Nick leaves, and I go to my room and lie down. Things start to make sense. All the phone calls, the errands. All the lies Matt has told me. I wonder if he really is going to Stanford. I want to call him out, but what’s the point. Matt doesn’t owe me anything.
I’m sitting in the diner having lunch with Ashley when Nick comes flying around the corner. He would never drive like that through town and risk getting pulled over. Everyone knows his car; it isn’t like he can outrun the cops. If they don’t catch him on the street, they’ll just show up at his house.
Something must be wrong.
I settle our check while Ashely packs our food in a Styrofoam container. She is about to burst when I head back to the table. “Why is Nick driving like someone is chasing him?”
“I don’t know. Just hurry up.” I usher my sister to the car and listen for sirens. I don’t hear anything. That’s good news.
I start my mom’s Audi and back out of the lot, unsure of where I’m going. I dial Nick’s number—no answer. I turn right and drive towards home, toying with the possibility of leaving Ashley while I go find Nick. My parents are at a wedding. They left me strict instructions not to leave Ashely alone, but I have to make sure everything is ok. I need to know Dani is safe. Suddenly a thought crosses my mind. What if Nick isn’t outrunning someone, what if he is in a rush to get Dani home? What if he is so upset that he can’t wait to get her out of his car? I make a U-turn at the next light and head towards Dani’s house. I want to be there for her just in case something has happened between them.
I can’t deny something almost happened between us last night. I’m happy I didn’t let Dani do something she would’ve regretted. Not that she wanted to. But it sure as hell seemed that way. I’ll try Nick one more time. If he doesn’t pick up, I’ll drive to Dani’s and check on her. Ashley can wait in the car. The angst I’m feeling when I dial the phone causes my legs to shake. Part of me wants Nick to be ok, but another part of me wishes for something else. Ashley sighs when I make another U-turn. I’m driving in circles waiting for Nick to answer his phone. I dial again. It takes me a few seconds to realize he’s picked up. “Nick!” I shout. “I saw you blast by the diner, what the fuck is going on?”
“I need to talk to you. Can I come by?”
I tell him to meet me at my place and make another U-turn. He was short, like he wanted to get off the phone, but he didn’t sound upset. We get to the house and I tell Ashely to go upstairs while I wait outside. If there is even a remote possibility that Dani broke up with him, he won’t be coming over here to talk. Not after the way he looked this morning when he saw me and Dani sleeping in my bed.
As soon as I opened my eyes and saw the look on his face, I knew he was about to blow. I’ve watched more guys shit their pants over that dead look in Nick’s eyes than when he raises his fist towards their face. I’ve seen dudes beg for mercy, and occasionally even run for their lives when Nick whirls around on them with his clenched jaw and wild eyes. Yeah, I know that look. I’ve just never seen it directed at me. I would never fight Nick, not over Dani or anything. The question is, would he fight me?
My heart is in my throat when he finally pulls behind my mom’s Audi. Nick jumps out of the car with his arms stretched out like he’s trying to hug the world. “I told Dani.”
I exhale when I see the goofy smile on his face. “You told her what?”
He quiets his voice and steps closer to me. “I told Dani we sell thizz.”
I catch the word “we” and feel the burger I just ate move up my throat. “You told her about all of us?”
“Yeah!”
He tells me we don’t have to lie anymore or sneak around behind Dani’s back, because she’s cool with it. I congratulate him and silently curse him under my breath.
“She was surprised at first, especially when I told her you worked for me.” Nick smirks and punches me in the arm.
“Really? Why? What did she say?” She hates me. I know it.
“She was just surprised. Who wouldn’t be? You’re sort of a school boy,” he teases. When I don’t smile, he clutches my shoulders. “Don’t worry, everything’s cool now.” Nick can do no wrong in Dani’s eyes, but I’m a different story. I’m her friend and I’ve been lying to her, covering for him, this whole time.
“You were right; I should’ve just told her. It would have saved me a lot of aggravation.” He mumbles the last part more to himself.
My eagerness to call Dani is gone. I don’t even know if I can face her right now. I can barely look Nick in the eye. I can’t believe I ever considered breaking Nick’s trust.
“Hey Ash.” Nick looks past me into the door. “Is she ok?” he whispers.
“Yeah, she was just freaked out when we saw you drive by the diner like you were being chased.”
“Oh shit! I was being chased. A couple of those Devil’s Gold assholes were trying to punk me.”
I feel all the blood drain from my face at the mention of the bikers.
Nick pats my back. “Don’t worry, dude. I already called Will. He’s going to take care of it.”
Will Walker may be powerful in the Bay Area, but up here, the bikers run everything.
Two days later, Nick and I are sitting in Will’s bar discussing how to handle the Devil’s Gold Crew. This is not how I wanted to spend my spring break. The Devil’s Gold are an old-school biker gang that runs most of Northern California. They didn’t appreciate Nick’s disrespectful attitude during the confrontation at Lost Coast, so Will’s having a difficult time forming a truce. Technically, Nick is dealing on the Devil’s Gold territory without permission. If Will had gone to them in the beginning of all this and told them he was branching out, they could have come to some sort of agreement. Money would have exchanged hands and we would’ve been legit. Of course, lines would have been drawn. Nick wouldn’t have free range like he does now, but at least we wouldn’t be on the verge of a war. The Devil’s Gold doesn’t even sell ecstasy; they mainly deal with weed, cocaine, and meth, but I guess someone’s girlfriend scored pills off of us and brought them to a biker event. When everyone started thizzin and nobody wanted to buy their products, the bikers came looking for us. If Nick wasn’t Will Walker’s nephew, he’d be buried in a ditch, and whoever happened to be riding in his car would be right alongside him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll work it out.” Will takes a pull on his beer and rolls his neck like a boxer. I think it’s a nervous tick. “But you know this means they get a cut.”
Nick shakes his head. “That’s bullshit. It’s a free market. I don’t see why we have to pay them a fucking dime.”
“See, Nicky. You’re still thinking like a legit businessman. There is nothing free about our market. Once you start thinking that way, someone comes in and steals your business. And they take over by taking your life. We have to fight for every inch of pavement we have. There are no laws to protect us. We protect ourselves.” Will pats his side, where his gun is hidden by his jacket. “Don’t worry about the politics, just keep building your brand. Make sure everyone knows where the good shit is. The last thing we need is competition. I have my supplier on lock; he won’t sell to those pricks. But that doesn’t mean they won’t find another source. I’ve heard some good things about product coming out of Oregon. They don’t press the powder into pills, they’re putting it in capsules. It hits harder and it’s easier to make. I’m working on some connections up there now. If everything goes right, we’ll have the entire West Coast high on our shit.” Will holds out his fist and Nick bumps it with his.
