𝔅𝔬𝔯𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔡𝔦𝔢 - Rafe Cameron

④

Rafe stood in front of Jazmine, gripping a gun with a tension that buzzed in the air between them. On the way over, he'd only given her a brief rundown of who they were meeting today, as if the details didn't matter much.

"Barry's the guy we need. He's gonna help us," he said, his tone clipped.

Jazmine raised an eyebrow, her skepticism clear. "You trust this guy?"

"I don't need to trust him to get his help," Rafe replied with a shrug. "As long as there's money involved, Barry will be there."

When they stepped into the bar, the stench of smoke and sweat hit them like a wall. The place was filthy, the kind of place that stuck to your clothes long after you left. Jazmine felt the eyes of a few rough-looking men following her every move, their stares lingering too long, making her skin crawl.

A man turned around at the bar, revealing a shaved head and clothes that looked like they hadn't seen a wash in ages. His grin was all teeth—silver, crooked, and way too pleased with itself.

"Rafe?" he called out, his voice carrying a hint of mock surprise.

Without missing a beat, Rafe walked past him, his steps unhurried. "I'm not here to start trouble. I just want to talk."

Jazmine stayed close, her eyes narrowing at Barry as she took in every detail of his demeanor. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, like he was sizing her up for something other than conversation.

"And who's this?" Barry asked, stepping a little too close to Jazmine, his curiosity laced with something darker.

She held her ground but let her face harden, her voice cutting through the tension like ice. "Don't fucking touch me."

Rafe's lips curled into a slight smirk, almost amused, as Jazmine settled down beside him. It was clear she could handle herself, and he liked that about her.

Barry pulled up a chair, his grin not quite reaching his eyes. "How've you been, man? It's been a while."

Rafe's face stayed calm, his gaze unflinching. "Fine, I guess, though I didn't appreciate how things went down last time. I ended up in a lot of trouble because of you."

Jazmine's eyebrow arched ever so slightly; she wasn't surprised Rafe had a history of picking the wrong people to rely on.

"But hey," Rafe continued, leaning back with a casual shrug, "no hard feelings."

Barry's eyes flicked back to Jazmine, a smirk playing at his lips. "Got a name, pretty lady?"

Jazmine met his gaze with a look that could have cut glass. "Jazmine."

Barry was the kind of guy who made you question how many bad decisions a person could fit into one lifetime. She could read him like an open book—a snitch waiting for the right moment to sell you out.

Barry let out a low whistle. "Well, Jazmine, you're fine as hell."

She didn't flinch, didn't blink, just shot back, "Can't say the same about you."

Barry laughed, turning back to Rafe with an approving nod. "Festy, I like it. You really do love surrounding yourself with trouble."

Rafe's grin grew slightly wider. "Yeah, you could say that," he replied, the words slipping out like a shared joke.

Jazmine's attention drifted as Rafe spoke to Barry, her eyes scanning the bar. She felt the stares from the men in the room—bold and shameless. She shifted uncomfortably, pulling at the hem of the short she'd borrowed from Sarah, trying to make it sit lower on her thighs. The top felt just as tight, squeezing her chest and waist in a way that made her feel exposed.