"Any reports?"

Blade shakes his head and folds his arms over his chest." No nothing. The terrorist have been silent. Which means they've succeeded in something or are planning something."

The guys look at each other and I look outside of the garage." Or both." I get up and grab the clothes from my book bag and V into the restroom. They've accomplished something and are forming another step in their plan. No terrorist gang will just take a bunch of stuff and do nothing after. They're waiting for something. But what? I strip down from the 'disguise' and change into the black ball shorts and muscle tee. My tattoos show from the very little coverage of the shirt, and show a glimpse of the finger nail imprints on my right shoulder. I don't like it when the women do that. It shows what I did and leaves the whole world to know that I let a prostitute leave such a mark on me with her grimy fingernails that have the skin of many other men under them. I never get satisfied completely because how she, my partner at the time, isn't going along with it. She's doing it for money, and maybe a little bit of the fun, but it's all about the money. She do what she's done with many, and say what has worked best in the past. I don't like that. I won't even try with the woman if she doesn't put the least bit of passion into it.

I stretch out my arms and fix the shirt so the marks are covered and go back outside. The boys are all back to normal, some with their women with them and most holding a beer in their hands. They all holler when Tiara busts the beer bottle across Mike's bike and begins to chug the bottle in the other hand. Mike laughs as well and grabs her by the waist and brings her down to the couch with him, where the two begin grind and kiss on each other. Many people think a gang as a bunch of nasty women sharing men, but in reality we're overprotective of our women. It's a miracle Mike has let Tiara come while the whole gang is here. And the show he's putting on is for both fun, and to show the rest of us that she's his. No one else can lay a finger on her.

"Xavier! Want one buddy?" Blade comes to me with a beer in his hand, a partial limp in his right leg from the broken toe. I smirk and take the bottle from him, and take a drink out of it." How has the school been?"

"Nothing's been happening. The only drama I've gotten is Asher and her problems."

"What? What kind of problems does she have to face? Paying people's medical bills, and what lipstick looks best with her outfit for the day?"

I roll my eyes and take a seat on the motorcycle behind me and take one last long drink of the bottle and throw it int the trash." Friend and boy problems. And she doesn't wear makeup, or care about what looks good."

"So what's her boy problems? You?"

"No, I'm not in that kind of relationship with her. Daniel, the guy I told you that was with Hana, used to date her. He's being trying to make her jealous, when it's really just making her mad. Then there's Cole. The schools bad boy. He's taken an interest in her and seems to be harassing her.... Though this conversation does remind me. Did you find anything interesting on her? Like criminal or training records?"

"No. Nobody's found anything. Just her birth records, school achievements, and hospital records. Nothing suspicious. Why? Has anything happened to make you suspicious?"

I turn to him and nod." She can fight. She not only avoided getting hit two times by the Cole guy, but knocked him out after. Two punches from her and he was on the floor. Not even Tiara can win a fight like that."

He nods and takes a drink from his beer, looking at the door with the bell signals someone's coming to the garage." I'll tell them you said to look deeper. Though she could just had karate as a kid or something..."

"I know. That's why I asked if you looked at any of her training records. See if she shows up for any of the places around here. Though her father could be training her...."

"Her father?"

"Yeah." I look at Bill as he walks in, with a set of keys in hand and a stern expression on his face." I'll explain later."

"You boys best be in your best behavior. I have a client coming for his car and I don't think he'd appreciate you boys being in here throwing beer bottles around, chancing on hitting his car. He's paid a lot of money for what he had done and he's a regular client, and I don't plan on losing him because you all are acting wild. Mike and Tiara, that's a couch not your bed. Get up."

"Why?" Tiara groans as they part and begin to raise up, clearly not liking the new distance put between them.

"Because he has a you g daughter who will becoming in as well, and I don't want her to walk in on a porno. And I doubt her father does either."

"A little girl?" Tiara smiles and raises up quickly, pulling her shirt down as she does so. Tiara is in love with children. Her and Mike have tried many times to have one of their own, but her body rejects it. If by some miracle she does end up pregnant, it ends up in a miscarriage.

"Not technically little. She's seventeen or something like that. Which reminds me. No inappropriate stuff will be done or said to her. Her father will keep your ass after she does. Is this clear?"

We all nod and Blade nudges my side with his elbow." Seventeen." He lifts his eyebrows up and I grunt." Are you going to try and get it?"

"No. You just heard him say not to make a move."

"Damn that schools changed you for the worse. The old Xavier would've knocked that old man down just to get some. Why is it stopping you now?"

"Because I don't feel like it tonight. I'm fine."

Blade freezes as does the others and I watch as they all turn to me in slow motion, a slack expression coming to their faces as they look at me." You don't feel like it? You're fine?" Blade repeats incredulous, his eyebrows knitted together and his mouth open." You're fine? Xavier is fine? Shit man, you really have changed. I'm talking to the man who's record is banging four times in a roll and ready to slaughter some more, and you're fine?"

"Yeah, that's what I just said."

"Who is she?" I turn to Mike, to see him staring at me with knowing eyes." Who's the girl?"

"There is no girl. I just don't feel like it. I'm good with hanging out tonight."

"Don't play stupid with me man, I know what's going on. You don't feel like going after random chicks because you have only one on your mind. Who's the girl that your turning down others for?"

"There is no girl. I'm not seeing anyone-"

"Asher!" I turn to see a tall man walking in wearing dark jeans and a white T-shirt." He looks at the car parked behind him and sighs before going to the passenger side and opening the door. His mouth moves, as the hands of the person in the car does as well and he sighs before picking the girl up and packing her to the garage." It's just a mud puddle." He grunts out as he walks through the large one that sits in front of the garage doors and sits the girl onto the floor of the garage.

"Yeah, maybe just to you because you don't have white converse on. You don't understand the struggle of having to scrub these suckers after it rains to get the stains out." I watch as the girl turns our way and freeze when I see the familiar face of Asher standing before me. She lets out a huff of air and bends over, putting her wavy wet hair into a messy bun." Why did I have to come in anyways?"

"Because you know what size of paper you need and you're going to be the one to drive the car out of here." The man says and I recognize him as the man who had given Daniel the talk in the library. Her dad. She rolls her eyes and glances over us all with squinted eyes and folds her arms over her chest. I look at the black under armor jacket that hangs to her loosely and see the jersey number digits in the back saying 69." And you never did answer my questions."

"Just like you never stopped and got me chocolate. I guess we're both in the wrong."

"Did you just quote Llamas with Hats?"

"Yes, yes I did. Thanks for noticing."

Her dad rolls his eyes, and looks at Bill." I'm sorry. Is say she usually doesn't act like this but she does. It's a twenty four hour job putting up with her." Bill laughs and smiles at Asher, who smiles back and begins to walk to the back of the garage. I wait for him to jump onto her like he does us when we go back there, but he only glances at her as she goes back there and looks back at her father." She's going to raid your bookshelf again." He rubs his face and wipes away everything, making his face blank as he looks at all of us." So where's the car?"

"In the back. You wouldn't have a problem with the guys looking at it as well would you? I'm sure they'd love to see it."

"No, no problem." He puts his keys into his pocket as Bill gestures for all of us to follow.

I raise up from the motorcycle to see Blade looking at my suggestively and nodding his head in the way Asher went." No."

He rolls his eyes and stays silent as we go behind the car lift into the set up he has behind it. Up front this place looks like an old shop going out of business, with the peeling paint and old wood sign. But once you get back here.. You're thoughts will quickly change. The garage is the size of a football field, expensive cars lining up at stations getting worked on by both the workers and the owners. The dates of street races line the walls in chalk, and the sign ups for them lay on the desk at the back wall. This is where the street racers prepare their cars for the races and leave them the night before. Then they go out to the race track about a mile behind here and race. The races being why this place is as success as it is.

I squint at all the cars that line up inside the garage and try to figure out which one is Asher's. She doesn't seem like the type to have a sports car.. Then again she didn't seem like the type to knock someone out either. She skips out from behind the bookshelf, holding two of the books in her arms and goes up to the side of her father. I glance at Blade to see him talking with Mike, both glancing at me at the time. I lift an eyebrow and the both quit talking and look start ahead, to wherever Bill may be leading us." Here she is." Bill announces and stops at the last car, it seeming less muscular as the rest. In fact, it isn't a muscle car at all. I recognize the white car as the one I seen her pull into the school for the first two days I went and see nothing different but a new paint job." I know she doesn't look like much now but just wait..." He gets inside the the car and starts it up, the headlights glowing a blue in the walls as he pulls up to the middle of the garage and stops. He slides out, leaving the doors open and gestures for us to come. We let her father go first and follow behind, considering it is his car and his paid for the stuff. I raise my eyebrows at the sight of the inside and feel the excitement go through me as I do when car shopping. You can't buy this one though Xavier. It's Asher's. I look at the carefully done leather seats, sewed with a metallic thread. The steering wheel has control buttons of the car o it, it being detailed with silver and a smooth leather. I raise my eyebrows and see the guys starring inside with wide eyes and glance back to see Asher standing awkwardly behind us all.

"Guys. Let her through. It's her car." They all look back and move out of the way, letting her slide through and come up to the drivers seat in front of me. Blade smirks and I grunt before turning back to her as she looks inside, a smile slowly starting to form.

Her father watches her, a small smile playing on his face as he watches her look at the inside." That isn't all Asher."

Bill presses a button in the keys and the trunk slowly begins to raise up and we all go to the back, me letting Asher go first so she'll be the first to actually see it this time. Her dad nods my way and goes to the back as well, me soon to follow." For when you and your fm dad decided to go in your monthly road trips." Bill says and I go to the back, and an inhuman sound escapes me at the sight. The whole trunk is filled with speakers, all shining with bright lights that are near the point of blinding. One of the guys whistle and I watch Asher as her eyes get wide with joy and she turns to her father.

"Thank you!" She jumps into his arms, laughing/ crying and I smile slightly as her father twirls her around running her back.

"You like it?"

"Like it? I love it? We have to drive this thing to the summer house the next time we go!" She jumps down from him and goes back to the speakers, touching all the lights all speakers themselves." I'm testing them out once we start pulling out."

Her father chuckles and messes her hair up at the top with his hand." I knew you would. Just don't go deaf okay? You're mother would kill me."

She smiles and hugs him again, this time kissing him on the cheek and buddying herself into his arms." I promise."

Bill smiles at her and says," No thanks for the mechanic?"

"Thanks Bill!" She says going to the drivers side of the car again and climbing in." Dad me and you are racing when we get to the house!"

"What? How'd you know I put turbo in it?"

"I know a lot of things old man." She says and hits the steering wheel." Lets go! I want to test this baby out!"

I raise my eyebrows as the two men chuckle at her and her dad turns to Bill." How much is it?"

"Ten thousand dollars."

Her father nods and pulls out three wads of cash and throws them to Bill as if they're nothing. I turn to Blade again, to see him having the same question in his eyes that must be going through mine. Who are these people?