Free The Lovely Reckless by Kami García Page A

real smart, are you, Rich Boy? ’Cause we covered this after the race. Do I look like a taxi service?” Turk’s neck muscles bulge, distorting the words on his neck.
    Even if I throw in my two hundred, Abel will still be short a hundred dollars. I don’t see Turk giving him a discount.
    Calm down and think.
    Dad started teaching me his this-might-save-your-life-one-day skills when I was in kindergarten, but none of them helped the night Noah died.
    That’s because you didn’t do anything.
    I mentally scroll through the list, searching for a way out of this mess. If you’re outnumbered, act crazy , Dad told me at least a dozen times. Start pacing and talking to yourself about crap like aliens and conspiracy theories. No one wants to screw with a crazy person. Unstable equals unpredictable.
    Dad demonstrated while I lectured him about the harsh realities of mental illness. His world and mine were so different, and until three months ago, I had never witnessed the kind of violence he faced every day.
    Even if I could pull off conspiracy theory–level crazy, the window for convincing Turk I’m unstable has already closed. Dog psychology— Act dominant to establish the alpha position —is also out. Turk looks like the kind of guy who would love to get aggressive.
    What he cares about is money.…
    â€œI have two hundred dollars on me.” I pull out the cash I brought and gesture at Lex. “What if we go and get the rest of the money instead? Give us thirty minutes, and we’ll bring you two hundred more.” Maybe the extra hundred will satisfy him.
    Turk whips around, invading my personal space. “Nobody’s leaving. You think I’m stupid?” Yes . The suffocating combination of sweat and cheap cologne clings to his body, which is way too close to mine.
    â€œTurk, this is between you and me.” Abel tries to take a step, but Sung throws his arm up in front of Abel, blocking his path.
    â€œSend one of your friends with us if you don’t trust me.” The thought of being in the same car with either of them makes my skin crawl. “If we don’t go, you only get the seven hundred we have on us.”
    â€œFrankie?” Lex sounds like a little girl calling for her mom in the dark. She’s losing it.
    I give her a death glare and focus on Turk. “Will that work?”
    Come on.… Say yes already.
    He nods. “But your friends stay here. Both of them. You’re the only one who goes.”
    â€œGet your ass out of my way,” a girl snaps.
    Cruz, the girl from my Shop class, shoves Shawn and heads in our direction. She’s wearing tight jeans, like most of the other girls here tonight. But with her high ponytail, black Lycra tank, and turquoise-silver-and-black Nike basketball high-tops, she comes off as confident and tough.
    Abel points at her. “That’s the girl I met in class.”
    Cruz looks at Abel like he’s an idiot and stops beside me. Not that she acknowledges my existence. It’s a replay of Shop class.
    â€œIs this a private party, Turk?” She toys with the silver chain around her neck.
    â€œNot without you, baby.” He stares at her chest without bothering to hide it. “Just handling some business.”
    â€œWhen did you start doing business with the Royals?” She throws a disgusted look at Abel, Lex, and me.
    â€œI don’t discriminate when it comes to money.” Turk rolls his shoulders in an obvious check-out-my-muscles move.
    She smiles at him. “Then get your money and send them back to the Heights so we can have a beer.”
    â€œI need some time. They’re short, but Sung’s gonna take care of it.” Turk’s cell rings, and he checks the display. “I gotta take this,” he tells Cruz, stepping away. “It’s business.”
    â€œYou owe him money and you don’t have it?” Cruz hisses under her breath. “Are