All they had ever known was Huntington. And they were all content with that. High school dreams were dashed years ago. They all had suffered in too many ways to effectively pursue their love for music. And one they saw their best friend Jimmy spiraling into the drug scene they desperately tried to pull him out of the pit only to be sucked in themselves one by one.

And the first one to fall was Brian. He saw how much control these kingpins had. Money was tantamount to god-like powers in this area and that was all he ever wanted. The infamy wasn't bad either. Brian reminisced as the warm breeze caressed the sharp contours of his face. He closed his eyes momentarily as he took a drink of one of his favorite vices: good whiskey. He couldn't scheme without it.

His cell phone was clutched in the other. He was expecting a call soon and as he waited on his back porch sat in his cushioned outdoor chair his thoughts ran rampant. If they did not get this shipment in by tonight the deal with his new clients was a bust. And Brian could not take that hit to his ego. He hadn't seized power by not following through with his word. So there he sat sipping on his whiskey appreciating the orange tones that now tinged the sky. It would be dark soon.

The text tone snapped him out of his stupor. It was from Zacky. He could count on him. Never once had Zacky failed to deliver. Everything is dealt with. Meeting with Ollie tonight. Take the stick out of your ass and breathe, Gates. Have I ever failed you? the text read. Gates let out a small laugh as he pushed the power button and heard the lock tone on his phone. He was pouring himself another drink as he heard a knock from the patio door behind him.

That tall, lanky frame was unmistakeable. Jimmy walked towards Brian and took a seat beside him threatening to knock the table over with his giant legs as he rested them atop it. Brian immediately secured his glass and the bottle of Jack, giving Jimmy a dirty look for a split second.

"You know how I feel about mistakes, Sullivan," Brian teased, attempting to retain his cold look, but it was futile and he knew it.

Jimmy simply smiled and snatched the bottle of liquor out of Brian's hand. With his reach it did not prove to be that difficult of a task. He ignored his friend's comment and took a hearty swig before setting the bottle down loudly on the table. Azure eyes glinted with mischief as he flicked Brian off with a shrug.

"As always. Bitchin' about something," Jimmy quipped, reaching for something in his jacket. "Guess some things never change, eh, Gates?"

Brian flicked him off in return before leaning forward and reaching into the pockets of his black gym shorts. He liked sitting out of his patio soaking the rays usually only clad in board or gym shorts to calm down and Jimmy had caught him dressed down. Not that he minded. This was his best friend after all, but to anyone else he was always dressed to the nines. In this business appearances were just as important as your product. He finally found a couple of hundreds and started rolling them up tightly. As Jimmy pulled out the baggie and prepared some lines with the razor and mirror that lay on the table. This routine was all commonplace.

"Why would I want to change what we have now?" he asked as his eyes observed his friend. "This is easy, cold, hard cash untouched by the IRS. Even rock stars have to pay taxes, you know."

At hearing the quip about the rock stars, Jimmy's smile faltered a little bit. He knew what Brian was trying to do and he did it well. Had it not been for his weaknesses maybe the band could have succeeded. Instead they led this life now. Brian knew exactly what buttons to push and he was excellent at it. Soon Jimmy shook the negative thoughts starting to cloud his mind and he took one rolled up hundred from his friend, ingesting one line without speaking. He rubbed his nose with one hand while pushing the mirror towards Brian who followed suit; ingesting two lines himself.

"That's what we just got in," Jimmy remarked, his nose now a bit red. He pocketed the hundred and leaned back in his chair; grabbing the bottle and taking a quick drink. "Good shit, right?"

Brian inhaled deeply before responding with a nod of his head. He pocketed his money before leaning back himself, drink in hand and staring at the horizon. The sun had set now. It seemed like there were never enough hours in the day.

"Better get what we fucking pay for. V has a good eye. I trust him with standards. Unlike some people."

Jimmy rolled his eyes before closing them. This whole debacle was over and done with. Until more problems rolled in. They always did. He had learned to enjoy the moments of peace and quiet. Speaking of... Jimmy opened his eyes and shot Brian a questioning look.

"Speaking of trust... Where the hell is your woman?"

Brian's posture changed immediately at the mention of her. His woman? Yes. Could he trust her? Hell no. He stiffened as he took another drink and tried to act as detached and nonchalant as possible.

"She's not my woman and I don't have a fucking GPS on her, Sullivan," he scoffed, an obvious sour look on his face. "Why the fuck do you always have to ruin everything?"

"Man, fuck you..." Jimmy muttered, pulling out a cigarette for lack of something better to do. "I just don't fucking trust her."

"You're not the one fucking her so it's not your problem," Brian retorted.

Jimmy knew that was the end of that conversation. They spent the rest of the time on the porch avoiding that subject and awaiting every one else's arrival. After all, the fun always started after dark in their City of Evil.

Notes

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Hope you guys enjoy! This is a new fic that I am co-writing with a close friend of mine. Rated NC-17 for valid reasons so if you are triggered easily this is not the story for you. Please subscribe, rate, and comment. :) —raquel