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Holy shit, what had I just done? This wasGavin, for Christ’s sake. Quiet, sweet, and undeserving of having the likes ofmemauling him. What the hell was I doing kissing him?
I dropped my hands from him like he was on fire and stumbled backward, knocking my ass into the chair. Frustration ripped through me, and I kicked it out of the way as Gavin started toward me.
“Daire, wait.”
I would not stick around for whatever he wanted to say, not when I could feel my body going into shock.
Without another glance, I hightailed it away from him, ignoring him when he called after me. It wasn’t until I stepped across the threshold of my bedroom that I finally answered him.
By slamming my door and locking it up tight.
SIXTEEN
gavin
THE SECOND DAIRE’S door slammed shut, I knew he wasn’t coming back out again. But with the way his kiss had just scrambled my brain, I couldn’t stay here and try to think clearly. Not when every fiber of my being was suddenly attuned to his.
I had to get out of there.
Pushing through the shock that wanted to keep my feet rooted to the floor, I somehow made my way out of the apartment, going to the one place in this building I looked to as a sanctuary.
This late, there was no one else in the Secret Garden, and even the fire had long since been snuffed out. Only a few strands of twinkling lights lit the space as I headed toward my usual spot and fell down onto the velvet couch.
What in the fresh hell had happened tonight?
And why was it that every time I went on a date with Trevor, something dramatic happened and I couldn’t even remember it? Like East sending me a video of him and the guys inflicting punishment on my ex and his friends. Or fighting with Daire, and Daire?—
Kissingme.
So much had happened in the last few hours, but that was all I could focus on. Maybe it was because I could still feel his hands holding me, the way his mouth had taken possession of mine.
I traced my swollen lips with my fingers, still dazed at how quickly our confrontation had turned into something more. I’d been so damn mad at him, and all I’d wanted to do when I saw him standing in our living room, so calm and unconcerned, was strangle him.
Notlet him kiss me, for God’s sake. Not kiss him back.
Definitely not want to do it again…
Sinking back onto the couch, I kicked my feet up and closed my eyes.
Stop thinking about Daire. Think about the way he and the others went behind your back instead.
That was easier said than done with my lips still tingling and my stomach twisting itself into knots.
Needing a reminder of what had gone down, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and brought the video up.
The smirk on East’s face before he panned the camera around Astor’s courtyard was enough to tell me he was out somewhere patting himself on the back now, probably with the rest of our fucked-up crew. Why Daire hadn’t joined them, I didn’t know, but for the moment I put that aside, because the sight of Joey and his friends naked and spread out for public view was nothing short of shocking.
And what was that on their necks? They all seemed to have the same drawing of… I hit pause and zoomed in, squinting at what looked like…dicks? What, so they’d Sharpie’d dicks leading up to their mouths? That seemed a little pedestrian, especially for East?—
Oh my God.
They hadn’tdrawnthose on.
Light glinted off the cling wrap covering the designs, which meant those were fuckingtattoos.
My jaw hit the floor as I pieced together what they’d done. It was obvious Carl and Doug were knocked out cold somehow, but Joey seemed at least half awake and utterly terrified as Daire crouched down in front of him.
They’d been given something to keep them from putting up a fight, that much was clear. And then what? Taken to get dick tattoos before being left on Astor’s doorstep for everyone to see?
