Stunned, I stare at him, my hand tingling.
He brings his hand to his cheek, touching the reddening skin there. After a moment of stillness between us, he huffs a laugh of disbelief.
“I take it back,” he chuckles humorlessly, shaking his head. “You two might be perfect for each other.”
I don’t hear the door open behind me, but I hear Whitney’s voice as clear as day. “Get out, Noah.”
I glance behind me just as he does. Autumn and Whitney are blocking the doorway, glares full of steel.
He doesn’t move.
Whitney takes a step forward, eyes burning into his face. “I said get the fuck out. Now.”
Noah laughs again, still shaking his head. “You three are unbelievable.”
“We know,” Autumn says with a smile.
“Don’t call me forshit,”Noah snaps, whirling on all three of us as he passes. I see the imprint of my fingers on his cheek. “Handle all of your bullshit on your own from now on, alright?”
“Oh no, how will we ever survive?” Autumn says theatrically, pretending to faint against the door with her hand on her forehead.
Noah glares at her so venomously that I break into a fit of shocked, furious laughter, and the chorus of giggles from the three of us follows him down the hall like his own, personal death march.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
carter
“Ah,the convict himself. Back at the scene of the crime.”
I glance beside me, leaning on my elbows at the bar to be on the same level as Sweets while we speak. Penny’s eyes immediately hone in on him, not knowing who he is, but probably sensing the way my spine goes rigid at the sight of him and taking that as a bad sign.
I stare at Noah, forcing my expression into neutrality. “In what world did our prior conversation lead you to believe I’d ever want to spend my free time speaking to you?”
He chuckles and sways a bit on his feet. Great. The idiot is drunk. He’s already a nuisance when he’s sober and wearing a badge, I have a feeling a guy like him is a nightmare when intoxicated. Thankfully I am only on my second drink and still have some sense in my brain.
“Where’s Dolly?” he asks, his eyebrows shooting up. He sloppily leans his elbow against the bar. I try to fight the way my temper skyrockets at the mention of that nickname slipping off his lips. “Or is it Irina’s night with you tonight?”
You see, typically, that would have been the sentence thatmade me snap and bash my fist into his skull, but I have a five-foot-ten distraction at my side.
Penny slides in front of me. She’s practically trying to wedge herself between my body and the bar, but I don’t let her. Sweets offers Officer Peck the most hostile smile I have ever seen in my life, her eyes colder than the weather.
“I suggest you fuck off right back to wherever you came from, sir,” she says in a fake, chipper tone. Noah’s eyes dart to her. “Or I will jam the heel of my shoe so far up your ass that Elliot and Cole can use you to mop up the floor later.”
My brows skyrocket, a shocked laugh leaving me. Wow. Sweets has got some claws on her.
“Who are you?” Noah asks.
“Not your concern,” I say, putting my arm between them and forcefully shoving my body in front of Sweets. Lowesy isn’t around. She’s mine to protect right now. I take that gig seriously.
“The devil.” Penny smiles wickedly, jumping half-onto the bar so that she can pop her head around my body and meet his eyes again. She’s pushing against me to get closer to Peck. I find this amusing as all hell, but I’m not letting this altercation happen. “Allow me to introduce myself.”
“Sweets,” I warn.
Noah looks her up and down in a way that makes a chill run through me. That’s the shit I don’t like about him. That fucking eerie way he observes women. Stares at them like they're less than him, but like he’s entitled to something from them all the same.
“Better watch those eyes,Prick,” I snarl, physically reaching forward to haul Penny behind me. She lets out a groan of disappointment. “What the fuck do you want?”
“That’s not Irina. Is there a third? Which one is this?” he asks, bringing his beer to his mouth.
