Page 41 of Down & Dirty: Rage

“You!”

“Who’s fuckin’ idea was it?” Zeke asked Vi, trying to ignore the other two snapping at each other.

“We took a vote.”

“A goddamn vote,” Rage muttered.

“Jesus Christ! Couldn’t have shared your plans with us?”

“I guess so…if we answered to you,” Vi told Zeke. “But we don’t. And you men have proven you can’t keep your pie holes shut. You would’ve ruined the surprise.”

“Couldn’t have told Reaper at least? You don’t think he can hold his fuckin’ tongue?” Rage asked.

“Funny. I don’t answer to him, either.” Her brow creased. “Not sure why you’d think that.”

Rage’s gaze flicked to Reaper. Seemed as if he was sticking firmly on the men’s side by keeping a carefully controlled expression.

“Get a fuckin’ clue. We ain’t all here for a goddamn birthday party, Vi. We’re here because we thought Lyric was kidnapped. Hell, we thought all of you had been snagged when none of you would answer your fuckin’ phones!” Rage roared.

“Did you miss the part that the three of us who took Lyric had tits?”

“If we couldn’t spot them…” Zeke snorted and stepped out of arm’s reach. “Sounds like more of a you problem than a problem with our eyesight.”

“Where’d you fuckin’ go?” Rage demanded from Vi since she seemed to be the ringleader. Lyric wasn’t to blame since it was a surprise for her, too.

“We took her to the spa for her birthday.”

“The fuckin’ spa?” Nix shouted. “All this fuckin’ shit for a goddamn spa day?”

“Yes. Because it’s your sister’s birthday, asshole. Did you forget?”

“Need a fuckin’ shot of whiskey,” Nix muttered and headed behind the bar.

Rage needed a hell of a lot more than a shot.

He stared at Lyric, who was listening to all the exchanges around her with her bottom lip clamped between her teeth.

She might not be at fault, but shewasthe cause.

Before he could think about it, he grabbed her arm and hauled her into the room where the officers met to the right of the club’s bar.

It took every fucking ounce of control he had left to not slam the door behind them.

“Ash—” she started as she turned to face him.

“Had an appointment with you today.” He managed to keep that right below a roar.

Barely.

She grimaced. “No one reached out to cancel it?”

A muscle jumped in his cheek. He attempted to control the tornado twisting inside of him but it was already picking up speed. “Shouldn’t that have been you?”

“My schedule was wiped out this morning. I figured whoever did that rescheduled my clients.”

“If they did, they forgot to tell me: the goddamn sergeant at arms of this goddamn club who’s goddamn responsible for all you goddamn women!”

Her head jerked back and her brown eyes went wide. “I?—”