Page 139 of Healed

I looked at her with a scoff. “Trust me, they’re puppies compared to what Dante and Vienna used to get up to.”

“Oh, yeah. I sometimes forget that you were around in those days. It’s weird, because I know you’ve always been here. But it’s hard for me to pair that side of the Devils with the side I’ve seen it become since I’ve been here, you know?”

“I know exactly what you mean. I barely recognise the place either. Warrior would have had all these women sweeping the place and serving drinks. Not because he hated them or anything, it was just their place at the time.”

It was Rachel’s turn to scoff then. “I’d like to see Dante dare try to tell me to service the men.”

“I have a feeling he knows exactly how that would go down,” I laughed.

As though Dante had actually issued the command, Rachel was currently glaring daggers at her bewildered partner, who was looking around trying to find the source of her irritation.

“That’s actually pissed me off. I might go give Dante another reminder of why he needs to stay on my good side,” she muttered to me, still giving him the dead eye.

I burst out laughing when I saw Dante on the other side of the courtyard gesturing wildly and mouthing, “What? What?”

“Tell me,” Rachel said, not looking in my direction. “Did you ever meet that mother of his?”

“Kitty? I sure did.”

“Awful woman,” Rachel shuddered.

“And may she rest in peace.”

“I’ll drink to that,” she said, clinking her bottle against mine. “I suppose she wasn’t too bad in the end. In fact, it was kind of sad what she became. She let Dante down terribly. Not to mention poor Bee.”

“She was a fierce bitch when I knew her. I don’t think a day went by when she wasn’t clipping one of the lads round their head.”

“Maybe just remove the fierce part. Bitch will suffice all on its own.”

“Remind me to tell you about the time Vienna super-glued all her shoes to the ceiling and cut the crotch out of all her trousers.”

“What?” Rachel laughed. “Why would he do that?”

“I can’t even remember the full story,” I laughed back. “All I know is she thoroughly pissed him off. And Crash took her side to keep the peace. So he got revenge in typical Vienna style.”

“Are my ears burning?” Vienna said, coming up behind us.

“Great,” Rachel muttered. “I was just thinking this party wasn’t torture enough and then you co—”

She choked and coughed as Vienna picked up his beard and slapped her in the face with it.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Rachel hissed, shoving his chest. “You’ve had her sat all over your face and you’re gonna hit me with your nasty beard?”

“Cheers, Rachel,” I said at the same time as Vienna beamed proudly.

“You never seemed to mind before.”

“I did. And also, Gabriella wasn’t here before.”

“Doesn’t mean someone wasn’t sat on my face.”

Rachel paused, narrowing her eyes to slits. “Who was on your face?”

“You don’t wanna know,” Vienna replied, gently grabbing my wrist and lifting my bottle to his lips. He licked his lips afterwards, and a dart of desire shot through me.

“No, no,” Rachel huffed. “Don’t start with the eye-fucking. Answer my question. Who did you have sat on your face?”

“You’re not going to like the answer.”