Page 41 of Anthem of Love and Loathing

“You don’t get to control me,” Kelsey snaps.

“No?” Has the brat in her forgotten how much fun I used to have with her?

There’s a dare in her forced gaze. “No.”

“You want to be on your knees. You can get on them for me.”

She couldn’t look more irritated. Her perfume—whatever crap she wears now—gets up my nose when she gets in my face. I can taste it on my tongue. Floral and exotic. Not her at fucking all.

She stares me down. Rolls her top lip between her teeth, making my cock twitch with nothing more than a look. “You. Fucking. Wish.”

Spinning around, she heads to bunk alley with her middle finger raised high.

Yeah, I don’t need to wish. I’m already putting those wheels into motion, baby.

15

Kelsey

Iwake up burrowed deep in the comforter, my hand still clutching the fork. There’s drool on my cheek and hair in my eyes. One of my boobs is trying to escape my tank top.

Riot didn’t come after me.

He embarrassed me. He threatened me. And he made me a pariah to the guys. I was totally ready to stab him if he didn’t leave me alone during the night.

His groupie must have recaptured his attention, because he didn’t try anything. I never needed to use my makeshift weapon.

Returning the metal utensil to its hiding place under the pillow, I hunt around the top of the mattress for the phone Bronx gave me, until my fingers touch the cold flat case.

Picking it up, I flip onto my back. My thumb lights up the screen. It’s not quite seven. San Francisco is on our horizon. We won’t be trapped on this bus for much longer.

No, we’ll be trapped in a car. And then a hotel suite.

There’s motion in the alley between the bunks. The guys are all up and moving about when I pull the privacy curtain open an inch. Three shirtless, sexy men is a sight this girl can appreciate.

And then there’s Riot’s groupie from last night. She wanders out from the private bedroom in one of his shirts. Her red hair all over the place.

The hand around my phone tightens. Of course he fucked her. I’m the only one on this bus that isn’t allowed to enjoy herself.

He literally took my fucking vibrator. I’d been so angry and turned on by our standoff last night I’d had to take matters into my own hands. But then he’d been front and center and there was no chance I was giving him the satisfaction, even if it was only in my own head.

“Morning, Morgan,” Bronx says to her as Kodiak and Golden head to the front of the bus.

“Do you mind if I use your shower before I head to the airport?” she asks.

She’s leaving then. Is that her decision or Riot’s? Actually... I shake my head. Why the hell would I care?

“Help yourself,” he says. “Towels and soap are in there.”

He turns in my direction and his gaze lands on me as she closes herself into the bathroom. “Sleep okay, Kells Bells?”

“Yeah.” I’m not sure how. One minute I couldn’t imagine getting a wink of sleep as worked up as I was. The next it was lights out. I’ve been running on empty for too long.

“You might be the only one.” His eyes crease in the corners.

“I’m sorry.” I should never have taken it as far as I did last night. I should have been an adult and told Riot to get fucked from the start. Instead, I bought stakes in his game of sexual standoff and put Bronx in the middle of it. Then left him hanging, literally, out of his pants. “That really wasn’t fair on you.”

“I hope you two can work out how to be around each other without killing each other. Or one of us.” He raps his knuckles on the wooden frame of the bunks and heads for the front lounge.