Page 20 of Bad Blood Wolf

“Ain’t no way to make that, asshole,” Bastian said. “Just take your scratch and finish this.”

Jasmin was heading for the chalk sitting on the side of the table next to the pile of cash.

“Fuck off, Bastian,” Brody said, still taking his time.

Jasmin picked up the chalk and began chalking her cue stick, eyes on him. She gave him the tiniest of nods.

“Eight ball, corner pocket.” Brody gestured with his cue stick. “Off that rail, that one, and that one.”

Bastian laughed. Jasmin didn’t. She put the chalk down. Her hand rested on the table, right next to the money.

Brody positioned himself, leaned over the table, lined up his cue and shot.

Blam. Blam. Blam. Smack.

The cue ball caromed off the three rails he’d called, right into the sweet spot on the side of the 8-ball, without hitting the 11.

The 8-ball tipped into the corner pocket.

The game was over. They’d won.

He felt like the whole place should erupt in cheers again, but of course it didn’t. Bastian wasn’t popular, but he was sure as hell more popular than Brody. And Jasmin wasn’t popular at all.

There was near dead-silence in the room. Bastian’s face was purple with fury, and he turned to grab the money before Brody could get to it.

But Jasmin had already scooped up the cash off the side of the table. She cocked her hips and looked up at Bastian. “Thanks for a fun evening, puppy. Let’s do it again sometime.”

She sauntered toward the door. “See you soon.”

Bastian started after her and Brody went to intercept, but Cutter was faster. He put his hand on Bastian’s shoulder and murmured into his ear, quietly but emphatically.

Jasmin passed Brody and stuffed a wad of bills into Brody’s pocket, his IOU peeking out between them. “There,” she said. “We’re even.”

Her words barely registered—his attention was focused on the other wolves.

Bastian shook his head like an angry bull and shrugged Cutter’s hand off his shoulder, but some of the tension drained from his body. It drained from Brody’s as well. It looked like Cutter had no intention of letting Bastian start another feud with the Bad Bloods. The first one had cost the pack a fuck-ton of money, considering they’d ended up buying the Bad Blood’s territory from Alexander Grant’s lawyers and signing it over to Flynn, along with a hefty settlement for damages caused when Randall Creston and Tyrone Jenkins had attacked them to try to kill Jesse Travis.

Brody thanked whatever wolf gods existed that Cutter was here tonight. Then he realized the Demon Queen of the Amazon had disappeared out the door, without saying another word.