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I had the idea from the first look at Archer Avenue that the weak didn’t set up shop here. All the same, Genny’s crew, the Cardinals, didn’t mess around. It wasn’t hard to learn their name. Half the signs hanging over the bar had the red bird, along with its name splashed on half a dozen ripped shirts. We were almost to the booth when Bugsy Number Two stepped in front of us.
“Hold up.” Blonde waves piled on top of her head. A few wispy strands escaped the bun, framing a snarl twice as mean as our welcoming party. “Whoever heard of the boss giving out passphrases like this is some secret girl-party treehouse. If they want to see the boss so badly, let’s see them get through me. Toss pretty boy up here.”
“What?” I cried. “No, leave him alone.”
They dragged me and Sienna shouting and carrying on out of the way. Sunny was thrown at her, running right into her fist. I screamed at her as he went down.
“Get him, Eve!” the ladies hollered.
Eve jumped on him. She aimed a punch at his nose. Sunny dropped the wasted-junkie act quick, blocking her hit and flipping Eve off. They circled each other, Eve looking mighty cocky despite his sudden personality shift. She turned her back, then flashed around, flinging a beer bottle at his head.
Sunny ducked. “Watch out!” I shrieked.
Too late, Eve tackled him. She got him flat on his stomach, knee digging into his back.
“Stop it.” I was near tears. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”
Sunny swung back and smashed her across the temple, snapping her head around. Eve flew off, crashing into a table leg. No one heard my pleas then.
“Bastard!”
“Kill him!”
“Break his neck!”
Sunny shoved up on his feet. He jumped over the first attempt to sweep his legs, dancing out of the way. “Come on, Eve.” He ducked another bottle—this one courtesy of Bugsy. That bitch was about to have me coming for her. “Don’t let down your fans.”
Straightening, Eve rolled her neck. “Worry about yourself. You’ll never get through me to the boss with that bitch-ass slap.” She held out her hands. “I’m generous. I’ll let you have one for free.”
Sunny rushed her. She twisted, snatched his arm, and yanked it up his back.
“Arggh!” Sunny’s shout ripped my soul to shreds.
“Kill him! Kill him!”
“Nah, bring him and his girlfriends in the back,” Eve said. “Let FGH have her fun with them.”
Wrenching Sunny by the shoulder, agony twisted his dirt-covered features. She shoved him toward a swinging door and I didn’t fight it as we were hauled after them. The three of us were tossed inside an office... with Eve.
I rolled into a massive oak desk, tangling with Sienna. Sunny pushed himself up from where he was thrown against the sidebar, not seeing her advance from behind.
“Stay away from him!” I launched at her.
“Whoa.” Sunny grabbed me around the middle, lifting me off my feet, and glancing my punch off her chin. “Easy, Angel. I’d like you to meet my sister.”
The beautiful blonde menace loosed her hair, letting the silken waterfall trail down her shoulders. Beautiful wasn’t me being kind. It was simply the adjective nature demanded, along with gorgeous, stunning, everyone’s bad-girl fantasy. A little button nose, blue eyes, and pink cupid lips. Despite this, nothing about her gave off a damsel vibe. She ripped her pink tank at the midriff, leaving just enough room for it to cover her boobs and display the word Cardinals. Ditto the severed shorts’ only function was to cover most of her butt cheeks. A simple but expensive look. I clocked the whole outfit as Caddell.
Genny flashed me a smile just as wicked as the younger brother I was going to kill.
“This is Genevieve Hunt. Also known as Genny, Eve, or FGH.”
Genny cracked her jaw. “Nice to meet you.”
“Fuck you!”
Her grin only widened. “Feisty one, isn’t she? Where did you pick this one up?”
“She picked me up actually, and yes, she’s feisty like you wouldn’t believe.” Sunny set me back down, likely assuming I wouldn’t attack him or his sister. Faulty assumption on his part.
“This was a trick?” I hissed. “You let me think your life was in danger for what?! Was this some kind of test?!”
Sunny lost his smile quick. “What? No. Kenzie, of course not.”
“That show wasn’t for you, babe.” She crossed the room, swaying with an effortless, hip-jutting swagger that I could try for years to replicate and never get close to matching the confidence. “That was for my girls. Outsiders don’t come into my bar. People don’t walk in demanding business with me. Ever. Period. They for damn sure don’t do it and then walk out looking as pretty as when they came in. Sunny knew whoever came in here, giving the code that we’re in trouble, would have to get roughed up to keep my girls thinking everything’s normal.”
