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She really fucking does.I can’t say it out loud though, the fear of scaring him off is too great inside of me.
Emily continues to laugh from the bed as I rise to my feet, eyes still locked on Axel until he glances down the length of me. I know my nipples are pebbled, brushing against the material of my t-shirt, and they’ve got his attention too.
My next breath lodges in my throat as he extends his arm out, ghosting his thumb over my left taut peak for the briefest second, before a cell phone chimes.
I’m a stick of dynamite ready to explode from one simple touch, only to be interrupted by the one noise I’d rather not hear right now.
“Was that—”
“Euro’s cell,” I finish, hearing Emily’s harsh gulp ringing in my ears as Axel’s jaw tightens. He glances over my shoulder to where the cell phone is, and I turn to face it.
I know whatever pops up on that screen is going to ruin my moment with Axel, and I know it’s going to be from someone I loathe. Which means I’m only going to want to kill them more.
I step away from the bubble forming between Axel and I and open the message on the screen. My annoyance only rises as anger instantly rushes to the surface.
That motherfucker…
What a motherfucking ballsack.
“What does it say?” Axel asks, thick tension radiating from him as I turn to him with a sympathetic smile. Already hating that I’m being given more shit to put on the club.
“It’s from Kincaid.”
“And…”
I exhale harshly through my nose as I prepare myself to read it out. “I want Scarlett Reeves on a platter. You have a twenty-four hour window.”
* * *
Staringat my reflection in the mirror, the slinky red dress makes my porcelain skin appear even brighter. It accentuates my breasts, curls in at my waist, and barely covers my ass. Paired with glittery sandals, hair piled on top of my head with tendrils framing my face, and smoking hot makeup, I look like I’ve been Emily’d again.
I feel hot as hell, but that’s not the purpose of tonight. It’s not what I’ve spent all day preparing for, and it’s likely not the best outfit of choice for the occasion. But there’s a show we must put on. The other chapter is still here, and to them, I’m nothing more than a whore.
I grab the purse Emily gave me that matches the shoes and step out into the hallway. There’s no Emily tonight. Evensheagreed not to be present. She’s no longer just a risk against Emmett, she’s a weakness for me, and the way I defended her the last time the Devil’s Brutes came calling only proves it. But to them, she’s supposed to be dead.
She’s been placed under Shift’s watchful gaze for the evening. I’m sure if you asked that man to miss out on this for anything else, he’d tell you a straight up ‘hell no’, but for her… everything is different. I heard them murmuring over some chick flicks to watch together, and he was willing to give her whatever she wanted, so I know I shouldn’t worry about them.
As I approach the end of the hall, Maggie peeks her head out from the kitchen, her smile widening when she sees me. “Come on, girlie, Duffer deserves a celebration, and you deserve some food. Maybe a stiff drink or two,” she adds, holding out a tray of meat for me to carry.
Duffer does deserve a celebration. I just wish we were getting an uninterrupted one.
“Do you need me to get anything else?” I offer, but she shakes her head and waves me off.
The bar area is empty, but the second I step outside, everyone comes into view. The scene before me is all too familiar. Picnic benches are spaced out around the grassy area, music plays from the sound system somewhere, and the smell of the barbecue floats through the air.
The Ruthless Bitches are to the far right, laughing, joking, and eyeing up the new men on offer from the other chapter,Declan’schapter. Declan sits with his men across two tables on either side of the bitches, leaving the Ruthless Brothers to hold up the rest of the seats.MyRuthless Brothers sit in the same spot they always do—Ryker, with a view of the entire space; Emmett and Axel flanking either side of him. While Gray sits across from him, a beer poised in his hand, but not a sip has been taken.
We’re all on high alert, but there’s a reason there are no old ladies or kids here tonight. It’s simple.
Draw this fucker out of hiding and kill him.
Why does my stomach swarm with uncertainty if it really is that easy?
Sweeping my tongue over my bottom lip, I carry the tray toward the grill, feeling eyes on my every step. Not just from the table I want it from though; Declan’s too, and when I glance at Axel, he’s glaring at the fucker without a care.
Maybe co-existing and acting dumb around them is going to be a lot harder than I expected.
Maggie appears behind me, taking the food from my hands and waving me off toward the guys. My purse feels heavy over my shoulder, the weight of the gun spiking my veins with adrenaline, and I place it on the table beside Ryker as a heavy rock song starts.
