Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 81584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“Good to hear.” I glanced around the room. There were plenty of people I didn’t know, but a lot more that I did. “How’s Bird?”
“My baby brother is excellent,” she replied. “Kicking ass and taking names as always.”
“Light on the ass kicking,” Rumi added. “Bird’s a lover, not a fighter.”
“Shit, Esther’s here?” I asked in surprise. Rumi’s brother Otto and his wife rarely went out. I couldn’t remember the last time they’d come to a party.
“Titus brought Noel, too,” Rumi confirmed. “Mick and Emilia are around her somewhere. All of us are here.”
“We wouldn’t miss Frankie’s birthday,” Nova said simply. “I doubt they’ll stay late, but they’d never skip it.”
Otto met my eyes from across the room and jerked his chin in greeting.
“Oh, sure,” Rumi called, as I moved away. “Just leave me for my brother, you whore!”
“You’re such a whiner.” Nova laughed.
“Hey, Gray,” someone called from across the room. I barely held back a wince as I waved to a woman I’d slept with almost a year ago. Shauna? Shanna? Something like that. Shit. I hoped she didn’t try to spark up a conversation.
“Mr. Popular,” Otto greeted, his arm around Esther’s shoulders. Neither of them looked entirely comfortable, but Esther was bobbing her head along with the music.
“Fuck off,” I replied. “Hey, Esther.”
“Good to see you,” she replied, grinning at me. “You should come over to the house soon for dinner. Ansel’s been asking when you’d be back.”
“I’ll bring him a radio to take apart,” I agreed. “Let me know when to be there.”
“Good, maybe he’ll stop messing with the kitchen appliances,” Otto said, his eyes on something across the room. “If you bring something for Ans, make sure you bring something for the girls, too, or you’ll hurt their feelings.”
“Have I ever brought only one of the kids a present?” I scoffed, turning my head to see what he was looking at.
Frankie and her boyfriend were arguing about something near the front door. She turned and hurried back toward her bedroom while he followed behind.
“Wonder what that’s about,” Otto said, frowning when I turned back toward him.
“Frankie can handle herself,” Esther reminded him, patting his chest.
“Shouldn’t have to,” Otto argued, straightening.
“You see that?” Rumi called from across the room.
“I saw it,” Otto called back.
“You guys are going to embarrass her,” Esther scolded. “They’re in a house full of people. Let her deal with it.”
“You know something I don’t?” Otto asked darkly.
“Of course not,” Esther replied, leaning into him. “No one tells me anything.”
“Bullshit,” he muttered under his breath.
“Where’d they go?” Bas asked, coming up behind me.
“Who?” Esther asked innocently.
“That asshole is basically begging me to snap his neck,” Bas mumbled.
I looked at him in surprise. “What’s goin’ on?”
“No idea,” he ground out. “But Lou wasn’t pleased when he showed up, and it takes a lot to get on her bad side.”
I was on the move before Esther could warn me to leave it alone. Weaving my way through the people, I strode down the short hallway to Frankie’s bedroom. The door was swung mostly shut, but I could hear them clearly.
“I told you not to come,” Frankie snapped. “I told you that it wasn’t your thing.”
“Why wouldn’t I come to my girlfriend’s birthday party?” the asshole countered. “That would be fucked up.”
“I told you it was fine.”
“Why didn’t you want me here? You have someone else showing up?”
Silence.
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Frankie bit out.
“You know what I mean.”
“Fuck you,” Frankie spat. “Don’t touch me.”
That was my cue. I pushed the door wide open.
Scott the douche was crowding Frankie between the bed and the wall on the other side of the room while she pushed at him.
“We got a problem here?” I asked, making her jolt in surprise.
“We’re good, man,” Scott snapped. “We’ll be out in a minute.”
“Francesca?” I asked, not even bothering to look at him.
“It’s fine,” she said, shoving past Scott. She stomped toward me. “Let’s go back to the party.”
“You sure?” I asked as she passed me. I took the time to look at Scott. His body was tense with anger, and he was scowling at me. Part of me hoped he’d start shit. I wouldn’t mind knocking his pretty boy ass out.
“Come on,” Frankie ordered, stopping a couple steps down the hallway. “It’s fine. Nothing to worry about.”
I stared Scott down for a few more seconds before turning my back to follow her.
“What was that about?” I asked quietly as she took a deep breath.
“None of your business,” she muttered, striding back toward the living room.
“Francesca,” I growled, putting my hand on her arm to stop her.
The speed at which she jerked her arm away made me freeze.
“He’s got his panties in a twist because he doesn’t know anyone,” she said, turning her head to roll her eyes at me. “I told him he wouldn’t, but he didn’t listen, and now he wants me to entertain him, and I’m not interested in babysitting. Okay? No big deal.”