Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
The church has quieted down, but there are still quite a few people left. Blackout is on one side of me with his hand on my thigh, and Skyhigh the other with his arm over my shoulder. Dragon’s sitting in a chair across from us. They are chatting about something, but I’m not really paying attention, just looking around and buzzing.
On the other side of the church, a woman with fiery red hair has just slid down onto her hands and knees. There’s one biker in front of her and another moving into position behind. I can’t see anything from this angle, not really, but it’s pretty clear what’s going on and I’m trying not to look, but it’s impossible to concentrate on anything else.
Being here is like falling into an alternate dimension where anything goes. My brain has long since gone numb to the shock. It makes it easy to ask questions I’ll probably regret in the morning. “Do you guys…” I nod my head in their direction.
Skyhigh looks over. “Fuck?”
“Not tonight man, I’ve got a headache,” Blackout says, wiggling his eyebrows. “Unless you’re the one asking, beautiful.” He squeezes my leg.
Skyhigh flips him off. Dragon snorts and takes a swig from his beer bottle.
“Share.” Colleen told me I needed to decide between a love triangle and a menage for the book before they start making promo materials at the latest. I’d been leaning towards the love triangle, but now I’m not sure.
The energy between us shifts at that single word. “It’s been known to happen,” Skyhigh says cautiously. “Why? You interested?”
“For research,” I clarify. “You know, the books.”
Dragon nods. “Sure.”
“It’s probably one of those things that’s better in theory, right? Like, whose hands go where? And do you have to play rock, paper, scissors for who does what? I bet it’s more work than it’s worth.”
Blackout’s hand shifts on my thigh. “Honey, I’m not sure this is a discussion you’re in a good state to be having.”
I try to sit up but it feels like too much work so I let myself sink back into the couch. “Because I’m drunk?”
Skyhigh’s fingers slide through my hair. “Yeah, because you’re drunk, and because we’re not assholes, but we’re still men.”
“I thought you wanted to teach me how to get dirty,” I say smugly.
His fingers curl, tugging at my scalp. He tilts my face up to look at him. I suck in a startled breath and my nipples tighten into hard points. The sounds of the trio having sex in the background are a constant backdrop. I can feel Blackout and Dragon watching, waiting to see what happens.
“You should go home, little girl. Go home and crawl into bed before you do something you regret.”
“Would I? Regret it?” I’m not even sure what it is. “That wouldn’t be anything new.”
Skyhigh cocks his head, curious. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
“Definitely sounded like something,” Dragon says.
I’m oversharing. I can feel it, but I can’t stop. “You want honesty? Sex is overrated.”
Blackout laughs. “Then you’ve definitely been doing it wrong.”
“Oh yeah? You guys keep saying stuff like that but I’ll believe it when I see it,” I snap.
Skyhigh pulls me into his lap, his fingers tangled in my hair. His voice is soft but dangerous. “You’re playing with fire.”
“Yeah, yeah, all talk and no—”
His mouth is on mine before I know it, his tongue delving between my lips and claiming me. There's nothing sweet or tentative about this kiss. I gasp against him, my fingers dig into the worn cotton of his shirt under his vest, pulling him closer. Skyhigh sucks my bottom lip between his teeth and bites down. The sharp bite of pain brings me to my senses. I spring off of his lap, putting space between us.
He lets out a rough chuckle. “Let's go, birthday girl. Time to get you home.”
I can’t tell if I’m relieved or disappointed.
7
DRAGON
“Fuck off. I’m not going to say shit.” Our guest of honor turns his head and spits, leaving a big glob of saliva and blood on the floor.
His face is fucked up, but pissing people off must come naturally to him because I’ve only done like half of that shit. We picked up him and another guy when they were with a group who tried to ambush us at the handover yesterday. They got slaughtered and Chafik got the full delivery, but blood was spilled and not just theirs. My arm still stings like a bitch when I twist it.
“Man, look what you just did. Now some poor prospect’s going to have to clean that up.” I grab him by the collar and slam his face into the wall, letting him slide to the floor where he stays, glaring up at me. “Let’s be real. You don’t want to be here, and we don’t want your smelly ass corpse stinking up the place.”