“You came to me.”
“I came for Austin,” I snap. “I don’t need you!” I look him up and down, noticing the way his jeans hug his narrow hips and muscular thighs. How his shirt shows me his pecs and bulging biceps. I hate how attractive he is with everything that I am. The fucker just tried to kill me, but the twisted part inside me likes it. I’ve challenged him before, and he didn’t give me the Deke Biggs I wanted to see until today. And fuck, he’s powerful. Fucking ruthless. I like that. When my eyes meet his again, I say, “You served your purpose.”
His hands clench, and I realize I struck a nerve. Good.
He steps into me just as we hear the front door open followed by Austin’s voice call out frantically. “Demi?”
“Here.” I try to holler, but my voice cracks.
She enters the living room and runs to me, throwing her arms around my shoulders, shoving me away from Deke. Her green eyes look me up and down to make sure I’m not missing any body parts. “Oh my God!” She gasps when she sees my neck. “Deke, what the fuck did you—”
“She’s alive,” he interrupts her.
Cole enters much slower and looks over at me. The way he fists his hands, I can tell he’s not as pleased as Austin is that I’m still breathing.
The guys exchange a look before Cole gestures to the sliding glass door with his head, and Deke follows him out back.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Austin asks me.
I sniff but nod my head.
Sighing, she pulls me in for another hug. And I cling to her, wishing she had been my sister. I always wanted to be close with Becky, but it was just never an option. I know it wasn’t just me; she’s that way with everyone—a coldhearted bitch.
“Come on.” She pulls away from me and takes my hand.
“Where are we going?” I ask her.
“Out.”
I look over my shoulder to the backyard and see the guys standing by the pool. Deke’s head is down, and Cole stands with his arms crossed over his chest. “But Cole—”
“Fuck Cole.” She interrupts me. “Fuck them both.” On the way out, she bends down and picks up my phone off the floor.
_______________
She took me to a bar. Well, I guess that’s what some call it. To me, it looks like a run-down shack.
“He’ll find you,” I tell her.
“Most likely,” she agrees. “I’ve heard Deke talk about this place on several occasions. If he can get in, so can we.”
We enter the old wooden door and look over the small dance floor. Now I understand why the parking lot was so dead for a Friday night. Most of their customers are over sixty. An old man with silver hair is hunched over on the dance floor dancing with a woman who can’t quite get the steps right. He’s got a smile on his face, and she is laughing.
I follow Austin over to the bar and sit down. The bartender lifts a brow at us.
“Two shots of Fireball,” she orders.
“IDs?” he asks.
I bite my bottom lip nervously, but she pulls her wallet out and shows him one. He looks at it for a long second and then back at her.
“Problem?” she asks.
He sets it down and slides it over to her. “Your friend?”
“Got her purse stolen. That’s why we’re here. Drink away the shitty fucking day.”
After looking over my face as well, his eyes drop to my neck. I’m sure my bruises match her lie perfectly. I look like a girl who was beaten before robbed. He nods and turns his back to us and begins to make us our shots. I wonder how in the hell her ID is gonna get us drinks but then remember the guys giving her a fake ID when they made her join the GWS back in Collins. I read it in her journal.
“Here you go, ladies.”
She tosses her debit card on the bar. “Open a tab.”
She grabs her shot and hands me mine. Without wasting another second, she throws hers back. and hisses in a breath. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything to drink. Besides that wine the other night. And I didn’t get to have much since Lilly was home.”
I swallow mine and try to keep it down when it wants to come back up. I hate this shit.
“He’s gay, isn’t he?” she asks.
“Yes,” I answer honestly, knowing who she’s talking about.
“I figured. I saw the way he was checking out the guys at Silence. And you guys weren’t very affectionate with one another.”
I never paid attention to who and what he was looking at. I wasn’t jealous, and Seth isn’t out in the open. He plays straight very well because he’s been doing it all his life. He once told me his dad would disown him if he ever found out, and he feels he has to hide it from his team members. I once thought it was very sad and depressing, but after what he tried to do to me tonight, I no longer care what he’s going through.
“There were things he did here and there. Very subtle, but I picked up on them. How did you guys hook up?” She lifts her hand to signal for two more.
“His mother was my mother’s real estate broker. I first met him when she got the house five years ago, and we became friends. My mom has made me spend a few weeks with her here in Texas every summer, and I always hung out with him ’cause our mothers were friends. So when she made me move here for my senior year, he asked me for a favor, and I said yes. Wasn’t like I planned on getting a real boyfriend.” I shrug.
She nods her head, and her cell rings. She shuts it off.
“Cole?” I ask.
“Yep. Let him feel what it’s like when you’re worried about someone, but they ignore you.”
I frown, not knowing what she is talking about. The bartender sets two more shots down.
“Make it four next time,” she tells him.
I drop my head to stare at my shot; she’s already downed hers. “I’m sorry you guys are fighting because of me.”
She looks over at me. “It’s not your fault, Demi.”
“Wanna talk about it?” I ask.
She runs her hand through her dark hair and lets out a sigh. “I … I couldn’t stand by and let Deke hurt you. I understand they have this unwavering loyalty, but Cole shouldn’t have let him hurt you. He dragged me out of the house and put me in his car. I was screaming at him. He was just gonna leave you there with him, knowing he was going to do something to you. But I opened up the door and ran back inside before he could get out of the driveway. I had to make sure you were okay.” The bartender sets four shots on the bar now, and she throws back one. “I used to be scared of them. The sharks. But now, they’re like fucking flies that I just wanna swat with my bare hand on most days.”
I laugh at that. She looks over at me and laughs as well. Then I pick up my shot, and we clink them together.
She slams her glass down as I try to swallow mine. “She wasn’t wrong,” she whispers.
I don’t say anything, confused by what she means.
“I think about it too,” she admits softly.
I begin to understand. “Austin, don’t …”
“What if he gets bored with me?” she whispers.
“Cole is madly in love with you,” I say, placing my hand on hers.
She looks over at me. “We can’t fight forever. We both can’t be this stubborn. One of us is going to have to give, or it will end.”