Reese shot Reilly a look that said yeah, sure, Jan loud and clear. “Let me point out a few holes in your story. One, you have a landlord who takes care of your repairs. Two, you don’t have a dryer. Three, you’re wearing his shirt and, I’m going to assume, nothing else.” Reese pushed past her sister and pointed toward her bed. “Four, you always make your bed and your sheets are…” Her words faded away and she grimaced as she spotted the damp circle in the middle of the bed.
Deacon wandered closer to the bed and sniffed. “Sure smells like someone was laying pipe. Just not under the sink. And that leak must be comin’ from the roof,” he glanced toward the ceiling and scratched the back of his neck, a feigned dumb-founded look on his face. “Better get that checked.”
Reese whacked him in the gut with the back of her hand and Deke laughed.
Rev wasn’t finding any of it funny.
First of all, his woman was only wearing his tee and nothing else, just like Reese said. Second, if they didn’t quickly do damage control, Rev might die before his time. Third, and most importantly… Reilly was only wearing his fucking T-shirt without anything else in front of Deacon.
Before he could tell her to go put something on, another knock came at the door.
No one moved.
He only hoped it was the actual pizza this time and not another surprise visit from more of his club brothers.
Deacon tilted his head toward the door. “Go on.”
Rev cautiously went over, hoping it wasn’t a trap, picked up the twenty off the floor, opened the door and exchanged the scratch for the hot pizza with the delivery guy.
When he shut the door with his foot and turned with the large pizza in his hand, Deacon said, “Just like you live here.” The club treasurer came over and plucked the box out of Rev’s hands and took it over to the counter. “Proves this ain’t the first time you’ve come over to fix her leaky plumbin’. Or whatever made that wet spot.” He flipped open the cardboard box and grabbed a slice. “Gonna let Reese handle this one. Normally, I’d eat popcorn while I watched entertainment like this, but the pizza will have to do.”
He went over, sat on the edge of her unmade bed and took a bite of the slice, wincing when the hot sauce and melted cheese hit his mouth.
Good. Rev hoped he burned the roof of his mouth.
Reese sighed. “This new? Or have you two been sneaking around for a while?”
Reilly’s green eyes slid to him in a silent plea. He could see she wasn’t sure how to answer that.
“Ain’t new,” Deacon answered for them, taking another bite of the pizza. “She’s wearin’ his shirt, he’s answerin’ her door, buyin’ her dinner—even though it’s cheap-ass pizza—his nips look like mine after you’re done crankin’ them and,” he hooked a thumb over his shoulder, “he’s makin’ her leave wet spots the size of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.”
Reese scrubbed her hands down her face and Rev braced, waiting for her to lose her shit.
“Please tell me you’re being safe,” Reese asked, way too calmly. Rev didn’t trust it, he still expected her to let loose and freak out.
“Of course. You know I’m on the pill—”
“What?” escaped from Rev before he could stop it.
Deacon snorted. “Yeah, they forget to tell you that, right? They don’t want you raw-doggin’ it ’til they decide it’s time.”
Reese shot him an irritated look.
Deacon raised both palms. “Not the time. Got it.” He grinned, got up and snagged another slice of pizza out of the box. “Baby, you want a slice? It’s pretty damn good and I don’t think they’re gonna be enjoyin’ it any time soon.” He leaned back against the counter, tipped his head back and lifted the slice up above his face, then lowered the tip into his mouth to take a large bite.
“Glad you’re fuckin’ enjoyin’ it,” Rev grumbled.
Deacon turned and threw the partially-eaten slice back into the box. “Just like you’ve been enjoyin’ somethin’ you were told to not touch. It was a damn clear rule that you broke. And you know what the fuck happens when club rules are broken. You fuckin’ knew it ‘cause you saw the result and you still fuckin’ did it anyhow.”
“She ain’t just a fuck.”
“I sure hope to fuck not,” Deacon answered. “But you didn’t go about it the right way. Shoulda approached me and Reese before the first wet spot was even made or those barbells were ever twisted. You didn’t. ‘Stead, you went behind our backs and took the wrong path.”
“And I’m the wrong path,” Reilly said. “Isn’t that up to us to decide? We’re both adults and can decide who we…”
“Bang,” Deacon supplied helpfully.
“And who we don’t,” Reilly finished.
“He’s just a detour, ” Reese said. “Working at Dutch’s was the same way. A temporary detour before your life got back on track. I wanted better for you than what our mother wanted. I wanted to prove we could pull ourselves up from a bad situation and make a good life. Now Trip has given you a direction.”
“There’s nothing wrong with this life. I’m happy. Or I was until you busted in here. Now I’m not happy because Deacon will run to the committee and make Rev pay for something he shouldn’t. It isn’t fair and I’m calling bullshit.” When Reese opened her mouth, Reilly threw up an I’m-not-finished hand. “What you need to explain to me is… How is it okay for you to be with Deacon but not for me to be with Rev? Or whatever Fury member I want to be.”
Hold up.
He had a lot to say about the last thing she said, but before he got a chance, Reese said, “My life was already in order when I met Deacon—I only met him because of your mess, I might add—yours is not. Is it getting there? Yes, but—”
“Her life’s in order just fuckin’ fine. Just ‘cause it ain’t like yours don’t mean it’s not. Stop treatin’ her like a fuckin’ child. She hasn’t been one for a long fuckin’ time.” His pulse was now pounding in his ears and not for the reason it originally was. He was no longer worried, he was pissed.
“Brother,” Deacon warned.
Reese ignored both men. He could see she believed this was strictly between her and her sister. She was dead wrong. It involved Rev. Because he was who Reilly was with, not any of his Fury brothers.
He was staking his claim, not anyone else. So, yeah, he had things to say.
“And when he’s in your bed today and tomorrow a sweet butt is crawling into his, then what?” Reese asked.
“That what you think of me?” Rev asked, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to lock a hard gaze with Reilly’s older sister.
But before Reese could answer, Reilly spun toward Deacon. “How many sweet butts did you fuck after meeting my sister?” She lifted a palm again. “How many sweet butts did you fuck after she left you and went back to Mansfield without even talking to you first? Even though I pleaded with her to do so? You had every right to fuck each and every one of them. But you didn’t, did you?” She turned back to Reese. “I was here when you weren’t, Reese. Deke could’ve taken any of them to bed after you left him, but you know what? He didn’t. Not one. And it wasn’t like they didn’t make themselves easily available.”