“I wasn’t planning to.”
She tucks her unruly curly hair behind her ear. “Good. See you later!” And she’s off again, as quickly as she showed.
I make my way into the RV and head straight for my room. I need to put away all my new clothes and wash my laundry, but when I open the closet in my room, my dirty clothes that were in my basket have been washed and folded and are sitting inside of it tidily.
I step back outside of my room, looking around to see who is here, when a lady starts making her way down the stairs.
“Oh! You must be Miss Hendry. Your clean washing is folded and put away, and I’ve refurnished the cupboards and fridge.”
“Ah.” Obviously based on her very cliché maid attire, I know who and why she’s here, but I just didn’t know we had one.
“Sorry,” she apologizes, wiping her hands with the rag she has hanging out of her front pocket, and puts her hand out to me. “I’m Rhonda. The maid. Each RV has one, and I’m yours.”
“Nice to meet you, Rhonda.” My hand meets hers, and she squeezes it gently. “Have you been The Brothers maid for long?”
“Long enough,” Rhonda jokes. “Well, if you need anything, just text triple seven, and you’ll get my cell phone.” She makes her way through the kitchen again before leaving me in the RV alone, which is peaceful.
I pad my way back into my room and take a quick shower. I promised the girls a drink tonight, so a drink I will have.
Gun shots ring out. Bang. Bang. Bang. One after another. They pierce through the air and ricochet into me, leaving fragments of blood spattered all over my sundress…
Shaking myself out of my flashback, the Texas heat leaves me drowning in sweat and not wanting to put any clothes on at all, so after my shower, I settle on white shorts that cut off around the curve of my ass cheek and a tight tank that rides up and shows my belly. I couldn’t care less. It’s hot, I’m uncomfortable, so if wearing next to nothing is what’s going to make me feel just a smidge better in this heat, then I’m going with it. I try to straighten my hair dead straight and let it flow down to my tailbone, but the humidity has it frizzing back almost instantly. My skin has a natural tan glistening since our time at the lake today and my cheeks are flushed. I usually wear makeup. Not much, but some, but tonight, I kept it lowkey natural. Bronzer, blush, and some mascara. Really, I’m looking forward to spending some time with girls instead of four very intense boys.
“Hey!” I wave to Rose as I walk up. There are chairs scattered around their small fire pit. I almost want to say it’s way too fucking hot to have that blazing, but I sit down anyway.
Maya hands me a glass of something and clinks her glass against mine. “Bottoms up, Little Bird.” Her tone is docile and bored, but I’ve learned over the time that I’ve been here that that’s just Maya.
We clink glasses, just as the crowd thickens. I can feel their presence before I can see them, but I ignore everything going on around me and keep my eyes locked on the flames that flicker through the darkness. Music is blaring loudly, so loudly. it’s a wonder anyone can sleep through it—or maybe no one is, and they’re all here; there’s that many people here.
“You actually came.” Jack sinks down in the chair beside mine.
“Hey, yeah, I did. Though I don’t know how long I’ll last. I was rehearsing all day, and my muscles are tired.”
Jack laughs. “I understand that.” I take a second to watch all of the people who are here. I’m starting to learn that there are more people than I know who are in Midnight Mayhem.
“So we’re going to play a game!” Killian calls out, shutting off the music and interfering with my people-watching.
“Oh no,” Jack mutters, kicking back in his chair.
“Why, oh no?” I ask, leaning into Jack.
Jack leans back into me. “The last time Killian wanted to play a game, someone died.”
I gulp, sitting up straight. “You’re joking, right?” I whisper into him.
“Wish I was.” Jack takes a swig of his drink and then tosses his cup into the fire. I watch as the flames burst higher, lost in my own thoughts. Someone died? These people are crazy. “It’s a shame,” Jack muses out loud, interrupting my thinking.
“What’s a shame?” I ask, looking straight into his eyes.
“That you’ve gained King’s attention.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “No, I haven’t.”
Jack’s eyes narrow, making me squirm in my seat. It’s a weird twitch for such kind eyes. “I’ve known him a long time, so trust me when I say, you’ve gained his attention.”
Killian’s voice comes back into the zone, pushing Jack’s ridiculous rambles to the side. I know I have, but it’s not for the reasons that people are implying.
“You’ll take a bandana and wrap it around your mouth.”
Kyrin starts going around, handing everyone a bandana. The white patterns burn into my brain, like a reminder of that one night so many years ago.
My eyes close, and I don’t open them until a rag is being waved against my face.
Kyrin is watching me closely. He kneels down to eye level, his eyes searching mine. “What’s the matter? Don’t like bandanas?” The corner of his mouth tick into a smirk, but his eyes remain passive.
I snatch it out of his grip, ignoring him. He stands and continues around the crowd.
“The game is simple.”
People scoff and shuffle in the distance.
Killian chuckles and then continues. “It is simple. Remember when you’d play hide-and-seek as a kid?” Killian wraps his bandana around his mouth and it’s then that I see his has a skull on it. My eyes find King, who is already watching me, his tied around his mouth, and, again, another skull. All four of The Brothers have skulls on theirs, but when I look around at the other guys and girls, theirs are normal. “Well, this is much like that, only you hide and we seek.”
“And?” Val answers, wrapping hers around her mouth. Finally, I take mine and tie it around my own.
“And what?” Killian raises an eyebrow.
“And what happens when you catch us?” Val places a hand on her slim hip.
“Guess you’ll have to see.” Killian winks at her.
Val’s back straightens.
Kyrin chuckles at her, shaking his head. “As easy as ever, Val.”
Val’s eyes snap to his. “Really? Because you’re wanting me to have another threesome?”
Kyrin’s smirk deepens. “No one invited you in. You walked your ass into our room because your clit throbbed for Travis.”
I’m lost, my head going back and forth between them. I lean into Jack. “Is Kyrin gay? I never would have pegged that.”
Jack’s head tilts back in laughter. “Naw. Not gay.”
“Bi?” I ask, studying Kyrin. I know he’s pretty, but his energy is also very dark.
“Nope again.” Jack chuckles, before correcting me when he sees how confused I am. “He doesn’t have a sexual preference, but he doesn’t identify himself as bi either. He hates labels. His motto is ‘he’ll fuck who he wants.’”