Something was up with pretty much every single person I classed as a friend. Wicked was acting like a bear with a sore head, and Truth looked shifty as all hell. The only person who seemed to be acting himself was Fender. And as his usual self was a total asshole that wasn’t saying anything.
Having grown up in the club I had seen more than my fair share of what went on at these parties. But not even my dad, the old president of the Aces would have done what Fender was currently doing.
At least I was pretty sure he wouldn’t.
Part of me felt sorry for the girl. For all of her bravado, she had no idea what she was getting herself into with Fender. He would chew her up and spit her out a broken woman.
Still, it wasn’t her that I felt I had to look after right now. It was Ruin. Having gotten his sister out of the bar and away from the shit show that was currently happening he hadn’t said a word.
He just sat there. His face stony. Tracing circles just above my knee. He was trying to keep his tempter. But it was pretty obvious that he was failing.
“Baby?” Tracing my fingers over the scruff of his jaw, bringing his face to mine. “You doing ok?”
A vein in his temple throbbed. Which was all the answer I needed. No, he wasn’t ok. He was far from ok. I felt stupid for asking.
“I don’t want you seeing that shit.” He didn’t look in the direction of the pool table he didn’t have to. We both knew what he was talking about. “I don’t want to see shit like that.” He muttered.
“Then keep your eyes on me.” I smoothed my fingers down his face. He had tried so hard to make tonight special, no easy feat for a man who didn’t have a romantic bone in his body. He just couldn’t catch a break. I was partly to blame for that. And now that Truth had proposed to Cali, it must be extra hard.
If I had been in his place I would have been mad as well.
“Just on me…” reaching down I pressed my lips to his. His lips parted under mine. Unbelievably soft. And for a few moments, we just sat there kissing as the world around us fell away. It was for the moments like this that I lived. When it was just us when no one else mattered.
“I love you, Avery.” His eyes closed for a minute. “Let’s get out of here ok? Back to the clubhouse. It will be quiet tonight or go me…. Just away from this…” He motions with his hand.
“No…” The words left me in a jumbled rush, harsher than I had meant.
Ruins eyes narrowed. “What do you mean no?”
Scrambling to find something to say I kissed him again. “I mean not yet. I just need to speak to Gem a second ok? And then we can leave. Anywhere you want… ok?”
Ruin wasn’t a stupid man, his eyes narrowed more. He knew I was hiding something. He knew. Not that any of that mattered.
Whatever happened I couldn’t let him leave Cooks and go home. Not until I knew the house was empty anyway.
***
Holding the phone to my ear, I pressed myself into the wet brick wall of Cooks backyard. I had slid snuggly between two empty barrels in an attempt to hide myself from anyone who looked out but with a dress as red as mine, I knew I stuck out like a sore thumb.
Still, it offered me more privacy out here than inside where anyone could overhear me.
And being overheard was the last thing I wanted. It would ruin everything.
Tapping my foot impatiently I waited for the man on the other end to answer. Something that seemed to take hours. When it fact it was probably only a few seconds.
“Huh?” The voice sounded out of breath. A gruff bark of an answer. Not that I expected a polite one. Not from him or anyone else in the club.
“We have a problem?” I didn’t bother with pleasantries either. What would be the point? It wasn’t like either of us had time to waste.
“What kind of problem.”
Faintly I could hear him tell someone to shut up, and groaned. I didn’t even want to know what the hell was going on at my house. As long as they weren’t doing things in front of Parker than he shouldn’t see, I didn’t really care.
“The kind where he wants to come home.”
He swore down the phone. “Fuck Avery, can’t you suck his dick and keep him there.”
“No, I fucking can’t. And don’t speak to me like that. I’ve already done that. If I come on too strong he’s going to start getting suspicious.” I sighed.