Fucking liar. “Non-negotiable, asshole. Let’s go.”

  I turn and scramble my way back to the edge of the roof, more than ready to shove my foot up Damien’s ass if he even thinks about dropping me. Just as I plonk my ass on the edge and get ready to jump, I hear Jensen’s window opening behind me. He peers past me to see the crowd gathered below and his whole demeanor changes, now suddenly more than ready for a night of wild partying. “Aye,” he says, cheery fucking McGee. “When the fuck did you get back?”

  “Just now,” Damien responds. “I was caught by Mom in the driveway long enough to know I didn’t want to walk through the front door, so hurry up. We’re getting fucked up.”

  “Yeah, alright,” Jensen says, clearly having some kind of man boner for my stupid brother. “I’m down.”

  “Don’t be stingy,” Damien tells him. “Bring the good shit.”

  Jensen chuckles and disappears from view, leaving me to launch myself off the roof and right into Tanner’s arms, and thank fuck for that because Damien definitely wasn’t paying attention. We walk around the house, meeting Jensen at the front door as he locks up. “You know my dad and your mom took off like ten minutes ago,” he tells us. “You could have used the fucking door.”

  I glare at Damien. I should have trusted my gut when the asshole insisted Mom and Orlando were still home, but he just shrugs. “Consider it all part of the adventure.” I roll my eyes as we cut back across to the Morgan property. Just as Tanner hits the button for the garage door and Damien gets sight of the black Mustang waiting patiently for a little love and affection, he grins wide and holds his hand out for the keys. “I’m driving.”

  Jensen sits up front so me, Tanner, and Addie squish into the backseat, and dammmmmn, Tanner doesn’t seem impressed by this turn of events. He doesn’t strike me as a backseat kind of guy, especially in his own car. He likes control, and more than that, he likes to be the big guy on campus, so this really doesn’t sit well with him, but it’s a little too late for that. What’s one ride, though?

  “Alright,” Damien says, glancing up and meeting my stare through the rearview mirror. “Catch me up. What happened with the Jacobs’ kid? Did he get locked up?”

  My eyes widen and I cringe, knowing damn well I haven’t been giving him updates about Colby, being stabbed, or any of the other bullshit that’s been going on around here. “Ummm,” I say, awkwardly glancing toward Tanner, not knowing how to answer this. “He’s certainly paying for what he did, if that’s what you mean.”

  Sensing the strange tension now filling the car, Damien narrows his eyes. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

  He’s met with silence from the backseat, but apparently Jensen has no reservations and is more than happy to fill in the details. “Oh, you haven’t heard?” Jensen questions. “Man, things have been fucked up since you left. So, you know my dad was representing Jacobs and somehow got him off the rape charges, which by the way, I’ve been looking into that shit and I’ve got no fucking idea how he did it. It doesn’t make sense to me, but what do I know?”

  “Shit, he really got off?” Damien questions, glancing up at me again before trailing his gaze to Addison beside me who studiously stares out the window, pretending she can’t hear the conversation around her. I nod and Damien cringes. “Fuck, that sucks.”

  Jensen continues. “Yeah, there’s no fucking question Jacobs did it, so your sister’s boyfriend took it into his own hands like the dumbass he is and got himself locked up for a forty-eight-hour hold—”

  “Wait, what?” Damien says, now looking at Tanner. “How the fuck did you manage that?”

  A sly grin cuts across Tanner’s face, his eyes sparkling with the memory of his fist slamming against Orlando’s jaw. “Let’s just say Channing won’t be able to eat without thinking of me ever again.”

  Jensen chuckles, knowing just how right Tanner is. “You should have seen my old man after he took that hit. I’ve never seen him so angry. Man, his jaw was messed up, but not as messed up as Jacobs after he stabbed the girls and Jax.”

  Damien slams on the brake, the car screeching to a halt as traffic weaves around us, laying on their horns and hollering abuse out their windows as they barrel past us, but all I can do is cringe, especially as Damien whips around to gape at me. “What the fuck did he just say? Stabbed, Brielle? You got fucking stabbed by that bastard?”

  I cringe some more before adjusting myself in my seat and raising my hips. I pull up the hem of my shirt and push my pants down just enough to show him the angry red scar still causing havoc over my body. Damien’s eyes bug out of his head before shifting to Addison who does the same, pulling up her shirt to see the scar high on her ribs.

  “Holy fuck,” Damien breathes, shaking his head. He whips back around, sitting in silence before the rage takes over and he slams his hand down over the steering wheel. He shoves his door open in the middle of the road and gets out, pacing in front of the Mustang and creating abstract shadows as he cuts through the headlights.

  I take a heavy breath and as cars zoom around us, a strange awkward silence fills the car. Jensen reaches across and turns on the hazard lights, the irritating click, click, click of the flashing lights grating on my nerves. I clench my jaw before finally letting him have it. “Really?” I demand. “You had to go and tell him we got stabbed?”

  Jensen shrugs unapologetically. “How was I supposed to know you failed to tell your brother you were dying in the hospital from a stab wound? Seems to me like the kind of information people usually share.”

  Addison nudges me. “He’s got a point.”

  “Damn it.”

  A moment passes before Damien comes striding back to the car and drops into the driver’s seat, putting the Mustang back in gear and turning off the hazard lights. “Okay,” he finally says, hitting the gas simply to give himself something to do other than bitch me out. “We’ll be at Riley’s place in less than three minutes, and you have until then to tell me every fucking thing that’s happened here since I’ve been gone, and after that, I’m getting fucked up.”

  Sounds like the best fucking plan I’ve ever heard.

  The next three minutes are horrible as we go over everything from the stabbing to Tanner putting Colby in a coma, which I’m not surprised to find that Damien is thrilled about. We explain how the few days after that went down, and how I moved into Tanner’s place with Jax to heal. And just to throw salt on the wound, I tell him about Orlando’s plans for me and how we believe Mom trapped herself to save me. Hell, Addison also makes a point to tell him about Tanner’s baby daddy issues, which naturally, is also news to Jensen. Though surprisingly, Jensen doesn’t seemed shocked about his father’s desires to fuck me at all.

  By the time every last word has been said, all secrets divulged bar one, Damien is pulling up in the center of Riley’s extravagant driveway. He cuts the engine and gets out before holding the door open for me and Addie as though he’s some kind of perfect gentleman. He fixes me with a scathing glare and it’s only then I realize just how much trouble I’m really in.

  Thank fuck for alcohol.

  Chapter 18

  TANNER

  The second I can, I snatch the keys to my Mustang right out of Damien’s hands. Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to let the guy drive her. Sure, he likes to fuck around, but when people’s lives are in his hands, especially his sister’s, he ensures they’re safe. Besides, he’s not a bad driver, but from the sound of it, he’ll be in absolutely no state to drive home tonight.

  Music pours from Riley’s home, and I have to give the bastard credit. There wasn’t going to be a party tonight, or at least, nothing worth our time, and the minute I called and said we were down to party, he pulled this shit together. It’s been twenty-five minutes tops since that call and there’s already people swarming through his house. Riley is a lot of things, but inadequate is not one of them.

  Making our way through the house, we head straight out back to where the boys are bound to be. We pass Chanel and Ari spiking the punch and find Hudson on the way. He pauses for a minute, looking over Addison before shoving his hands deep in his pockets and falling in behind us. The two of them awkwardly pretend everything is cool between them, but we all know things have been awkward since Addison kissed him in the cafeteria.

  She’s avoided him like the plague, and while he’s tried everything he can to get back to where they were, things have shifted between them, and I honestly don’t know if it’s good or bad. With how stubborn they both are, it could be years before one of them finally gives in and admits defeat.

  Bri’s hand remains in mine as we find the twins and Riley claiming the area by the pool. Ilaria sits with them, and I notice the exact moment she realizes Damien has tagged along. I scoff, watching as she sits up and fixes her hair and adjusts her tits in her black bikini top, trying to make them appear bigger than they already are.

  Seeing us getting closer, Riley meets my stare and holds it, his eyes narrowing in question. The second we reach them, he stands and steps right into me, grabbing me and slapping me on the back, trying to appear as though he’s just saying hello, when in fact I know it’s much more than that. “You good?” he murmurs, keeping his voice low. After all, the last time I saw him, he was hightailing it out of my place after finding out my father had another whole family across the other side of the globe.

  “Yeah, man,” I mutter, not really wanting to talk about this now. “I just wanna get fucked up and not think about it.”

  “Alright,” he says, pulling away. “Just say the word and I’ll break out the weed.”

  I shake my head and indicate to Damien and Jensen. “Save your stash,” I say, not really into it. “These assholes brought more than enough to go around.”

  “Fuck yeah,” Riley says, moving across to Damien as I take Bri’s hand again, leading her over to Jax and Logan to sit down. Riley walks right into Damien, throwing his arms around him and clapping him on the back as though they’re best friends who haven’t seen each other in years. “What’s up, man? When did you get back?”

  “‘Bout an hour ago,” Damien tells him, his gaze already shifting toward Ilaria. “I’m home for a few weeks then jetting off again.”

  Riley grins and I groan, recognizing the mischief in his eyes. After all, that very look has gotten me into a world of trouble before, the kind of trouble that gets people thrown into the back of cop cars and locked up until they remember their own freaking name. “So, what you’re saying is we’ve got only a few weeks to get a lifetime of fucking around squeezed in?” he questions. “I hope you’re ready for this.”

  Damien smiles, his eyes sparkling and locked on Ilaria’s. “I’m ready if she is.”

  Well fuck, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ilaria blush like that. Her whole fucking head ducks as her cheeks flame the brightest shade of red. “Fucking hell. Could you lay it on any thicker?” Bri mutters. “Hold up, the dude we used to rent DVDs from at Blockbuster couldn’t quite hear your desperation. Try it again, but this time, why don’t you just drop your dick into Ilaria’s hand?”

  Damien grins. “Don’t tempt me,” he says. “That tight ass and gorgeous face are all I’ve been able to think about for weeks. You go and put ideas like that in my head, little sister, and I might not be able to resist.”

  Bri gags and throws herself to her feet. “If I have to put up with this shit all night, I’m going to need a drink.” She searches out Addie. “Wanna come?”

  Addie spares a glance toward Hudson before flying to her feet and stepping in beside Bri. “Fuck yeah,” she says before turning a pointed look on Ilaria. “I assume you’re not coming?”

  Ilaria shakes her head, her cheeks still flaming bright red. “Nope, I think I’m good right here,” she says, unable to stop perving on Brielle’s brother.

  The girls take off and Jax calls out after them. “Hey, if you see Ari anywhere, tell her to quit avoiding me. I know she’s here.”

  Bri doesn’t bother looking back at him but flips him off as she makes her way back inside, most likely to where we saw Ari and Chanel spiking the punch.

  It takes less than thirty minutes before everyone starts to chill out and the drinks really start to flow. The girls strip down to their bikinis and take over the Jacuzzi, while Ilaria stays on Damien’s lap with his lips permanently attached to her neck. I mean, fuck. I know these military guys wouldn’t be getting any pussy at bootcamp, but shit, I wasn’t expecting this motherfucker to go this hard so soon. There’s no doubt about it, he’s got game, and a shit-ton of it. More than I’ve seen from Riley and Jax combined. Ilaria’s in good hands though. If any of us thought he’d screw her over, we would have cock blocked him until he was sent packing again.

  The boys pass a joint between themselves, and the more hits Jax takes, the harder he stares at Ari. Fucking pathetic, really. “Dude,” I say, kicking back and nodding across to the Jacuzzi. “If you want her, take her. She’s right there waiting for you to man up. We all see you’re messed up over her.”

  He shakes his head and glances away. “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says. “I don’t want her like that.”

  “Sure,” I say, forcing myself not to grin at his misery. “So, which one of these bitches are you fucking then? The red head has been eye-fucking you since I got here. Go tap it.”

  Jax glances at the girl and his face scrunches up in distaste. “Nah, not feeling it tonight,” he says, wanting nothing to do with the girl at all. Hell, if he wasn’t so messed up over Ari, he would have fucked the red head right here beside me.

  Riley scoffs. “Right, how’s your dick lately? Still rocking a semi everywhere you go?”

  Logan laughs. “Nah, he’s jerking off in the shower every morning. I hear him moaning Ari’s name every few hours. I’m surprised his cock hasn’t fallen off with how often he’s pulling it.”

  Jax punches his brother hard enough to give him a dead arm. “Fuck off, Logan. You had blue balls over Chanel for ages before you manned up and wifed her,” he says before looking at me. “And don’t get me started on the bullshit we had to endure before Bri decided yours was the only dick she wanted to jump on.”

  Logan scoffs while rubbing his arm. “Yeah, but at least I never carved a hole out of the bar of soap in the shower,” he mutters before giving him a sarcastic grin. “If I were you, I’d be hitting up the bodywash or conditioner. Less friction, more slide.”

  The boys laugh and that only rubs Jax the wrong way, but hell, he’s gotta get rubbed somehow since it’s not gonna be by Ari. Having already punched his brother, he turns his glare on me. “You’re one to fucking talk,” he says, more than happy to dish out the bullshit, but unable to handle it when it’s coming back at him. “Should we call you daddy from now on? How’s your kid?”

  Okay. Good mood, officially ruined.

  “He’s not my fucking kid,” I say, letting Jax hear the hitch in my voice, a clear warning that he’s crossed a line. “Rachael’s a liar just like her piece of shit brother. She just wants me to pay for what I did to Colby, but the second that paternity test comes back without a match, she’ll be the one to pay.”

  I down the rest of my beer and get up, needing a hit of fresh air and probably a hit of that joint that’s been getting around too. I make my way over to the Jacuzzi and reach down, grabbing Bri under the arms and hauling her ass out. She screeches, not knowing who’s got her, but the second she realizes it’s me, she scrambles for her drink before it’s too late.

  I grab a towel and wrap it around her before pulling her into me. “Come and shake your ass for me,” I murmur into her ear, my whispered words having her head tilting to the side and leaving me prisoner to her every need. My lips close over her warm skin and she presses back into me, her sweet ass grinding against my cock.

  Her body moves as she dances against me, sipping her cocktail and winding her free hand up behind my neck. My fingers graze her thigh and slip up beneath the towel, but that’s not good enough for her and she pulls the towel right off.

  My arm circles her toned waist as she looks up at me over her shoulder. “Have we shown our faces here long enough?” she questions. “Because I have no issue with slipping away so you can fuck me in some dirty back alley while I scream your name.”

  My fucking cock springs to life as though it’s got a mind of its own and judging by the devilish grin pulling at Bri’s lips while she grinds her ass against me, she damn well knows it.

  I’m just about to take her up on her offer when a booming voice cuts across the property. “Where the fuck are ya, boy?”

  My back stiffens as my head snaps up, searching out Riley across the pool. He looks fucking sick, like his whole world is about to come caving in on him. “Who the hell is that?” Bri questions, watching the asshole push his way through the bodies.

  “Fuck, stay here,” I say, releasing Bri and stepping around her. “It’s Riley’s dad.”

  I start cutting across the yard and I’m not surprised to find Bri walking right behind me, half jogging to keep up with my long strides. “Like fuck you’re leaving me behind, assface,” she mutters at my back. “I lean, you lean, remember? You don’t get to preach that and then leave me behind while you handle your shit. We’re in this together. Your fight is my fight whether you like it or not. If your knuckles are getting bloody, then so are mine.”

  I clench my jaw, not having time to deal with this, not if Riley wants to get through this without another broken nose. I’ve had to cover for Riley far too many times due to the abuse his father puts him through, although not quite so much now that Riley’s bigger than the fucker. When he talked back to him, Riley got a black eye, when the team lost a game, Riley got a broken arm, when he accidentally ordered pizzas instead of Chinese, Riley was hospitalized for a week.

  And each one of those times, I’ve taken the blame.