Page 10 of Skin Deep

“You gave that guy my kill so you could blow him.”

“I did not!” The way my voice went high didn’t do much to convince Xander I was telling the truth, even though I was. Wasn’t I?

It hadn’t been about that. Annie had given Xander Alvin because killing pedophiles was some weird therapy for him, especially the ones who liked to take pictures. She and Shepherd had agreed that letting him do it would be good for him.

But Alvin hadn’t personally wronged Xander. The man who’d done that to him was long dead. I’d killed him myself. It was personal for Paxton. While we were there to do general community service, Paxton was a proper vigilante, there as a proxy for the parents whose child was fighting for her life in the ICU.

Xander wouldn’t understand any of that, so it would be pointless to explain it to him.

“I didn’t mean for that to happen,” I admitted. “It just did. Maybe your bad habits are starting to rub off on me.”

He snorted and giggled. “You said rub off.”

“For fuck’s sake.” I sighed and wiped my hand over my face. Those two were going to stress me into an early grave.

“A chicken chalupa supreme and one of those Baja blasts and I won’t tell Mom,” Xander said, crossing his arms.

“And I want a Mexican pizza with extra jalapeños,” Xavier said from the back.

“If you get him extra jalapeños, he’s staying with you. They give him rank gas.” Xander wrinkled his nose.

“It’s Taco Bell, bro,” Xavier shot back. “I don’t know how you can eat that and still bottom in the same day.”

Xander put a proud hand to his chest. “Because my hygiene routine is flawless.”

“I don’t want to hear about any of this shit,” I growled. “If I buy you two your tacos, will you promise to shut the fuck up?”

“Scout’s honor,” Xander said with a grin, raising one hand. He was about as far from a boy scout as someone could get, but I’d take it.

“Fine,” I growled and swerved into the exit lane.

I bought Xander and Xavier their stupid tacos, and hopefully their silence. Enduring the smell of that greasy junk food proved impossible, however, so I wound up driving back to the funeral home with the windows down. Luckily, it was the middle of July and hot as hell.

I leaned on the window and ran a hand through my sweaty hair, my mind drifting back to how I’d given in so easily, almost falling to my knees for some guy I didn’t know. It was stupid, but then I got stupid when I wasn’t getting laid regularly. Ever since Ken and I broke up, my sex life was practically non-existent. I’d tried using a few apps to meet people, but everyone I met was…average. I’d never do average again.

River and Theo were waiting for us at the Laskin Family Funeral Home when we pulled around back. I was a little surprised that Theo had come with him, but those two were attached at the hip, and it’d only gotten worse since they gotten engaged. At least Theo had stopped flinching every time I spoke to him.

Theo tucked his shaggy red hair back behind his ear and watched with a grim expression as River pulled Alvin out on the stretcher. “Any trouble?”

“Nope,” I said, tucking my hands in my pockets, shooting Xander a warning glare.

“Then why do you look like the cat who ate the canary, War?” River grunted as he locked the stretcher’s legs in place.

“More like eye fucked the canary,” Xander muttered.

I slapped the back of his head, but it was too late.

Theo’s eyes widened. “You fucked the target?”

“No!” I said loudly and grabbed Xander by his shirt. “You lying little shit!”

“I can’t help it that you’ve got that freshly fucked glow on your face!” Xander held up his hands in front of his face as if to catch my punch, but he was grinning like an idiot.

“You had sex with Alvin?” River gave me a disgusted look.

“For fuck’s sake! No! God, give me some fucking credit, would you?”

“No, it was the other guy,” Xander added in a stage whisper.

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