Page 73 of Sin

Trying a new tactic, London let go of Bennett’s nipples and aimed a punch at his groin. Bennett let go immediately and toppled off of him, moaning pathetically on the kitchen floor.

London quickly rose to his feet, cupping his chest protectively and glaring down at his best friend. “He has a sick fascination with them. I once woke up in the middle of the night to him hovering over me with a cheese grater because I’d called him domesticated in a text.”

Bennett’s eyes narrowed as he rolled to his hands and knees. “I still haven’t forgotten about that.”

“Where are your husbands anyway?” I asked, looking around as if his men would suddenly appear in the hallway.

He scowled, gripping the island to help pull himself up. He pointed a finger at me. “We’re not glued at the hip, you know? I’m a strong, independent badass who don’t need no—”

“We’re in here!” someone called from the next room over.

Bennett sighed, swiped the cheese grater, and handed it over to London. “Fine. They tagged along. As my sidekicks. I’m like Batman, and they’re my Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.”

“I… None of what you just said makes any sense.”

He patted my shoulder with a pitying look. “Sounds like prison rotted your brain. Too bad. You know, they make games now for memory problems. Maybe you should try them.”

I scowled at him.

“I’m here too!” a third voice called, sounding like Eva.

Why in the world were all our friends here?

“You better not be using my Netflix again! My recommended movies are still messed up since the last time you watched all your K-Dramas on it!” London shouted back as he moved to a cupboard with an electronic lock. I was wondering why the hell he had something like that in his kitchen when the cupboard opened revealing… it was already brimming with various cheese graters.

While London got to work trying to stuff the new one inside, I turned to find Bennett, now in his true form. His dark hair was disheveled, and his light eyes bright with mischief. He still had a septum piercing, something he’d gotten back in high school. He was grinning widely at me, teeth white and bright, and I heard the click of his tongue piercing tap against teeth. I didn’t trust that smile one bit.

“So did London like, break you out of prison and we need to help you make a daring escape before the authorities come looking for you or—”

“No,” I cut in, stopping him before he rambled on. “I’m helping the Legion out with a case in exchange for freedom.”

“No shit?” he asked, mouth opening into a comically wide “O.” He punched my shoulder with his stump, and I winced, remembering exactly how he’d lost his hand. “Dude, I totally thought London did something really stupid and went through with his awful plan to break you out.”

My eyebrows tried to become one with my hairline. “What awful plan?”

London was there in an instant, his hand smothering Bennett’s face and making him flail his arms. His smile was forced. “Wow, look at the time. It’s way past your bedtime, Bennett.” He started dragging him out of the kitchen. “I’ll just help walk you to the door, and—”

London shouted out a curse and whipped his hand from Bennett’s mouth, while the shapeshifter flashed me a bloody grin. London hopped around, cradling his now bleeding hand to his chest and glared at Bennett.

Bennett ignored him and hopped up onto the island, looking all too pleased with himself. “It’s like five PM, Donny. Trying to kick me out so you can keep Sin all to yourself?” He tsked. “For shame.”

Glaring at him, London made a slashing motion across his neck, which only made Bennett grin wider. “Better get a Band-aid for that,” he said, nodding to London’s still bleeding finger.

“Behave, Bennett,” he ordered, giving the two of us one last look before reluctantly leaving to presumably get a Band-aid for his finger. It didn’t evade my notice that he’d left me alone with Bennett when, not so recently, he hadn’t trusted me alone with even Mend.

When I turned my attention back to Bennett, I nearly jumped out of my skin, finding him now inches in front of me, beaming up at me with manic glee.

“Sin, Sin, Sin,” he said, ruffling my hair with his stump. I’d rarely seen him use his prosthesis, though I knew he wore it occasionally. He’d told me once he preferred going about his day without it, partially because it hurt if he wore it too much and also because it wasn’t cohesive with his shapeshifting powers. “The night is young, and by the look of you, you could use a little fun. What do you say?” He waggled his brows. “Want to cause a little chaos?”

“I heard that!” London shouted from… Somewhere.

I couldn’t help but grin, not realizing how much I missed this until now. “What did you have in mind?”

Chapter Sixteen

I am trash man. Rawr.

Ididn’t know why I was so surprised to find myself squatting naked inside a black, heavy duty garbage bag on the front porch of some random stranger’s home, but I was. Really, I should have expected something weird like this to happen because enjoying a normal Thursday evening at home was just too damn much to hope for.

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