Page 142 of Slaughter

“Long story.”

“Well, good thing we have plenty of time for you to fill me in.” She reaches up and runs the pads of her fingers over Bunny’s neck. It’s healing, but the wounds are still visible.

“Actually, we don’t,” I inform this woman.

Her blue eyes narrow on mine. “Who the hell is this?” she demands.

Bunny places her arm over her shoulders and spins her around so both of their backs face me. “Avery—”

“The fucking Avery?” she interrupts her. “The fucking Avery we hate?”

I fist my hands, and I hear Chloe laugh from beside me. I already know she hates me. Now she has a new member to add to her club.

PRESLEIGH

My lips are numb, and my limbs heavy, but I feel pretty damn good inside. And proud of myself. It took quite a bit of alcohol, but I managed to fly without needing to be put under or having a meltdown. Considering how much I’ve been losing when up against Avery these past few weeks, I’ll take that small win.

I climb into the back of a limo that awaits us, and I drag Alex in with me.

“Don’t you have a ride to catch?” Avery asks her when she follows.

“Took an Uber to get here.” Her answer is clipped, and I giggle. “I’m not leaving my girl.”

God, I’ve missed her so much. She’s the only real friend I’ve ever had. I met her at a bar a couple of years after I lost Avery. After I lost everything. She’s the only person I’ve ever opened up to. It took three bottles of wine and a truth or dare game for us to reveal our deepest, darkest secrets. Hers are just as black as mine, but in a different way.

She made me feel like I wasn’t alone in this world. And we’ve been inseparable ever since.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” she exclaims, holding my hand out from beside me.

“She’s not back.” Avery growls.

Tristan and Chloe fall into the back with us, and I hear the front door open and close as Kayn climbs in.

“What do you mean you’re not back?” she demands, looking at me.

I have no fucking clue what’s going on, to be honest. Avery has proven time and time again that I’m just along for the ride.

“If you’re not here to stay, then why come home at all?”

“I have business to attend to,” he replies flatly even though she wasn’t talking to him.

“You mean you have someone to kill,” Chloe snaps.

“What the hell?” Alex demands. “What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Pres?” She grips my wrists tightly in her hand, and through the fog of alcohol, the pain makes me hiss in a breath. They’re still tender from the cuffs I wore for two days straight. Her eyes fall to look and then she lets go of me. “What the fuck …?” Midsentence, she stops and lunges across the limo for Avery. But she’s not fast enough because Tristan reaches out and grabs her by the hair, yanking her back. She cries out, and Chloe begins to hit Tristan on the back. Avery doesn’t even move.

“Enough!” Avery barks out.

Everyone seems to freeze where they are, and I arch a brow at him as if to ask what he’s gonna do. Hurt her? Kill her?

He seems to understand my stare and runs a hand through his hair. “Let her go, Tristan.”

Alex shoves him off her, finding her place back beside me. “Who the hell are you people?” she shouts.

“Alex …”

“No, Pres!” she screams, interrupting me. “You just disappear out of nowhere for three weeks, and you return with your high school sweetheart who ruined you.” She looks at him with disgust. He sits there, his hands in his lap unaffected. “And you’ve obviously been abused.” Her eyes are back on mine. “Do you have Stockholm syndrome?”

He actually laughs at that.

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