Page 72 of Snake

Cox thought about that day at the Prentiss place, how Tommy was on the ground before Cox had a chance to get all the way out of the truck. Gary had shot the second he’d seen the Horde. They’d been stupid not to realize he’d feel threatened the moment he saw them.

“How’d it happen?” Kellen asked.

“The doc hedged his answer, I guess they’re not totally sure yet, but I got him to say he thinks Tom threw a clot from his lung. Went into his brain.”

“We need a watch up there round the clock again, until he’s out the woods,” Double A said.

Thumper volunteered at once. “I’m in for first shift.”

Cox was about to raise his hand and volunteer as well, but he remembered Autumn, still sleeping in his room, unaware of all this, so he left his hand on the table. Saxon volunteered instead.

“Thanks, brothers,” Badger said. “We’ll do four-hour shifts. We still got the groundbreaking thing this afternoon, too. Shitty time for a party, but I guess there’s nothing to do about it but get it done.”

“What about her boss?” Cox asked, not realizing until the question was out that the couple of sentences in his head that had connected the dots from the groundbreaking to the asshole whose face he’d rearranged last night had happened only in his head.

Kellen barked an obnoxious laugh. “Cox is extra interested now. Got himself a taste of hot corporate bitch last night.”

Cox leveled a look. He didn’t say a word; Kellen’s bullshit wasn’t worth the effort. He simply stared at that weaselly fuck until Kellen’s head dipped and he looked away.

The Keep was quiet for another second or two, until everybody was sure that interaction was over.

Then Dom asked Badger, “Should we talk about Chase, too?”

Badger waved at the table, granting Dom permission. “Might s’well.”

Turning to Cox, Dom said, “He’s still zonked. Izzy left him around two, and she was a rock star while she was with him. We got some prime leverage on that rich fuck.”

Dom, Saxon, Thumper, and Double A all chuckled. Even Badger smiled.

“What kind of leverage?” Cox asking, feeling like he’d missed a memo.

Dom took out a tablet—he was the only one allowed to have tech in the Keep, not that Cox cared one way or another—and tapped and swiped for a few seconds. Then he propped the tablet in the middle of the table and started a video.

It looked like security-camera footage, grey and at a remove; the cameras in the back room were discreetly placed. Dom had started it somewhere in the middle of the recording; the part he played showed Izzy and Autumn’s boss, both in the bed, both naked, obviously messing around. It looked like Izzy was in charge, but Autumn’s boss—Cox preferred not to think of that ass by name—was an active participant. Despite his injured face and the great quantity of booze they’d poured down his throat, he was all in on playing with Izzy.

He was still all in when Izzy got off the bed, went to a drawer in the chest, and pulled out a very large strap-on. The Keep was quiet as they watched Autumn’s boss get quite literally fucked. The guy didn’t hesitate at all, not even with lack of experience.

“Oh, shit!” Kellen burst out with a laugh. “Mr. Millionaire likes monster cock up the ass! I didn’t even know we had that thing!” He looked around the table. “Is one of you into that shit? Who’s the fag?”

“Shut the fuck up, Kell,” Double A snapped. “Jesus, my dude. How the fuck old are you? A grown man, still acting like a shithead eighth-grader.”

Kellen slapped his hand to his chest in mock horror. “Holy shit—it’s yours, ain’t it? Candy know you like dick? Does she give it to you like that?”

Double A jackknifed out of his chair. Badger stood as well, putting a hand on his veep’s shoulder. “Kell, get the fuck out of the Keep now,” their president ordered.

Kellen stared wide-eyed. “You throwin’ me out of the Keep? I’m a voting member! I’m a fuckin’ officer!”

Double A shrugged Badger’s hand off and stalked to Kellen. Kellen stood, ready to fight. Cox and Saxon both stood at the same time. Cox was ready to back Dub up; he assumed—hoped—Saxon meant to do the same.

He did. Then Thumper stood, and Dom. All the patches in the Keep on this strange morning faced Kellen, their treasurer. Allied against him.

“Get the fuck out, Kell,” Badger said. “This isn’t an official meeting, there’s no vote, and you’re not needed.”

Kellen looked around once more, like he couldn’t believe this was happening. Then he kicked his chair out of his way and stomped from the room, slamming the double doors behind him. Just like a shithead eighth-grader.

The others stood around the table for several more seconds, again letting a Kellen-centered moment fade out on its own.

“Hate that fucker,” Double A mumbled. “And I’m not fuckin’ gay. That thing ain’t mine.”

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