Page 138 of Viper

Watching him plop another mushroom in his mouth, Ella nodded sagely. “I know.”

Tucker leaned toward her, blanketing her with the scent of marijuana. “The word you’re looking for is ‘oblivious’.”

“Watch where you’re leaning,” Saxon groused, glaring at him. “You almost made me drop my hotdog.”

Tucker gave him a superior look. “It’d be better if you had, Baldy, since you still haven’t washed your bloodstained hands.” He shuddered.

Saxon sighed. “Back to that again, are we, little man?”

Tucker bristled. “I’m not short.”

“Okay,” Saxon agreed.

Slade looked at Viper. “I’m still not happy I got kicked out of your club.”

Viper spared him a sideways glance. “You weren’t kicked out. You weren’t even inside the club. You were stood outside doing your best to get a rise out of Sting.”

Slade flapped a hand. “Semantics.”

Ella cocked her head. “So, like Teague, you don’t know what that word means?”

“No, they don’t,” Tucker confirmed for him.

“Why were you bothering Sting?” Jester asked Slade.

“I heard he’s a good fighter, so I challenged him weeks ago to a brawl in the Underground fight pit,” replied Slade. “I bet him two hundred dollars I’d kick his ass. He waved away thechallenge; said it’d be like taking candy from a baby. Who gives candy to babies?”

“Archer probably would,” Saxon muttered. “And mushrooms.”

A fond, nostalgic smile curved Gideon’s mouth. “You know, my mom used to put brandy in my bottle to make me sleep.”

Leo stared at Gideon for several seconds. “That explains so much.”

Yeah, it kind of did. She spared Leo a quick look when he adjusted his golfing glove. “So, you heading off to play golf after this?”

Leo seemed both surprised and confused by the question. “No. Why’d you ask?”

“Well, because you’re dressed for it.”

He swept the ungloved hand down his body. “This is my normal, everyday attire.”

“Why?”

Tucker snickered. “Because he’s a goddamn weirdo.”

Leo threw him a snarky look over his shoulder. “Fuck off, Frodo.”

His mouth tightening, Tucker leaned toward him. “I’m not short.”

No, he was just smaller than the others. But he was as wacked as they were—that was for sure. He just seemed to consider himself the only normal member of the clan.

After watching several races—and winning a nice clump of cash—Ella and Viper began making their way out of the Underground, hand in hand. It garnered them plenty of looks, all of which she ignored. His brothers remained close, on high alert.

“Thank you for tonight,” she told him. “I didn’t realize how much I needed some time to just chill.”

Viper sighed. “And I still don’t get how all that made you feel chill.”

“Oh, my sweet summer child.”

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