Page 62 of Tempting Fate

VENOM: Anyone but fucking Brutus

The text responses come through in rapid fire.

FRET: If she comes to the workshop, I’ll put her to work

FRET: Got some sanding that’ll keep her mind busy

TOKER: I’ll make sure there’s a Glock ready

HUNTER: I’m in my room… watching a serial killer doco she’ll love! Someone send her this way.

CUB: Keep her outta the office—I’m working on something

TOKER: and a fat blunt *insert bong emoji here*

SLASH: Little Cherub has stormed the bar.

SLASH: I’ll get our Cherub nice and drunk for you.

SLASH: A screwdriver or two will loosen her tongue.

TOKER: Will probs loosen her fists too *insert boxing gloves emoji*

Toker’s reply is nutty but accurate. He’s right—adding alcohol to the mood Lily’s in could backfire, but if her responses denigrate into punches, I’ll send her his way. He wanted a fight last night, he’ll be lucky to subdue his favourite cousin today without receiving a bloody nose from her.

The thought makes me grin.

He’ll take it too, if it means Lily feels better.

Scanning the responses a second time, my smile widens at Toker’s lack of technological prowess. He flatly refuses to upgrade to a smartphone, happy with his Nokia brick that’s almost as old as he is by this point. It’s that old he still has to press the keys multiple times to get the letter he needs. The day Lily and Nadia showed him their custom keyboards, I thought he was going to crack, instead he began adding emojis to his texts via written description.

My phone pings again.

SLASH: I’ll text you when she’s ready to talk.

Knowing that my best friend is with her loosens some of the worry squeezing my chest tight. I scrub a hand over my face, doing my best to blot out the urge to interrupt them so I can force her attention back to me. I’d never admit it out loud, but sometimes it makes me jealous to see how many other men she has for support. Her closeness with Slash, especially, gnaws at me. They’re both book worms. Love the same music. And their endless dissection of the tv shows they binge watch together sometimes leaves me feeling like more of a spectator than an active participant in her hobbies.

I want to be hers.

In everything.

It’s dumb. It’s wrong. It’s definitely a little too close to the way Alex treated her for comfort. I figure since I’m aware of it, and would never let it spill over onto her, it’s okay. Times like this, when I’m imagining beating my best friend’s arse for being the person Lily has picked to lean on, also remind me that karma’s a bitch. Teaching me one lesson at a time, whether I want it or not.

Lily isn’t going to choose me today.

Not when I’m the problem.

Ego sufficiently dented; I type out my thanks, then silence my phone.

VENOM: I’d be up shit creek without the lot of ya

VENOM: Slash – let me know the second she’s calm enough to approach

SLASH: Will do.

With a sigh that’s fifty percent frustration and fifty percent annoyance, I flop back on the bed and press Lily’s pillow over my face. Inhaling her scent, I hold my breath until my lungs burn, then roll onto my side to stare at the door. I grip my phone in one hand, ignoring the ongoing vibrations as the rest of them text back with their version of support. My head is spinning with all the things I need to say to her, yet I doubt I’d be able to form a coherent sentence if the opportunity arose.

My gut churns with the need to track down Alex and kill him.

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