Page 45 of Prince of Pain

“Try me,” I snorted, not saying anything else as I finished her hair.

I wasn’t surprised when I was holding her hair back so she could throw up in the toilet a few minutes later.

“I’m going to find something for her to eat and some water,” I muttered, offering my handful of her hair to Mason. “Tag, you’re it.”

He switched with me without complaint, staring at me like he didn’t know me as I left the room, and I almost ran into Beckett in the hallway.

She was the last person I wanted to deal with right now.

“Whatcha doing?” she asked suspiciously as she followed me downstairs. “It’s like, three o'clock in the morning.”

“What are you doing here then?” I scoffed, making her shrug.

“I stopped by with Maddox on the way home from the shed.” Tempest giggled from my room, and Beckett paused, glancing back along the hallway from halfway down the stairs. “You have company?”

“Something like that,” I muttered, encouraging her to keep walking when it became obvious she wanted to go and torment whoever it was. “Beckett, don’t.”

“What? If you’re going to start bringing girls home now that you’re sober, it must mean you like them. Is my new sister up there?” she taunted, but she didn’t make a move to run back up the stairs.

“I promise you, that’s not my future wife up there,” I answered as we walked into the kitchen, and Maddox gave me a grin when he saw me.

“Hey, man.”

“Hey.” Them being here was bad. I was trying not to draw attention to my visitors, so I was hoping no one was around. Hunter gave me a knowing look as I started rummaging in the cupboard, his voice low.

“She good?”

“She’s fine. Emptying her stomach in the porcelain throne as we speak,” I sighed, grabbing some bread to make her some toast. Maddox raised an eyebrow, obviously hearing us.

“Is this alcohol, or morning sickness?”

“Alcohol,” I grunted, giving him a dirty look. “Knocked up our sister yet?”

“Touchy tonight?” Beckett asked sarcastically, and I turned to tell her to fuck off as I put the bread in the toaster when Tempest spoke from somewhere.

“What are you doing? I thought we were going to bed?”

“Sorry, man. I tried to keep her in the bedroom, but she bit me,” Mason said as he appeared behind her in the doorway, noticing our company. “Oh. Hey.”

“Who the fuck is that?” Beckett asked bluntly, narrowing her eyes on Tempest. “And what the fuck is this bitch doing here?”

“Be nice. This is—” I didn’t get to finish before Mason stepped forward and offered her his hand.

“Mason Ridgegate. And you are?”

Beckett smirked, telling me she was going to say something to try and scare him, but Maddox simply pulled his gun out from the back of his pants and placed it on the kitchen counter, glaring at him. “She’s none of your fucking business. You’re one of the boys that run the Blackwater parties.”

“Yeah, I am,” he replied cheerfully, and Beckett chuckled.

“He’s not making conversation for the fun of it, he’s sizing you up for a coffin. You fucked my brother up on drugs,” she said dryly, and Hunter finally got between them to glare at Beckett.

“Enough. Mason is here helping Ry with Tempest, so leave them alone.”

“You’re really letting this junkie slut in the house? And a drug dealer? The fuck, Dad?”

“Not your concern,” he warned just as Mom walked in with Skeeter and Slash. I couldn’t help the quiet curse that left me.

I noticed the toast was done so I quickly slapped some butter on it and grabbed Tempest’s wrist, tugging her towards the stairs.

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