Page 82 of Root

So ridiculous.

I take deep breaths and pull out some clothes. I need…I need information. And I need more than a photo of my brother. I need to speak to him.

I kick off my shoes and go into the bathroom, turning on the shower. Then, I call Epic, which is the stupidest gang name ever. He’ll be in the loop, and he’s the one who got Jack into their gang and me on the periphery until I decided I didn’t want to join. I should have known they allowed me to work for them and not be a member to use when the time came, like now.

“What?”

“Epic?”

“You fucking naked? I hear a shower. Kinky, girl.” He laughs and the music behind him tells me he’s out, but not at Bunny’s.

“Where are you?”

“Fuck, girl, get your shit together and get the information they want. Dirt on Smith and Wilder that’ll bring them down. Dirt that’ll turn allies into enemies.”

“I’m in the Wilder mansion but—”

“What about the piece Wilder’s fucking?”

“His wife?” I ask, hand clenching as I slide down the wall to the tile. Is it…heated? “That’s not the way to go. Look him up.”

“The big boss says that shit is just PR. He’s a fucking dude. Not us.”

I unclench my hand and rub my eyes. Epic isn’t evil, for a gang member, but he knows things and he’s loyal to the Ten. “Is Brutus there?”

He falls silent.

“E-Epic?”

“Brutus is alive, girl, but he fucked up. Tried to steal some shit and get it on with T-Wall’s girl. Dead man unless you get us what we want.”

“I need to know he’s alive.”

“I’ll call you when I can.”

And the phone goes dead.

I almost—almost—smash it. Instead, I rip off my clothes and take a long, hot shower. Afterward, I dry off and put on full war paint. Eyes, dark red lips. Shadow. The works. I look good. I look like a dominatrix no one should ever fucking mess with.

I look armored up.

I shove some shaping mousse in my hair then decide to go full on black leather, heels, and thigh highs.

When I push open the door, I falter, dropping my towel.

My clothes are gone.

All of them.

And…oh, fuck me.

My door opens and Rush steps in. “Nice. Maybe you should wear that.”

My pussy throbs. Hard.

I let him have his fill as I think about slicing off his dick. But no, it’s too pretty to do that. I’ll just slice his throat when I’ve had enough.

“Murdery. Nice,” he says. “Real nice.”

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