Page 95 of Wolf.e

Chantel laughs. “Gotta start going for the younger ones, I guess. All the older ones decide it’s time to settle down or something once they hit their mid-thirties,” Chantel says, sipping her own shot.

Chelsea pulls a pencil case type bag out of her purse and opens it, removing rolling papers and a little baggy of what I assume is weed. I have no real idea because I’ve never smoked it. Chelsea is clearly an expert. She flattens her rolling paper out and adds the perfect amount of weed, rolling it and licking the side to seal it. She makes short work of firing it up and inhaling deeply. She holds her inhale for a few moments, letting the smoke settle in her lungs before she turns to me, exhaling it in my direction, then passing it to Chantel who happily takes it.

I wrinkle my nose. I smell it on Gabriel sometimes when he comes home from being in the clubhouse.

Layla chatters away to me as Chantel takes a few puffs and passes it back to Chelsea, who offers it to me. I shake my head no.

She laughs. “It’s easy to dress the part isn’t it, Sandra?”

My nails bite into my palm.

“Don’t,” Layla says in my ear.

I clench tight. I have no idea what it is about this woman that gets under my skin so much.

“I just prefer to keep my teeth white and my skin looking young is all.” I smile sweetly.

“For a newbie sweetbutt, you sure are a mouthy one, darlin’, it’s kind of refreshing.” She laughs like I’m the butt of her joke.

“So glad I can refresh you,” I say as I pick up one of Chris’s shots from the table between us.

Chris chuckles. “Calm down, tiger,” he whispers to his side.

I nod.

Chelsea distracts herself when she sees another woman she knows and gets up to hug her.

I take the moment of peace to force myself to turn back and engage in conversation with Layla. I will not let this woman ruin my mini vacation.

I will not.

“Hold up, settle this,” Chelsea calls to our group not five minutes later, rearing her ugly head. “When was the first year we rallied in Harmony?” she asks.

“Three years ago?” Chantel offers. I pretend I don’t hear them.

Chelsea knocks back another shot. I watch a beautiful smile take over her face in my periphery. “That’s right. The night we had the party at St. Henry’s old resort… I missed half of it because that’s the night Wolfe took me into the shed and we… well, you know. I think we’re due for another rally out there, aren’t we?” She smirks right at me.

“Chels,” Chantel warns.

I know she’s trying to goad me. I know all about girls like her, I was bullied when I was younger by girls like her. My mother always told me they were jealous and maybe she was right because there should be no other reason for her to goad me. Chelsea knew the first day I met her that there was something between Gabriel and me, and she’s trying to show me who the true veteran is here and who doesn’t belong.

“What?” Chelsea is a little more loose now after a few shots. “Fucking Sandra Dee comes in and we can’t reminisce?” She turns to me and guffaws a real hearty sound. “I have news for you, sweetheart. If you’re going to flinch because Wolfe and I hooked up, you might as well not even look around because”—she leans in—“I’m pretty sure he’s hit every chick here.”

That’s it. I go to move but Chris sticks his arm out in front of me and stops me dead. I look at him and he just shakes his head no.

“You’re gonna get my ass kicked if you get in a fight. She’s not worth it.” He looks right up at Chelsea. “You have him. You win,” he says loud enough for her to hear.

Bless him for defending me.

“She has him?” She laughs. “Tonight maybe, tomorrow he’s a free agent again.”

“She’s with him,” Chris says, trying to take the heat off me.

She shakes her head “Uh-uh. Y’all are fucking with me, right? Wolfe doesn’t have an ol’ lady. Especially not her. He’d fall asleep before his jizz hit the condom.”

I look up at her and something in me snaps. Suddenly, she is every single person who has ever tried to knock me down, told me to take a seat, act like a lady, fold my hands, or keep my mouth shut. She’s the epitome of them, right here in front of me.

“I’m not an old anything but you will respect me, and my name is Brinley, you bitch,” I seethe as I stand.

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