Page 68 of Taking What's Ours

This time I hit it.

I’m so excited, I spin around, and Baja has to grab my wrist.

“Whoa. Watch it. That thing’s loaded.”

“Oops.”

We practice until the sun sets, and we lose the light.

“You’re really improving. We’ll have to practice another day.” He takes his gun and loops his arm around my neck. “Come on, Annie Oakley. Let’s go home.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Baja—

Our group takes up two tables at the bar we stop at.

Rock and Evelyn, Trez and Isabella, Lola and Memphis, Utah and Kate, me and Elaina, and Darko and Wildman, who are both riding solo.

We get a few pitchers of beer and order food.

After we eat, Memphis stands, pulls Lola to her feet, and challenges me and Elaina to a game of pool.

I take her hand, grab my beer, and follow them to a pool table in the back of the room.

Memphis racks while I find a cue. “Let’s switch things up. I’ll play with Elaina, and Lola plays with Baja.”

Lola shrugs. “It’s your loss, sweetie.” She sashays over to me.

“Ladies first,” Memphis says to his ol’ lady and nods to the table.

Lola breaks and makes two good shots before it’s Elaina’s turn, and Lola returns to my side.

When Elaina bends over the table, I can’t help but take in the curves of her body and that sweet ass of hers. When my eyes lift, I see Memphis watching me with a knowing smile.

I shake my head and turn away.

Elaina makes her shot and moves around to the other side of the table. Memphis gives her a pointer, and Lola leans to my ear.

“She’s pretty, isn’t she?”

“Sure,” I say nonchalantly, like I haven’t lied awake, thinking about her body every single minute. She misses, and it’s my turn.

The cue ball is boxed in a corner, but it’s not a shot I haven’t made a thousand times before. I bend and align my cue. Elaina is across the table and bends to pick up the chalk she dropped. I can see right down her shirt, and I scratch, sinking the cue ball.

Frustrated, I return to stand next to Lola, who, rather than being pissed I missed the shot, looks like the Cheshire Cat.

“You’ve got it bad for her, mister. That’s obvious.”

I don’t say anything, and that just makes her keep digging.

“Oh, my God. You are obsessed with her.”

I still say nothing.

“What are you worrying about, honey?”

I give her a look. She should know what I’m worried about.

---