Page 115 of Rut Bar

Once we’re on the highway and I verify there aren’t any police lights in the mirror, my nerves settle. We drive in silence and I go the speed limit and obey all traffic laws. As my uncles say, don’t attract attention by breaking two laws at the same time. Driving recklessly is the worst thing you can do after committing arson.

“We burned it down,” Vee says, dazed.

“No, we didn’t.”

She frowns and turns in her seat and studies me. “Yes, we did. I doubt he put in a sprinkler system if he doesn’t have a fire door. Seriously, who skimps on fire safety?”

“No, we didn’t burn down any buildings tonight. How could we? We weren’t even down this way. We were beachside, playing card games at my cousin Nicky’s all night. You wanted to get to know my family more before mating.”

“Wait, where are we going?” Vee asks when we pass the exit that would take us to Rut.

“I told you. My cousin Nicky’s house. It’s easier to lie if you sprinkle in the truth. So we’re gonna go hang out at his house for a few hours.”

Her stare burns a hole in the side of my face while I drive us to my cousin’s house. His neighborhood is nice and quiet, and my rusty paint-chipped beater is out of place next to his Mercedes.

When I shut the engine off, she finally speaks. “Are we really not going to talk about how we accidentally burned down a rival strip club? What do we tell Brendan and Jamie?”

I undo my seatbelt and rub at my chest where it chafed against my bare skin. “Nothing. We’re going to tell them absolutely nothing. You know why we can’t tell them.”

We can’t tell Brendan, because he’s probably never broken a law in his life. He doesn’t even jaywalk. And we can’t tell Jamie, because Jamie might say the wrong thing to the wrong person by accident. Neither of them can know.

“I know,” she finally admits. “So what do we do now?”

“Now we get cleaned up. Then we annoy my cousin and crash on his couch.” I grab the baby wipes from the bag and hand them to her. We both clean up the best we can without soap and water. After she peels herself out of her vandalism outfit, I steal her sweatshirt and shove my burnt one into the backpack. I throw the bag of evidence into the trunk, and together we walk to my cousin’s door.

The doorbell echoes loudly through the silent house, and we wait about five minutes until my bleary-eyed and confused cousin answers the door.

“Anthony? What the fuck, man? It’s two in the morning. What’s wrong? Oh, God. Why do you two smell like paint and smoke? Never mind, get in here.”

We step into his chrome and marble foyer in our paint-splattered and smoky clothes. Nicky looks around outside, then shuts the door and locks it.

“Thanks, man.” I rake my hair out of my face and tug Vee into my side. “And the less you know, the better. We came over to play cards and have a drink while Vee spends more time with the family before our mating.”

“Fine.” He looks us both over. “You can use my shower and washer and dryer. There’s a throw blanket on the couch.”

I grimace. “Oh, sorry. No, we’ve gotta actually have that drink and play at least one round.”

“Are you serious?” He pulls his satin robe tighter around his pajamas. “I have a deposition in six hours.”

“Yeah, sorry.” I clap him on the back and pull Vee deeper into the house. He won’t say no. We’re family. “I don’t know how well Vee will hold up under interrogation.”

“Fuck,” Vee curses softly under her breath.

Nicky sighs like he’s put out, but he goes to the bar cart in his living room and pulls the stopper off a crystal bottle. Amber liquid splashes into a matching cup. He sips it. “Fine, but you’re showering and changing clothes before you sit on my couch. It’s down that hall and on the left.” He points the way.

“Thanks. Come on, baby. Let’s get you cleaned up.” We find the bathroom and I turn the shower on so the water gets warm as we undress. I throw the smoky clothes and our shoes out into the hallway. Nicky will probably throw everything that’s fabric into the wash.

Vee stands there nude as she waits for me to finish. She’s got a little streak of purple on her neck that she missed under her jaw. I pull her in close and rub at it with my thumb. “You okay?”

“Yeah. In shock a little, maybe. That was my first arson.”

My lips twitch into a smile. “Your first? Not your only one? Who else are we burning down?” I tease her. It’s an interesting choice of words. I love that she’s holding up. She’s brave. Fearless.

Vee pushes at my chest playfully, but I don’t let go. I’m never letting her go. She’s perfect. It takes a strong person to survive my family.

“That’s not funny,” she says. “I didn’t mean to… I wouldn’t…”

I silence her with a kiss. She doesn’t need to make excuses with me. It’s a building. It’s not like she murdered someone. They’ll file with their insurance company and get a fat check. That club probably would have failed anyway. If anything, we made them more money tonight than they would have seen if they’d actually opened. Rut is safe. The omega community is safe. Everyone wins. I kiss her while I walk her toward the glass shower stall until the water from the rainfall shower head soaks the both of us.

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