Page 40 of Ashton

I press our lips together, swallowing her moan as she comes on the dance floor. That might have been the hottest thing I've ever seen. I grin against her lips.

“We’re gonna get our asses chewed out in ten seconds.” I spot Atticus storming in our direction.

“Worth it.” She chuckles, resting her head on my shoulder.

“The fuck was that? You realize you are in public. Jesus Christ, Ashton, you should know better,” he hissed harshly before looking at Jinx. “Don’t even get me started with you. Where the fuck is Spencer?”

Jinx pops her head up, narrowing her eyes. “Leave him alone, this was my idea. It’s the only time I can enjoy myself. Don’t be a fun sucker, I’m safe here.”

He points his finger but doesn’t say anything because she’s right. Where all here, and if that dickbag stalker of hers does show up, it would look weird. Adults aren’t welcome here, and it would be game over instantly.

“Fine, but you stay with Spence. We have shit to do. I mean it, Odette.”

She wiggles out of my hold, getting into Atticus’s space.

“Listen here.” She pokes him in the stomach. “You aren’t the boss of me so stop acting like it.” She whirled around toward the kitchen without looking back.

“I suggest we work fast before she gets drunk. Where is Liam?”

Ace shakes his head, walking away. I follow where Maddox is still hanging out. Ace nods for him to follow. I hate when he doesn’t tell me shit. Why be so secretive? All I asked was a simple question. He leads us down the hallway, past the bathroom, and into the office.

I stop short when I see Liam gagged and tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Blood running down his forehead, past his swollen eye, and onto his white polo top. I turned a questionable gaze to Atticus because this was not part of the plan.

“I went off script,” he says with a shrug.

“I’d fuckin’ say. What the hell happened!” I point at the douche in the chair. “This isn’t going off script, Ace. This is beyond that.”

“Either way, I found him, and we have him. Now, can we start already?”

Maddox walks to the desk, opening the top drawer. When he walks back toward us, he’s holding a pair of scissors. I watch Liam wiggle his wrists the closer Mad gets. Even if he tried to scream, the music was blaring throughout the house, and no one would hear him.

“This would have been easier if we had the proper tools, but we use what we have. It’ll hurt you more than us. But you won’t say a word, anyway. You’re a fuckin’ coward, aren’t you, Liam? That’s why you always did whatCameron told you to do.” I take the scissors from Maddox. “Next time someone tells you to drown a person, get it done the first time, or don’t try at all.”

Atticus pries at Liam’s hand as I open and close the pair of scissors and smile.

“Which finger are we gonna try to cut off?” Maddox asks.

Liam screams in the cloth that’s rammed in his mouth.

“The pinky? Good choice. You’ll still be able to swim. Lucky you.” He’ll be fine, just like I could swim with my head injury. Ace holds his finger, and I position the scissors on the middle joint.

Liam shakes and starts crying. It’s sad, really. But he asked for this. I slam the scissors closed, and he screams. This would’ve been easier with pliers. I open the scissors and repeat the process. The top half of his pinky lays in the puddle of blood on the floor, and Liam has gone still.

“Leave him. Someone will find him.” Atticus spits on him before walking away.

I know he wanted to torment Liam and Cameron more, and I know he will if they try anything again. Ace isn’t afraid of killing someone; he damn near killed the assholes that sliced Maddox’s face.

I take one last glance at Liam before closing the office door behind me. When he wakes up, I hope he thinks about not being friends with those who will never have your back. A true friend will be there when you call inthe middle of the night with a stupid plan and ask when and where. They will never try to talk you out of something, and they will have a backup plan, be your ride or die. Those are true friends. Not ones that make you do something stupid and then leave you to the wolves.

Having Atticus by my side is a given; we’re stuck with each other for life. Not because we are twins but because we’ve gone through so much together, nothing separate. It’s crazy the more I think about it. It’s always as a pair. Even when that bitch raped me, Atticus helped me. He was by my side, feeling my pain like it was his own. I owe him so much for that.

“What in the fuck?” Maddox yells.

My attention swings to where he’s looking, and I have the same question. We weren’t gone that long, were we?

The dance floor has become a Beer Pong tournament with Spencer and Jinx on one side, booing away as one of the guys across from them throws the ping-pong ball across the table. I’ve never seen her act like this before. Who the fuck is this Jinx?

“I have so many questions. Where do I begin?” I stare away.

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