Page 20 of Sunrise Malice

She doesn’t look convinced, and I’m not sure I’m doing a good job making her feel better. Except I’m not really sure Icanmake her feel better, not when I share all the same reservations and worries.

I just keep thinking that marrying Julien can’t be any worse than living at home with my dad. It just can’t, and I might as well take the risk. From where I’m at, I can’t go lower.

We change the subject, which is a huge relief. Bloody Strike gets crowded as the night wears on and a couple cousins I’m not really familiar with sit down near us. One of them keeps looking in my direction, this younger guy with a peach-fuzz mustache and narrow eyes. I try to ignore it, but lately this has been happening more and more—it’s like I’m infamous because my brother was a fucking asshole. Cormac tried to start a revolt, and I’m somehow getting lumped in with him.

“Hey, you,” Peachfuzz says after about three beers, which I guess is what he needed to work up the courage. “You’re Cormac’s sister, aren’t you?”

“Fuck off, asshole,” Kim says, waving a dismissive hand. She grabs me and turns me away from the guy, giving me a meaningful look. I finish my drink and get ready to leave.

“No, hey, you are her, you’re Cormac’s fucking sister. I can’t believe you’d show your face in here. You know what that asshole did, don’t you?” He reaches out to touch me and I manage to weave out of his grasp. “Listen when I fucking talk to you, traitor bitch.”

“I had nothing to do with my brother,” I say, getting to my feet. “And I was just leaving.”

“Listen to the traitor bitch act like I’m the problem.” He sneers at me and elbows his friend who’s laughing along with him. “I hear you’re gonna marry that French fuck, what’s his name? Jerry or whatever? If you think letting Ronan sell you off is gonna make people forget what Cormac did, you’re dead fucking wrong.”

Kim brushes past me and gets in Peachfuzz’s face. “Would you fuck off and leave her alone, you stupid dick-sucking loser? You realize she had nothing to do with what her brother did, right?”

“Damn, who the fuck are you?” he says, grinning huge. “You’re kind of hot.”

“Fuck off, you disgusting pig. I’d rather fuck a stop sign and get lockjaw than touch your pathetic shriveled little cock.”

“Holy shit,” Peachfuzz’s friend says. “Damn, dude, that was harsh.”

“Yeah, seriously.” Peachfuzz’s eyes narrow. “You’re being kind of rude.”

“I’m being rude? How about you turn around, shave that pedo-stache, and mind your own fucking business?”

Peachfuzz’s face screws up. “Now you’re just being a bitch.”

“Oh, real smart, calling me a bitch.” Kim shoves him and he nearly falls off his stool. “Fucking loser, what are you gonna do, hit a girl? Go ahead, show everyone how small your dick is.”

I grab Kim’s arm before she can get herself killed. Peachfuzz is looking like he’s about to take her up on her offer. I drag herback as she continues to shout insults at the guy while his friend cracks up, loving the show.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I say to Kim as I drag her outside.

She straightens herself and brushes down her clothes like she’s trying to clean filth off herself. “Yeah, I did, because you weren’t gonna.” She glares at me. “Why do you take that crap, Bri?”

“Because he’s just some drunk asshole and it doesn’t matter what he thinks.”

“But you’re better than him.” Kim’s jaw tightens as she glares back at the door. “Fuck you, little dick!” she screams and grabs me by the turn. “Come on, yell it.”

“I’m sorry, what?” I laugh at the look on her face. It’s pure rage.

“Yell it, bitch.”

Nearby, a few cousins smoke cigarettes and stare with amusement.

To hell with it. I’m so tired of these arrogant assholes. They’re all the same: petty, small-minded, self-centered, pathetic. And just because they have dicks and are members of the Hayes Group, they all think they’re better than me. They think they can shit all over me.

“Fuck you, little dick,” I yell.

“Louder,” Kim says and screams it at the door.

“Fuck you, little dick!” I scream along with her.

Then the cousins smoking nearby start screaming it too, which makes us start laughing. I drag Kim away, cracking up so much there are tears in my eyes, and as we head down the sidewalktogether, I feel myself starting to wonder how many more nights we’ll have like this, just the two of us against the whole damn world, or if everything’s going to change when I marry Julien.

I suddenly understand why she’s so against it. Kim has had boyfriends, but they’ve never really mattered before—we’ve been really close, and she never, ever let a guy get in the middle of our friendship.

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