Page 78 of Pretty Little Lies

The obviousBay Astor is availablewave has reached his ears. She’s been seen with one of us on several occasions, which means he believes she’s a liability or something we want for ourselves.

That may be true for two of the three of us.

My main focus is my seat and so should his. Apparently, his ego is obviously soaring at sky-high rates because he’s not gonna just punch me and I go down.

No, his rules are either someone dies or the other one is a cripple for life at the end of our battle.

The motherfucker is either stupid or insane. And right now, his victim is in my arms hyperventilating into a near panic attack as I stride inside Emilio’s house with various eyes on me.

I’m carrying a girl from South Shore.

I’m putting everything on the line by touching her like this. Giving a flying fuck about her because touching her is claiming her in front of these assholes. And Vivian is gonna be in my text messages with this shit.

Lucky me.

“Don’t know how to swim, eh, Little Terror?” I ask, keeping my tone light as I walk through the French doors.

She doesn’t answer me as I kick open a door moments later to one of the offices, a plush couch ready for me to place her on and calm her down.

I just threatened I was going to kill this girl, given the chance, and now I’m saving her.

Eh, Torin and Reeve would’ve been pissed if you watched.

Just like you did with Vivian.

Gently placing Bay onto the couch, her legs come up to curl her into a ball on her side. Her nearly black hair sticking to her face and covering those sky blues that get me caught up sometimes.

“Hey”—I drop down to my haunches and scoop underneath a thick patch of locks that are blanketing those eyes—“you’re alright now.”

She keeps her arms crossed against her chest as if she’s clinging to herself to become tranquil and I don’t like seeing her like this.

In fact, it’s disturbing.

Bay isn’t a basic bitch who was born in the suburbs. She’s cocky and head-strong, knows how to live in a world that isn’t so black-and-white but learn as you go. South Shore isn’t a walk in the park, not that it’s one of the most dangerous places in the world, it’s not. Their poverty rate and economy are now coming up on their own, thanks to the shipping yard. There’s a lot of work to be done still since Penn Northcott was turned in by Emilio, but it can be done, and I want to help it with my brothers at my side.

“Bay…” She looks at my chest and keeps staring at it. “You think we’d let you drown?”

“Yes.” It’s a whisper, one that sounds vulnerable and broken. It also does some fucked thing to my chest, like someone pulled a muscle in it or something.

“If I needed shit worked out”—I try to give her a weak smile, but I’m anything but happy. Actually, I’m pissed. And I want another hit on Matteo’s face before we start going at it for real for the Titan spot—“I wouldn’t have had that prick De Leon do it.”

She averts her gaze from me, and I press on.

“Matteo knows that you can’t swim, doesn’t he?” She’s stone-cold somber, and I have to remind myself that I’m the enemy. She doesn’t trust me, and I sure as fuck don’t trust her. If the boys keep this up—shit, no I’ve already lost Reeve to this.

To her.

He’s head over heels, drooling every second at just the mere mention of her name. And I believe I’m losing Torin by the second.

“He used to hold my head underwater and take bets with his buddies,” she says, barely over a whisper. Those blues appear cast away, reliving everything she’s been through with him.“Thought it was a cool new gambling game. Made some pretty good money from it.”

My brows furrow at her declaration and that she’d even give it to me. She owes me nothing but to stay on her side of the black line that divides us. And she doesn’t and hasn’t earned my respect yet.

Nor I hers.

I keep her at arm’s length, where it’s safe for me. Where I don’t start creating ideas of joining this little harem that my brothers and her seem to be forming.

However, that piece of information nails down the small piece in me that has sisters and hates the way her voice just slightly broke.

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