Page 84 of Pretty Little Lies

“Relax, Pretty Boy. I’m just here for the money and to shut him up.” Reeve’s palm seizes my hip, and I gasp from the sudden movement.

“What are you doing, Bay?”

Whoa, he’s going to start now, too?

I scoff, feeling very cornered and verynotin the mood. “Great, so now you’re both going to tag-team me? Hard pass.”

“No”—Reeve rocks his head back and forth—“I’m talking about Ramsey. Didn’t Wildes over here tell you the dude is straight up deranged?”

“I don’t go into any dark rooms with him,” I counter evenly. “And I know better.”

“You don’t know shit,” Torin returns sharply. “I’m not looking to get another fucking phone call stating that you’re about to get hurt or that something’s happened to you.” He abruptly steps into my personal bubble again, and I steel my spine against his towering frame. “You think Emilio’s bad? He’s a purring kitten compared to my brother. Do I need to fuck it into your head? Because you’re pretty compliant when my dick is inside you.”

“Make it’s so you shut the fuck up,” I clip back. “Have either of you ever thought that I’m not so stupid as to not know that? I have a family that relies on me. I’m not going to delve into some dumb-ass shit?—”

“Like runnin’ dope through The Landings?”

“Or stealing Emilio’s guns,” Reeve tacks on.

I take a step back from both of their parental advice. “Okay, Ihavedone some silly, stupid things, but that was for money. You know shit you guys don’t really need.”

“You obviously don’t know shit of what we need,” Torin exposes through clenched brows. “I think I’ve made myself pretty clear. Haven’t you, Reeve?”

“More than enough.”

I ping-pong my glare between the two idiots standing before me. “We’re not doing this. I’m not choosing between?—”

“You weren’t interested in me on the yacht?” Reeve retorts, perking a brow and challenging me to deny that I was.

“Yeah, I’m not happy about that,” Torin leers. “I thought I offered you the opportunity to come find me if you needed to get off and you go off looking for it elsewhere.”

Geezus Christ.

“To someone who’s wanted her since day fucking one,” Reeve rebukes without shame and, call me an idiot, but he’s not making it any better, “I’ve wanted her ass from the get.”

“You forget that I’ve known her longer than you. And if anyone is taking her ass?—”

“Excuse the both ofyou,” I chide, crossing my arms along my chest, earning both of their heavy gazes to my breast. “You can talk about this when I’mnotaround. And, even then, it’s a pipe dream.”

Torin smirks confidently. “We both know how to lay down pipe, baby.”

Rolling my eyes, I look toward the ceiling and begging for patience. I should be thrilled, though. The roles that Levi and I have laid out have been working.

It’s just the hanging out with Emilio part and Torin and Reeve acting like stupid asses that is going to be the challenge.

“I want you to come to my birthday party on Saturday.”

I glimpse over at Reeve and his random question. One that involves more time spent with them and getting deeper into their world. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” He doesn’t appear a bit surprised by my answer and less deterred by it.

“I got my…” My sisters and dad. “I got a lot of things going on this weekend.”

Reeve wipes out all the space between us and he’s back, right in front of me with that mellowed-out persona and surfer boy attitude. “I want you there, McQueen. It’s the only thing I want for my birthday.” His tone dips, that deliciouscome hithertimbre running down my body and coaxing the answer he desires. “Come by later, then.”

“It’s at the beach,” Torin adds in, assisting with his maddening idea. It corkscrews my stomach that Levi’s prediction is coming true. That these boys are going to either be drawn to me for the right reasons or the wrong. “Mutual territory in Wharf Bay.”

“Wharf Bay isnotmutual territory,” I retort huskily, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “Your boy runs that.”

---