Page 37 of Pretty Little Lies

And since I didn’t know the boys were going to show up out of nowhere, I thought it was just going to be a solid night of racing, hanging out with the guys before coming home to eat and then crashing.

Not the emotional turmoil that’s turning my stomach right now.

“Yeah,” I extoll, releasing a heavy exhale because I’m finding myself relying on Reeve’s carefree self and maybe looked forward to it.

“Regretting it?” I shake my head against Levi’s question, because I can’t.

It had to be done. I agreed to this and, at the end of the day, my family has to be safe against Emilio.

End of story.

“No,” I reply calmly. “Nice neck grab.”

I swear I hear Levi shifting uncomfortably in the passenger seat. Juice would be driving, the windows down, because I can hear the wind softly blowing inside, and I can tell he’s frowning.

Everyone is fucking frowning tonight for different reasons.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“When have you known me to be a wimp?” I jeer, trying to lighten the mood but my voice doesn’t help any.

“I haven’t,” he replies. “You know you’re tougher than the boys.”

“Hey,” I hear Juice bitch in the background, and I allow my lips to curl for the first time in the last thirty minutes at my own set of boys who have never,everlet me down.

“What do you think happened to Green Mohawk?” I ask, making a left-handed turn.

A chuckle resounds from the other side of the phone. “He probably shit his pants on the way back to his car. I don’t think we’ll see him again.”

“Good. We have enough assholes to deal with on a daily basis.”

“Speaking of assholes, that Stanton prick seems to like you. I felt it.”

“Levi…” I balk at his comment. “Are you hurt?”

He scoffs, his pride rising to the forefront of this conversation because there would never be a day that he’d admit that shit. Especially someone from his rival. “He hits like any other bitch. Plus, I wanted to see what they would do.”

“I guess we can take man-handling women off the list of shit they’ll let slide.”

“Good to know. I guess I don’t have to worry about one of them hitting you while I’m no longer in the picture.”

“Stop saying that,” I carp out, hating the idea of Levi not being able to come see me when he wants. “I really hate this, and you’re not making it any better.”

“It has to be done,” he retorts softly. “Emilio will move quicker now that I’m gone. I just need us to find a way to get him alone so I can end this.”

“We can end this,” I argue. “I’m not allowing you to do this alone.”

“I’d prefer it that way. Less witnesses. You can’t claim or lie about anything because you weren’t there.”

My brows knit. “You’re talking like you’d get caught.”

“You never know.”

“You’re pissing me off.”

He chuckles lightly. “Not any more than what I felt from Torin. You must not have seen the hit to the ribs that I’m currently still nursing. The only one with half a brain was Cairo because someone had to watch all of us before someone died.”

Because the dude hates me. No need to throw any extra energy out there.

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