Page 15 of Hell on Wheels

Sparkles pouts, wrinkling her nose. “Youarebeing a dick! You knew if you didn’t add the plural, I would have escaped.” Angelo and I drink with her, and she takes the helm. “Fine. Never have I ever… tied up my partner.”

Being the only true submissive in the group, I watch them take their shots as I walk over to the bar and grab another bottle. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to need this.”

“We’re just getting started, D,” Rebel says. “Get comfortable, everyone; it’s Angelo’s turn. Last one upright is the winner.”

I have a bad feeling about this…

Two hours later, I’m barely standing, but that’s better than my friends. The only two people not down for the count are Rogue and I, and I have a sneaking suspicion she’s somehow more sober than I am. I squint at her through the haze of three bottles of tequila, noting that she’s not even swaying. Archie went down first, then Javi, then Angelo, and the last one to keel over was Rebel.

They’re going to be so pissed that Rogue and I outdrank them all.

“Rebel is going to lose hismindwhen he wakes up,” she grins at me with twinkling eyes full of glee. “Hehateswhen I win.”

I chuckle and jerk my head at Angelo. “Same. I’m sure they all thought we’d be the first two to topple.”

“They were incorrect.” She surges to her feet, walking over to me. “Let’s go swimming. It’s warm, and I think we earned a reward for our alcoholic prowess.”

My eyes widen as I panic. “Uh… we don’t have suits, Rogue.”

She snorts and shakes her head, peeling her shirt off over the weird arm brace. “You didn’t seem concerned with that when you were stripping earlier. Besides, I don’t have anything you haven’t seen before.”

Except your naked body on display in a non-dream situation…

“I only took off my shirt! You’ve seen that before,” I choke out as she steps out of her shoes.

“Not since you got all the fancy decorations. Your ink isamazing, by the way. It’s not as fancy as mine, or Reb’s, but mine is like…species related.”

My eyes roam over the brightly colored swirls and sigils covering her torso and back as it disappears below the bra she’s wearing and then peeks out the top. Her shoulders and arms have less noticeable markings—they seem to glow in the dark, so I’m not sure they’d show up in daylight. “Yeah. The rest of us had it done, but yours showed up…”

Her lips quirk. “When I hit puberty? Merciful Persephone, men are so scared to talk about periods. You’d think you were all born with an allergy.”

I roll my eyes. “You know Angelo and I have three older sisters, right? They werenotdiscreet.”

Rogue doesn’t answer; instead, she tugs her yoga pants down to reveal the other half of the skimpy lingerie set she’s got on under her normal clothes. “It’s close enough to a swimsuit, right?”

It takes everything inside of menotto go full on Shemp. Closing my eyes, I cross my arms over my chest because Reb will definitely take a nosedive off a steep cliff if he finds out about this. “Rogue, that’s not even enough material for a tissue, much less a swimsuit. What about your arm? You can’t?—”

“You’re a coward, Damon Gemini!” A splash follows her crowed declaration and I scowl. “I think you’re afraid I’ll find out you’re not going commando like Angelo.”

Mater irrumator praetor.?1

I rarely channel Luca, but right here, right now…

“Fine.” Ignoring the voice in my head telling me this is a terrible idea, I shuck the joggers and walk over to the deep end of the pool. Rogue is already half-floating with her arm propped on one of those noodles Archie got. Her eyes are tracking me as I dive in, and when I surface in front of her, the girl I’ve had a crush on for years beams at me.

Yep. I’m fucked. I’d hack the Society archives if she asked me to while she’s looking at me like that—especially when she’s mostly naked.

Water hits me in the face, and I splutter. The little minx splashed me because I wasn’t paying attention to her!

“You’re thinking too hard, D. The water feelsamazing,and it's a perfect night for skinny dipping.” Her lips curve and she paddles her way over to the edge of the infinity pool to prop herself up. “Look at this view! Why aren’t you guys like always in here?”

Wading over to join her, I look out over the horizon, seeing the ocean and the calm sky. She’s right; we don’t appreciate this nearly enough. “Arch is usually training. Angelo and I are working for Dad. Javi’s on his way to becoming an Iron Chef…”

“And Reb’s busy chasing me all the time,” she finishes with a wry grin. “Well, I know if I lived here, I’d enjoy this every single day. You are all insane for wasting it.”

“That can be arranged,” I mutter. At her surprised expression, I shrug. “There’s a perfectly good room you’re camped out in now. Paying rent to some jackass who probably works for the people who may have put a hit out on you seems stupid, even if we can neutralize the current threat.”

“Damon Gemini, what would your brother think of you inviting me tolivewith you? For that matter, what wouldmybrother think?”

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