Page 30 of Frenemies

“I’ve got someone he might listen to.”

Derek and I turned our heads to Tanner, who was strutting in with some blonde guy. I leaned back and eyed the web tattoo on the side of his neck. Who the hell was this guy? Another degenerate biker reject.

The jeans and t-shirt he was wearing definitely fit the persona, but I hadn’t seen him around the clubhouse. And I’d remember those icy-blue eyes, which is about the only thing he had going for him.

“What the hell is this guy going to do?” I would admit that he had this whole heartthrob thing, but that wasn’t exactly an important quality right now. “If I thought a boy band could get through to Chase, then I’d hireN’Sync.”

Boy band’s eyes went wide for a second, and I swear I saw the corner of his mouth curl in amusement.

“This is Keenan,” Tanner nodded at the new guy and shot me a warning glare. “Chase’s cousin.”

My eyes narrowed in on him. Chase’s cousin?

“I thought he might listen to family,” Tanner explained.

Oh please, family, my ass. Where was he when Chase’s brother was running amuck, or when we all got shot? I didn’t see anyone from his family coming to visit when he was in the hospital.

“What dark hole did you dig him out of?”

“The same one your bitchy ass crawled out of.” I returned Tanner’s curled lip with a curl of my own. “He was working at a garage in Ashen Springs.”

Congratulations to him. When I needed an oil change, I’d be sure to give him a call.

“We’re not looking for a tune-up here.” I waved my finger at Tanner. “I spent the three days watching Chase throw up and listening to him yell at me.”

“It’s called withdrawal,” Keenan said while cocking his head at me.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he was holding back a smile.

“Thanks.” I paused to give him a dirty look. “But I don’t think you understand–”

“No, I don’t think you understand.” Keenan interrupted me and took a step forward. “This is real life, Honey. It’s dirty, gritty, and most of the time, you just want to run away from it. If you can’t handle that, then you need to fuck off.”

I reared back. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Someone who’s not going to waste my time talking to you.” The asshole didn’t even bother to give me a second glance as he walked past me, “Shit or get off the pot.”

I stared at Tanner with my mouth open. The prick had the biggest smile on his face.

Withdrawals sucked ass. Those first ten days, in particular, were bad. I knew it was ten because I counted the days when I was lying there, shivering, too fucking weak to move.

The only thing I could do aside from praying for death or telling Naomi to fuck off was spill my guts into a bucket on the floor.

Thank fuck that was over now. I wasn’t a hundred percent yet, but at least I could walk around without wanting to fucking die. At one point, I considered calling Jax to come and end my miserable existence. I might’ve done it too if they hadn’t taken my damn phone.

I couldn’t help but smile when I thought about some of the texts that had probably come through. I bet Tanner and Beast didn’t bother to check my phone. If they had, then they’d know who was setting the fires I heard them complaining about—I’d get a mouthful for that for sure.

It was better than listening to Naomi bitch. If she brought me one more change of clothes, I might have to slap her around a bit. Jeans with shit written on the ass should not be worn by any man. Ever.

Why the fuck was she insisting on taking care of me anyway? Couldn’t she take a hint? That girl was the world’s worst nurse, and I was an even worse patient.

I would give Naomi one thing. She was stubborn as hell. The last thing I expected the prom queen to do was stick around while I was yacking my guts out.

And I got pretty fucking bad.

Couldn’t even stand the smell of myself. Yet she stuck around, rubbing my back and stuff. Yeah, she bitched, and might’ve slapped me around a few times, but she stayed. Naomi fucking Prescott wallowed in the pit of hell with me. Didn’t see that shit coming.

It was that tenacity that kept picking at my brain. Things were different when she was just some spoiled brat that I had a thing for—a piece of ass was easier to push away. Just treat them like crap, and they’d move on to the next chump.

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