Page 141 of Neighbors With Benefits

“You feel the same way,” Aiden told me. “I can tell.”

“Jazz is a cool neighbor, and a great fuck,” I whispered back at him.

Both of them gave me a look.

“Fine,” I said. “I enjoy her company. That’s why I came home early. Wait a minute. What the hell are you two holding?”

Gripped tightly in Aiden’s hand was a metal kitchen ladle. Bash was holding a wooden rolling pin.

“I couldn’t find my baseball bat, so we grabbed what we could.”

“You took the good knife,” Bash complained to me.

“Forget it,” I said. “Stay behind me. I’m going to knock the door down.”

“Should we knock first?” Bash asked. “What if he has a gun?”

“Then we don’t want to give him a warning, do we?”

Aiden leaned forward and banged on the door with a fist. “Let us in! Or we’ll knock the door down!”

I glared at him. “I’m going in.”

Bash gripped the rolling pin like a bat. “Do it.”

I turned and eyed the door. A paranoid guy like Voldemort would probably have multiple locks and deadbolts on the door. No matter how hard I kicked, this was going to hurt.

Fuck it. I would saw my leg off if it meant getting to Jazz quicker.

“Wait!” a feminine voice called from inside. “I’m coming to the door!”

Aiden’s eyes widened. “Jazz? That’s Jazz!”

We heard the mechanical sound of locks being disengaged, then the door swung open. Jazz was standing there, decked out in neon clothes like an exercise infomercial from the eighties.

“I’m okay!” she said.

My chest ached at the sight of her, and my knees felt weak. I dropped the knife and hugged her tightly.

“I was so afraid,” I said, breathing in the scent of her hair. She smelled like home.

“They helped me,” she said. “And if you squeeze me any tighter, you’ll crack a rib!”

I lessened my grip on her.

“They helped you?” Bash asked. “Plural?”

“She suffered quite the head injury said Ms. Dermatt, who joined us by the door. Deeper in the room was a short man wearing camo clothes. When he realized I was looking at him, he stepped behind a bookcase. Like he was bashful.

That’s Voldemort?

“Thanks for your help, but I think it’s time for me to leave,” Jazz said to Ms. Dermatt.

“Think on what I said?” she asked her.

Jazz nodded. “I will, Karen.”

“Wait a minute,” Bash said. “Your name really is Karen?”

---