Page 77 of Vengeful Rotten Casualties

As I’m stepping out of the house, however, a brand new black convertible Mustang pulls around the front of the driveway, parking recklessly across it, blocking my path straight towards the rest of the cars. I step down onto the pavement and cross my arms as I wait for the driver to get out.

A sober Avalon exits the driver’s seat and smirks as she approaches. “Nice ride,” I say. “Birthday present?” It’s a guess, but an enlightened one considering Dean told me about the car that he and the guys had bought her for her birthday.

“Yup,” she says, popping the word out of her mouth as she heads towards me. Her steps are light, her expression relaxed.

“You look better than you did last night,” I comment. “Get some dick, did you?”

Her smirk only grows. “I got what you got,” she replies easily as she stops in front of me. She twists her sneakers into the pavement, swinging the keys to the Mustang she just exited in my face. She goes up on her tiptoes before me, gripping my shoulder and leaning against my side as she tips her mouth into my ear. “I got fucked.”

I roll my eyes. Fucking brat. She drops back down onto her feet and then releases me to head up the stairs. “I don’t remember inviting you into my house,” I say, turning as I watch her go.

She shrugs as she gets to the door and turns the handle, letting it swing open. “Oh, you should know better, Luc.” She laughs. “You’re one of us now. What’s yours is mine.” Then she turns away and shouts into the house. “Micki! Get your ass ready! We’re going out!”

I drop my hands down to my side and before Avalon can slam the door to my own fucking house shut in my face, I stomp back up the steps and slap my palm against the wood. “Where are you taking her?” I demand.

“Why do you wanna know?” Ava shoots back.

My fingers curl around the edge of the door and a growl escapes my throat. “Don’t fucking test me, Ava,” I snap.

“Oh chill your dick, dude,” she replies with yet another eye roll. “Micki’s running low on some supplies so we’re gonna go grab some clothes. Aren’t you running late or something? Dean said you guys had a plan to meet up with Braxton and Ace.”

Before I can respond, though, Micki appears around the corner. I glance up at her. “Text me your location,” I say.

She arches a brow. “Trying to keep tabs on me?” she asks as she approaches.

I don’t even hesitate or try to lie. “Yes.” And as if Avalon’s presence somehow changes her, she, too, rolls her eyes. Unlike Avalon, however, she moves closer and puts her palm flat on my chest before she presses a kiss to my lips.

“We’ll be fine,” she says. “I’ll text you if anything happens.”

“Location,” I press.

She shakes her head and then pushes me back out of the door. I let my hand slip from the door and this time, Avalon does manage to shut the damn thing in my face. I’m left standing on my own doorstep with a hard on and a headache.

Damn women.

I turn and head down the steps, fishing my keys out of my jeans. I hit the key fob’s button and the Porsche’s lights flash as the doors unlock. Despite my anxiety, Avalon’s right. The meeting with Dean and Braxton is important, and one glance at the time on my dashboard tells me that I am, in fact, late.

“Damn it.” I put the Porsche in reverse and spin out of the long driveway, steering around Avalon’s new car that I have no doubt is gonna be ridden hard in the coming months. I hit the road and press down on the gas, speeding towards town as I plug in the address Dean gave me the night before when we’d met up at Urban to pick up our girls.

Twenty minutes later, I’m pulling up to a steel like structure not unlike the office buildings in downtown Eastpoint. This one, however, doesn’t hold any million-dollar offices. Instead, it holds million-dollar condos and apartments. The Tower. I stop in front of the metal gates, type in the code, and then ease into the underground parking garage.

The address Dean gave me isn’t the penthouse, though. I know that’s one of Braxton Smalls’ properties. Something I’d expected. Instead, however, the address leads me to a condo halfway up the building on one of the mid-level floors. Once I reach it, I knock on the door and wait.

Seconds later, the door pops open and a pretty blonde smiles at me as she widens the door. “You must be one of Jackson’s friends,” she says. “Come on in. The other guys are back in the office.”

“Uh, thanks.” I step into the very normal looking condo as she reaches back and snatches a purse from the table holding a bowl full of keys and what looks like flash drives.

“Have fun,” she waves as she heads into the hall and the door snicks shut behind her.

I shake my head and follow the sound of familiar voices through a large living room and into a wide bedroom turned makeshift office. A man I’ve never seen before sits behind a desk filled with screens. The second I step into the room, I spot Dean, Braxton, Ace, and Viks. The man at the desk lifts his head.

The man spins around to face the room. “Is she gone?” he demands, zeroing in on me.

“Who?”

“The woman, damn it,” he snaps, his hands gripping either arm of the computer chair he’s sitting in. “Who the fuck do you think?”

Across the room, Viks snickers. “Uh, yeah…?”

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