Page 18 of Kings Against the World

“Shut the fuck up!” barks Mace, turning toward me at the mention of his father. “I’m not gonna tell you again.”

“Or else what? You’re gonna swing, Mace?”

“Hey, time to separate.” Cash throws an arm around my shoulders and starts to walk me to a new space in the crowd.

I don’t let it faze me, still grinning, throwing a wink at Mace from over my shoulder.

There’s between tension between us for weeks.

He flipped out when he learned from Silver that I had gone on another bender. He accused me of putting the club at risk again, like I was intentionally some fuckup who was out to get into trouble.

I can handle my own shit. That includes the situation with Boone. None of them need to know about it.

It’s none of their goddamn business.

Silver finishes his brief and then lets Tito take over to tell us about new security protocols at the saloon.

I’ve long since tuned out. My attention span is short. All sorts of thoughts buzz inside my head. I chug my Texas Brew and think about how everybody else in the club is a follower. Everybody’s so damn boring and uptight. Where’s the fucking party?

Where’s the club girls shaking their titties in our faces?

My gaze swings up toward the sky, honing in on the same blinking red satellites I’d seen earlier. The light has followed me from the side of the trailer to the ravine, like a camera on record.

“What the fuck is that?” I ask aloud, my neck craned, head tipped back.

“Ozzie—” Cash starts.

But I break away from him and set off on my latest, newest, most spontaneous quest—chase the satellite.

It makes perfect sense.

I don’t give a shit if anybody else gets it. My legs start moving and next thing I know, I’m crushing my beer can and ditching it in the grass. I’m running away from the crowd and toward the satellite.

It hovers miles and miles above whichever direction I go in.

“You think I don’t know you’re watching? I SEE YOU!”

“Oz… Oz… what are you…”

I turn around at the sound of my name and find that Cass has followed me. She’s flushed and out of breath.

I’ve run far enough away from the club meeting that I’ve wound up between some trees. A little farther and I’ll run into the stream flowing through the gorge.

“What’re you doing here?” I ask.

Her eyes widen. “Me? What the hell areyoudoing? You randomly took off! Everybody’s confused.”

“So what? Hey, c’mere.”

I step toward her, hooking my arm around her waist to guide her over to the nearest tree. I bring her back up against the trunk and reach for the hem of her skirt. Her hands quickly grab at mine to keep them away.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I told you in a few minutes. Want to feel my dick inside that little pussy again?” I lean forward to kiss the side of her neck, but she turns her head to dodge me.

“Oz… you’re acting crazy. I’m getting worried.”

“I’m trying to have some fun.”

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