Page 52 of Lucifer's Hounds

“Ready for that practice game?” he asks.

“Hell yeah. I’ll rack.”

I smile at the memory of playing pool with Cass here. All I can see is Cass standing next to the pool table half-naked. I let the memory linger in my mind as I rack then step away from the table. The crack of the cue ball bursting through the rack shatters the moment in my mind and brings me back to the game in front of me. The cue ball flies from the table, and I retrieve it and start the game.

I run five of the solids out before I miss. Scott shoots six of the stripes then misses a straight in shot.

“You did that on purpose!” I glare at him, his smug look the only confirmation I need. “Asshole.”

I walk back to the table and shoot without aiming. I hate it when someone tries to let me win. Scott is laughing so hard when he gets back to the table that he can’t shoot and misses the ball altogether.

I shoot the rest of the solids and sink the eight.

“See, you won.” Scott pats me on my shoulder.

“Don’t,” I hold up a finger, pointing it at him. Scott’s phone rings and he abruptly exits, walking outside to take the call.

I sit down at the bar with the rest of our crew and watch as they’re still playing cards. I watch one hand before Scott taps me on the shoulder

“I’m about to head to the house.” I stand and give him a hug.

“Bye. Be careful,” I tell him as he squeezes me tight and cracks my back.

“Oh, that’s heavenly,” I sigh, half out of breath.

“Oh, mine next!” Carrie yells, hopping off her bar stool. Scott cracks her back next and she moans with each crack.

“Damn, she doesn’t even make those sounds for me,” Leo says walking over next to them. Scott finishes with Carrie, and she melts, his arms the only thing keeping her from hitting the floor. “My turn, dammit,” Leo says, waiting for Carrie to move.

Carrie steps back and turns to face me. “Bye Sunshine.” Carrie wraps me into a hug.

“Bye love!” I say, embracing her hug.

“We need to get together soon,” Carrie says on her way to the door.

“I agree, and outside of this place.”

“All right, Prospect. You ready?” Scott asks.

“I thought you’d never ask. Let’s go.”

I hug Leo and say my goodbyes as Mindy does the same. As Leo, Carrie, and Scott walk out, I walk back to the bar.

“They seem like really cool people. Definitely nothing like the bikers I’ve heard horror stories about,” Mindy says, cleaning up around the bar.

“No, they aren’t at all what people say.”

I smile at the thought. Oh shit. I never checked for a text from Cass.

I look at my phone and see that it’s already nine-thirty and I have three texts from Cass.

Cass: Okay good.

Cass: I wish you were here.

Cass: You’d love the view out here.

I smile as I respond.

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