Page 69 of Red's Peril: Part 1

“I’ve got it from here, Brother.” I eye him suspiciously, my alcoholic haze bringing doubts to the fore. He’s a kinky asshole, and he’s not getting into my bed.Uh-uh.I’m heterosexual, thank you very much. Dicks really don’t do it for me.

“Nah, come on.” It seems I can’t shake him off. Nor Rope, who’s stepped to my other side.

“Leave me alone,” I growl. But in shrugging them off, I lose my balance and would have fallen if it hadn’t been for Hammer standing one step beneath me.

“Brother,” Twister drawls, sounding amused. “They ain’t gonna jump your bones. Just want to see you get to bed okay.”

For some reason, it seems pertinent to hold on to the belt on my pants, my drunken mind telling me if I keep them secure, I won’t get molested.

With my free hand, I grip tight to the banister, taking the steps carefully one at a time. My head is spinning by the time I reach the top, so I pause for a moment getting my equilibrium back into balance. Glancing around suspiciously, I realise Keys, Shadow and Joker have also come along, and for some reason seem to be waiting for me.

I just want to crash on my bed. I won’t bother getting undressed. I push on, this time using the wall for support until I’m in front of my door.

“Night,” I manage to get out, then turn to find the door handle which seems to evade my hand.

“Nah, this way, VP.” Cuff again gets a hold of my arm.

I shrug him off. “Not sleeping with you, Brother.” I think for a moment, and then add, to be polite, “No offence.”

He chuckles. “None taken.”

But the asshole still won’t let go. Hammer’s behind me, helping Twister push me along. Fuck knows where they’re taking me.

My head is spinning, and my stomach is threatening to rebel. “Come on, Brothers. A joke’s a joke—”

Suddenly Cuff throws open a door. Hammer and his helper push me inside. I stop, one step over the threshold, looking around in shock.

My bedding is on the bed, and it’s all made up, not left the way I’d rolled out of it hours before. My books and laptop are on the desk, my riding gear hanging over the chair.But it’s not my room.

It’s Rainman’s.

Sadly, he won’t be needing it anymore. And there’s nothing here left of him. That picture by the bed is of my dad, along with the one of me and the Tucson brothers. The one hanging up, a Harley I’d admired. And if I’m not mistaken, were I to open the closet and drawers, I’d bet good money they’d be stocked with my clothes.

“Fuck, man, you stink,” Cuff helpfully points out. “Think you better take a shower.”

I grab onto my belt buckle again, half suspecting he’ll offer to help, when I suddenly realise what he’s making a fuss about. It’s the door that’s in the middle of what was, in my room, a plain wall. A door that’s open, revealing a basin and a stall, and behind that I know I’ll find a cubicle containing a shower.

My own en suite.

“Think we’ll leave the officer to get acquainted with the room his new status brings.” Hammer chortles behind me.

I’d taken the VP patch incredulously, but that was its own reward. I’d never expected there to be any other benefits connected to the rank or to be moved into the officer accommodation, or, if I had thought about it, not so fast or so soon. No wonder I’d seen little of Sarge today, he’d had to have been working his ass off.

“We’ll leave you to it.” Twister slaps my back hard.

“Unless,” Rope pokes me in the ribs, and inclines his head toward Cuff giving an exaggerated wink, “you’d like us to stay?”

“Get out of here!” I roar, turning and manhandling all of them out, losing my balance in the process and all but falling against the door.

When I’m alone, I concentrate hard and manage to turn the key in the lock.Can’t be too careful. Even though I think it was just drunken sport, I’m not sure I’d put too much beyond the reach of Rope and Cuff.

Still needing the door to balance me, I lean against it as slowly a smile comes to my face. I might not have the balcony or the view of the forest, but I’ve got my own head and a shower. What more can a guy want?

“Look at me now, Ma,” I say to no one but the empty room.

Then, unable to support myself any longer, I slide down to the floor and pass out.

Sometime during the night, I must have crawled my way into bed, but when I wake, I can’t quite remember.Fuck, I laid one on last night.My first waking thought is the overwhelming need to vomit.

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