Page 170 of Zero Chance

When I stiffened in Keene’s embrace, he drifted a hand over my hair.“Not tonight,” he answered for me.“Tonight’s only happy talk.Good memories.She can tell us all about dead bodies later.When she’s ready.And sober.”

Smiling, I arched my face back to look up at him over my shoulder.“Thank you,” I murmured.

He kissed my cheek, saying nothing, and stroked my hair.“Any time, darlin’.”

39

WAVERLY

Ihad no idea how long we stayed at the beach, but I kept stealing drinks after Keene tried to cut me off.

And by the time Xander claimed she was too cold to sit there any longer and we had to douse the fire and return to the Jeep, I couldn’t walk a straight line.

“Fuck.”Keene caught my arm, grabbing me tight to keep me from tripping.“Your mom’s gonna kill me if I bring you home like this.”

“We need to stanch her blood alcohol level with some greasy drive-thru,” Xander said.

Keene scoffed.“Whatever.That’s not a thing.”

But my best friend only shrugged.“It could be.And besides, I’m hungry.Plus I want caffeine, so you should really take us somewhere.”

“Do I look likeyourboyfriend?”Keene muttered as we loaded into the Jeep and he cranked the engine to life.“I ain’t taking us to a drive-thru just becauseyou’rehungry.”

“Frankie,” Xander pleaded, tapping my arm from the back seat.“Make Keene be nice to me.Baby needs caffeine if she’s staying up until one to drop you off right before your curfew.”

I turned to Keene and didn’t even have to speak.

“No.”He pointed meaningfully as he put the Jeep into gear and steered us toward the road.“Don’t do that.Cut it out.”

“What?”I laughed and lifted my hands.“I didn’t even do anything.”

“Yes, you did.You’re using your vagina powers on me.”

In the back, both Alec and Xander howled with delight before Xander demanded, “Herwhatpowers?”

“Her vagina powers,” he repeated as if it were the most common, well-known phrase in existence.“You ladies can getanythingyou want with that shit.”He motioned his finger in the general direction of my lap.“End wars.Start revolutions.Save starving, orphaned puppies from going blind.”

I shook my head.“How in the world could my vagina keep a puppy from going blind?”

“I don’t know!”He threw up his hands in disgust before merging with traffic.“You’re the one with the magic pussy.You tellme.”

I blinked at him with no idea how to respond.

And he frowned, pointing.“See you’re doing it right now.Batting the lashes to those big brown eyes, and I can actually feel myself turning into fucking putty.So… Stop it.”

I snorted at his ridiculousness.“Why don’t you just use your penis powers and guard yourself from my oh-so-mighty vagina?”

“Yeah,” Alec chortled, clearly on my side.“Lift your shields, Dugger.Fight the draw.”

“Seriously?”Keene barked out a harsh laugh.“You think this thing”—he motioned to his junk—“has anything onyours?Your vagina is like a whole pleasure kingdom.A penis can only dream about visiting there.When he’s lonely, bored, feeling frisky, wanting to show his affections, that’s where he wants to go.But with you, it’s all moot because you’re already there.All the time.You don’tneeda penis.While, I absolutely, one hundred percent need a vagina.Vagina power trumps penis power every time.”

From the back, Alec leaned toward Xander, claiming, “It’s a mathematical certainty.”

I glanced behind me and met Xander’s gaze.

Together, we snorted.

“You’re crazy,” I told Keene.

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