Page 29 of Pink Poison

“I’ll be right with you,” she acknowledges without looking in my direction.

How the hell does she know I’m sitting here?

Resting my elbows on the bar top, my head collapses into my waiting hands as the reality of what happened tonight falls over me. Atticus Lennon works in human trafficking with Creed Hill, and the Butchers arewilling to look the other way to get what they want. On top of that, I crossed a line I hadn’t thought about in years…not since Jameson planted the seed in his truck the night he drove me out of the city. His dirty confession warped something in me that day, placing Max in a position he has no business being in. And yet, I wanted it. Idreamtof it.

Five years was plenty of time for me to develop forbidden fantasies that starred my stepbrother and his best friend. Fantasies thatshouldhave stayed as fantasy. But, like the silly bitch karma is, she handed me part of my dreams with Max tonight.

And I loved every minute of it.

“Rough night?” the bartender asks.

Lifting my head, I take in her friendly expression as she pours a generous glass of rosé. “Yeah, you could say that,” I snort.

“This one is on the house.” She nods while pushing the comically full stemware towards me. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I lift the glass to my lips with a teasing smirk. “What makes you think I like rosé?”

“I had a feeling you enjoy the good things in life,” she snorts. “That, and it’s as close to pink as I can get without turning it into a frat drink.”

Subtle, sweet, fruity flavors bubble over my tongue as I swallow a generous sip of the wine.Goddamn. That’s good.Closing my eyes, I take a moment to enjoy the drink for what it is: a kindness that I desperately need. “It’s perfect.” I sigh. “As for wanting to talk about it; how much time do you have?”

“As long as it takes,” she says. “I’m Del, by the way. I didn’t catch your name earlier.”

Smiling, I reach over the bar top and offer my hand. “Stevie.”

“Nice to meet you, Stevie.” She smiles, briefly shaking my hand. “So, what troubles you tonight?”

I swallow another healthy swig of the wine before answering, “Do you want the long list or the short list?”

She eyes me, almost curiously. “Hit me with the whole list.”

“Five years ago, I dropped out of college, met my best friend, and became a stripper.” I laugh as her mouth parts in surprise. “I had a four month fling with my stepbrother’s best friend…unknowingly. Said brother found out I was dancing and ratted me out to our parents—who then disowned me. After that, I fucked his best friend, knowing who he was, and was exiled by the MC they were part of.”

“Ho-ly fuck,” she breathes.

Shaking my head, I can’t stop the self-deprecating laugh that falls from my lips. “That’s not even the bad part.”

Her brows lift in disbelief. “There’s more?”

“I just moved back into the city yesterday.”Jesus. How has it only been a day and everything is already so twisted? “I had a revenge plan and everything, ya know? I wanted to tell the MC that I was back for good, show them they can’t control me anymore.”

Her fist pounds against the bar harshly. “Damn straight they don’t. Fuck those guys.”

I choke on a laugh. “Oh, I have.”

“Sonuvabitch. It was those guys who were at the table?” Her hazel eyes narrow on the booth I previously sat at.

Grimacing, I bow my head to avoid her scrutiny. “Technically, I’ve only fucked two of them…”

“Hey,” she soothes, patting her hand over mine. “I’m not judging you.”

“You might once I tell you whose lap I was sitting on earlier,” I whisper.

She smirks devilishly. “Spill.”

“That was my stepbrother.”

Her eyes widen as she bends below the counter. The sound of clinking glass bottles fills the lull in our conversation before she returns with a bottle of dark liquor. “We need something stronger than wine.”

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