Page 42 of Stuck with my Frenemy
Chapter Sixteen
Cherry
“Waaaahooooo! We made it in record time,” I bubbled out, rushing to the front of my yellow baby on wheels. Throwing myself on the hood to give it a hug, I brushed my hands all over it. “You’re such a good girl, aren’t you baby?” Even to my own ears, it sounded like I was talking to a newborn, but I didn’t care.
“Record time. Right.” Ebony asked, stepping awkwardly out of the car so she didn’t hit her head. It wasn’t exactly made for tall girls.
“I said—” I started, but good old Ebs held a hand up to stop me.
Shoving her forefinger in her ear, she wobbled it around as if she had water stuck in it. “How loud did you have that radio?” she shouted, though I didn’t think she meant to.
In fact, I would bet my life that she didn’t.
Looking at the ground, I mumbled, “I don’t know, like max volume?”
“What? Say that louder. I almost heard it.”
I shook my head, not wanting to say it again because it would piss Ebs off and I wasn’t in the mood for another of her tantrums. They came way too often in my humble opinion.
She eyed me, staring hard, so since I didn’t want to get throttled, I mouthed the words again. Twice.
She threw her hands in the air. “This is fucking insane. It doesn’t matter.”
Bouncing over to her, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Are we ready to see if Loki is here?” I asked mostly to myself, wondering what the god would have up his sleeve this time.
Shrugging my arm off her, Ebony turned to me with both eyebrows scrunched in the middle of her forehead. “Funny. I could hear you perfectly there. It must be that it works only when you actually say something of value.”
I rushed forward. “Ha. Yes, funny. Your ears must’ve popped right back to normal because everything I say is of value, thank you very much.”
Ebony didn’t look like she was buying it, but she didn’t get a chance to respond as I all but jogged toward the entrance of the casino, the flashing red lights beckoning me because they would get me away from her and inside where the music would be blaring and I wouldn’t have to try to explain the whole radio thing.
I liked to sing. Loud. So the music just had to be louder. No big deal, right?
“Cherry, wait up,” Ebony hissed angrily, zipping closer because of her damn long legs. Must be nice. I had to pump extra hard to even try to stay in the lead, but in the end, she caught up to me right as I walked inside. “You are acting more obnoxious than usual,” Ebony pointed out, and she had a point, but I was going to keep blaming it all on the mate thing.
“So, what’s the plan here?” Changing the subject was the best course of action.
“We find Loki. Knowing him, he’ll be sitting somewhere he can keep an eye on everything.” Ebony scanned the inside, while I took in the red velvety carpet that looked like they were expecting royalty. Slot machines formed rows everywhere, leaving only walkways through each section like a labyrinth of flashing bright lights. It was so sparkly I wanted to jump out of my skin. The ca-ching sounds and music filled my ears, the lights illuminating the dimly lit space.
“There.” I followed Ebony’s finger to a chair raised on a tall dais where a throne sat, and on the elaborately adorned chair was Loki himself.
“Too easy again,” I mumbled to myself because Ebony’s overthinking was getting to me, too.
As if he could feel us there, Loki’s eyes locked on us where we stood in the entryway. I blinked once, and he was gone.
Hmmm. Did I imagine it all?
“Ebony, did you see Loki—”
A tap on my shoulder had me screaming as if I was being kidnapped, and Ebony slapped a hand over my mouth when many eyes turned our way from the casino patrons. “Shush, Cherry. It’s Loki.”
Playing it cool the minute Ebony removed her hand, I turned to Loki, planting a hand on my hip. “Oh, dear Cupid, I knew it. I was just testing her. I’m ashamed that more humans didn’t come to my aid, though. What a disappointment.”
“I have been expecting you.” Loki winked. “I knew you, my little dark warrior”—He gave Ebony a knowing look—“would be back. You need answers, am I correct?”
One nod later, Ebony’s glare had returned. “What are you up to, Loki? And don’t give me the bullshit about pranking your brother.”
“Come with me, ladies. It’s too crowded here for this conversation.” His smooth voice seemed to hypnotize me, and my feet were moving without my knowledge when it wrapped around me.
