Page 11 of Last One Standing
“Good morning.”
“I have to go get some makeup, you wanna come?”
He nodded and brought his bowl to the sink. “I don’t want to stay here.”
“I’ll grab the keys for the truck and meet you outside.”
Brick let me drive, but only the truck, and I’d have to ask him for the keys. I hoped he wasn’t going to give me a hard time, but if he did I’d fucking walk.
Pika went toward the bedroom, likely to get shoes on, and I moved to where Brick was sitting on a couch surrounded by his crew and some scantily-clad hang-arounds.
“Can I have the keys to the truck, please?” I batted my eyes and pretended to be flirtatious.
“Where you goin’?” He cocked his head and glared at me.
“I need to get more makeup, and since I have a show tonight, I have to be sure I have the right stuff.”
“You can’t go alone.” He smirked.
“I’m going with Pika.”
He snorted, and a few of his crew laughed. “He’s a kid; he can’t help you if there’s a problem.”
I scrunched my face and blew a raspberry. “What problem? This town is peaceful. The only time something goes tits up, the Dead Kings are involved.”
In hindsight, that hadn’t been a smart thing to say. Brick rose from his seat and crowded me. “What did you say?”
“I’m just saying no one has it out for me. I go places all the time, and no one has attacked me.”
He gripped my bad shoulder, and I hissed. “You’re flappin’ your mouth a lot more lately. Maybe I need to shove something in it, so we don’t hear the shit you’re spewin’.”
“It’s makeup, Brick.” I took a breath and smiled. “I’ll be home right after.”
“Ah, just let him go, Brick. We gotta drive to the next town over for a pickup anyway.” Tank spoke up with a bored expression.
Brick released me, and my shoulder throbbed. “Get your shit and come right back.”
“I have to rehearse before the show and get in costume. I’ll return to get some things, but I can’t stay here all night.”
He growled in frustration, knowing I was right. “Fine, fuck.” He poked me in the chest. “You’re in my bed tonight.”
I swallowed down the bile that rose in my throat. “Of course, Brick.”
When I got to the truck, Pika could tell something was wrong but said nothing. I just wanted to get my makeup and pretend that for one day, this wasn’t my life.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ANGEL
It had beena week since the show at Stilettos and Sangria, and I couldn’t get Anita…Kona out of my head. Two had been the only one who’d occupied my thoughts as much. While he was never far from my mind, as of late it was Kona most of the time.
He—or they…I wasn’t sure but hoped I’d get the chance to ask—was definitely with Brick of the Dead Kings. They were very bad news, and I was having a hard time believing Kona was like that. Honestly, I didn’t know enough about him to be positive. I could hope.
“Why are you in the tech room?” I peeked over the monitor to where Noel was staring at me with wide eyes.
“What do you think? Isn’t this where people come to research shit?”
“Nick!” Noel shouted. “Angel is using technology unsupervised, code red!”
