Page 54 of Montana Falls
John was dead.
I was drunk.
Things were fucking great.
“Okay, but seriously, bunny,” I slurred, turning my head to look at him, my vision blurring just a little. “When you dance, I swear, you look like, like…” I struggled for the word, then burst into a new fit of giggles. “Like a sexy giraffe.”
“Sexy giraffe?” he echoed, raising his eyebrows in that way that made my heart do a stupid little flip. “Thanks, I think?”
“Yeah,” I nodded sagely, even though I could barely keep my head from bobbing. “All tall and… and wobbly but, like, in a hot way.” I bit my lip, grinning up at him. His face was close, close enough to kiss, but we were moving, the car bouncing as he took another turn.
I didn’t want to crash and die just for a kiss. Not yet, anyway.
“How are you driving so good?” I hiccupped. “We’re all fun and drunk and you’re… you’re a hero. A driving hero in his car, never crashing it. I would crash into a pole.”
“Same.” Misha snorted.
Lincoln chuckled at me. “I’m stone-cold sober, princess. Someone’s gotta get you all back to the hotel in one piece. I had like two beers a few hours ago, that’s it.”
“Boring!” Kody groaned dramatically, his arms wrapped loosely around my waist to keep me from sliding off his lap as we turned into the drive-thru Lincoln had promised to find. “You’re missing out, man. You should have done a shot from our girl. She tastes fucking delicious.” He descended into Hungarian that I presumed was compliments.
Partly because he was kissing my neck as he spoke. Mostly because I was awesome enough to compliment.
“That’s ‘cause he’s responsible,” Price chimed in, leaning forward from the backseat with a grin. “Unlike the rest of us. Lincoln is smart and mature and the best.” He poked my arm. “You are drunk, gorgeous. Hot and drunk and hot.”
“Hot two times?” I stuck my tongue out at him, then turned back to Lincoln, leaning as far forward as I could without falling off Kody’s lap. “You know we love you, right? You’re, like, our designated hero. Our… what’s it called? The thing that saves you when you are bad and looks out for you?”
“Guardian angel?” Logan supplied helpfully. He was the best, too.
“Yes! That!” I pointed at Logan, my finger swaying a bit before I found my balance. “Guardian angel! That’s you, bunny. You are my angel and everyone’s angel. You do brave things and hero things, and you murder bad guys for me and be a driver when I am drunk.”
Lincoln glanced at me, his smile softening. “Yeah, yeah. What do you guys want from the drive-thru?”
“Fries!” I shouted, way too loud for the small space, but I couldn’t help it. The idea of salty, crispy fries was suddenly the best thing I’d ever heard. “And nuggets. So many nuggets. Like a million. A bazillion.” I made a gun shape with my finger, pointing it his way. “All the nuggets or you die,El Diablo.”
“Milkshake!” Misha added from the back. “And more fries!”
“I got it,” Lincoln said, turning his attention to the intercom. He started rattling off our order while we all burst into a new wave of giggles. Logan was still holding my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles, and I couldn’t help but smile at him again, my heart so full I thought it might burst.
I was flirting with disaster, drinking all that tequila, but I felt so alive, so free. Why did it matter that my stalker was still out there? Cassie could suck a dick. Someone else’s dick. A monster dick that tasted all gross and icky and bleh.
I turned my head slightly and kissed Kody’s cheek just because he was there, and why not? He grinned, squeezing me a little tighter, and I felt Logan’s hand tighten around mine.
Everyone was all squeezy and touchy and fun.
I liked them. Loved them.
I would kill anyone who hurt them.
“I love you,” I declared, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then I twisted around, almost knocking my head on the seat, to look at Logan. “And I love you.” I let go of his handto reach back for Misha, his fingers already curling around mine. “And I love you too!” I laughed, my whole body filled with this wild, spinning joy. “I loveallof you!”
Price leaned forward again, this time his chin resting on the back of my seat. “I guess that’s a good thing, future wife,” he said, his smile lazy and warm. “Because we kinda love you, too.”
The car filled with our laughter as Lincoln passed back our food, the smell of fries and nuggets making my mouth water. I honestly had no idea how I managed to hold the bags and behave myself as we drove the last two minutes to the hotel. Okay, I stole a couple of fries out of the top bag, but that was just a secret. I left everything else as we finally pulled up into the parking lot underneath the hotel.
The second Lincoln parked, we all hurried to clamber out. The world tilted as I tried to stand, my legs wobbly and unsteady. But because I was a good boss, I fixed myself and stood upright.
Okay, that was also a lie. A big fat drunk lie.
