Page 88 of Bad Wolf (Wild Men 4)

“As day.” She straightens her shoulders. “I promise.”

“Then it’s a go. And…” I squint up at her. “I think it’s time you introduced me properly to your boys.”

We’re all dolled up, made-up and ready to party hard—or so we seem, at least. Ready to follow Sydney into yet another dead-end quest.

What am I hoping for? No idea. Keeping an eye on her didn’t work last time. Asking her not to abandon me didn’t bring results. This time she told me what’s going on, granted, but what does it change?

What does knowing ever change? If Jarett told me why he joined the gang, would it make a difference when his decision is to stay there?

We enter the bar. At least this is familiar ground. We’ve been coming here for ages, ever since Syd and I first met. It’s a noisy place but not seedy like the other bars and clubs Sydney took me the last few times.

That’s a relief.

Still, this is a bad idea, and I know it. I could have insisted she stop this stupid course of action and think or another way to find him.

If he wants to be found.

And yet here I am, once again, because this friendship thing really matters to me. Sydney matters to me. We do crazy shit for the people we love, right?

Still a terrible idea.

What if I asked Jarett about Kash? Maybe he knows something about him, or he could ask around. He has connections, that’s for sure. And I have his number, like he reminded me.

But this is an even worse idea. Forget about calling him, I command myself. Forget about Jarett, and move on.

Sydney is talking to a guy I don’t know, but then I see a girl I know from class, and we talk about the upcoming test in psychology. We wander deeper into the bar, and find two of Sydney’s boy harem at the bar, drinking whiskey and talking quietly.

They turn when Sydney inserts herself between them, and I hop on a free stool, waiting for Syd to introduce us.

Crazy that I never officially met them until now, right? When we go out, they usually aren’t around. I’ve seen them plenty of times from a distance, when one or the other pick Sydney up after college, or after a night out.

Weston, Nathan, and the mysteriously vanished Kash.

Both Weston and Nathan are the tall, dark and strong type. They’re handsome boys, with broad shoulders and chests, and unruly hair. Pretty hot, if I want to be objective.

But I don’t. I can’t. Not when every man I meet these days gets compared to Jarett in my mind and is found sorely lacking. Yeah, they don’t hold a candle to Rett.

And that’s worrisome.

“Guys, this is my best friend, Augusta. Augusta, this is Nathan and Weston.”

“Just call me Gigi,” I say, shaking hands with the two guys.

“Call me West,” Weston says.

“Nate,” Nathan says, and both their grips are strong and dry and careful.

Syd sure knows how to pick her men. Even if she says they aren’t her boyfriends. She just hasn’t made up her mind yet, which one to choose. Seeing these two from up close I understand her dilemma even better.

Hottie number one, Hottie number two, or Hottie number three? How to choose? Problems, problems.

“Want to dance?” Sydney asks, looking very comfortable between the guys. She’s leaning against Nathan, resting her hand on Weston’s arm.

Yeah, way too comfortable. I wonder what they think about the situation. What they want from her.

“I need to use the bathroom first,” I say. “Come with me?”

“Sure.” She pats Weston’s arm and smiles up at Nathan before sauntering after me and linking her arm with mine. “Let’s go.”

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