Page 6 of PortCity Killers

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If I thought that Bryce was going to send me off with a kiss on the forehead, I was very much mistaken. He walked me to the mouth of the alley and watched me from the shadows as I got into my car.

I pulled around to the side where the employees parking lot sat waiting for Bryce to pull his jeep up beside us. Jaymes looked up at the black vehicle as it pulled around next to the driver's side.

“Who is that?” Jaymes's eyes were as big as saucers as he watched Bryce’s herculean form emerge from the jeep on my side.

I didn’t get to answer him because my door opened. Bryce leaned in close, one arm slung across the door frame, his eyes going to Jaymes, “Grab the bags, kid.”

Jaymes looked caught between starting a fight and auditioning as a guppy with his mouth open the way it was, but Bryce paid him no mind as he unbuckled my seatbelt. His hand came down, waiting, palm up for me.

I brushed it away by grabbing the duffle from the back, pushing past him when I had it tightly in my grasp. I didn’t want Jaymes asking any more questions than was necessary, and I could feel them bubbling up in his throat as he scrambled behind me.

I started to head for the back seat, but Bryce’s hand laid on my shoulder, “You’re up front with me.”

His tone allowed no room for argument as he steered me around the car, settling me in the front seat. My cheeks flamed as he buckled me in the way he always did when I got in the car with him.

Our first kiss had been like this: him clipping me in, trapping me between the seat and his body, and he liked to remind me of it every time by giving me a small peck.

He didn’t this time; instead, he stood too close with his hand at my hip, the distinct click of the belt echoing off the metal frame of the car.

He watched me, waiting for me to tell him no, knowing that I didn’t want Jaymes to know too much, but he’d never not kissed me after putting me in the car.

I knew how important it was to him, even if he wouldn’t say it himself. It all seemed moot at this point, especially with the way I could feel Jaymes boring a hole in the back of my head, so I said fuck it and leaned to press a soft peck on Bryce’s cheek.

His lip turned up to the side in a lazy smirk, satisfied as he closed the car door without a word.

“Well, don’t you two seem cozy,” Jaymes hedged.

“Shut it, Jaymes.”

“I’m not the one smacking on you,” he raised his hands up as if in defense, but I didn’t have a comeback ready before the driver’s side door opened.

I glanced at Bryce from the side of my eye but turned to stare out the window as he eased us out of the parking lot and away from the ports. The drive wasn’t a long one.

He lived fairly close to the docks; it was a path we had taken many a time, drunk, horny, and stumbling through the few blocks of run down buildings.

Sometimes we wouldn’t even make it to the apartment before we were tearing at each other’s clothes, discarding pieces of our decency like we were leaving a trail to follow the next morning.

Jaymes had thankfully stayed silent, but I could feel the snark trying to rise every time his eyes caught mine in the rear view mirror. I didn’t wait for Bryce to get to my door, something I knew would irritate him to all hell.

Instead, I dove out of the car, grabbing the duffle out of the back. Jaymes did the same, following me as I led our way up the stairs of the building to Bryce’s apartment.

The tension was a physical thing between us all, palpable and bitter on the back of my tongue. We hadn’t closed the door for two minutes before Jaymes was at his best.

“So, is this your little fuck nest?” He whistled, taking in the living room.

My gasp was smothered by Bryce’s growl, “Have some respect.”

“Doesn’t look like much, I would have thought Alex would have tried to bag someone with a little more money. I mean I would have.”

“Jaymes!” I dropped the bag I was carrying by the kitchen island, “What the fuck?”

“You don’t get to fucking talk, kid. You’re the one who got her into this mess in the first place.”

“Hey-” I moved to stand between them as Jaymes bucked up, his chest puffing out like a goddamn national geographic special.

Bryce bared his teeth to me, “It’s true. If this little shit wasn’t constantly disrespecting you, you wouldn’t have half the problems you do.”

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