Page 58 of Anathema Codex

"Willa was my best friend."

Taking a long drag on his cigarette, Lakyn blows the smoke out the window before running his tongue across his teeth, sucking on them. "And that means…?"

"No, we never fucked," Aftyn snaps and Lakyn lets out a laugh, tapping the heel of his hand on the steering wheel.

"Wait, so you're telling me you drove all the way out here with two chicks in the car, and you didn't get your dick wet even once?" Shaking his head, Lakyn laughs even louder before pointing at Aftyn in the rearview mirror. "I don't think you got much from me other than the looks, kid, and you obviously don't know what to do with that."

"Fuck you!"

"You sure you know how?" Lakyn keeps laughing and I turn to see Aftyn fuming in the backseat.

"I don't fuck guys. Guess that's something else I didn't inherit from you,Pops."

"Apparently you don't fuck much of anything, kid," Lakyn retorts, that wicked grin resting on his lips as his eyes return to the road in front of him for a moment before he looks at me. "Seems like you caught a break, Red. When it comes to members of the Scooby Gang, the kid clearly isn't able to deliver."

"I guess I did," I answer, unable to stop smiling as I listen to Aftyn huffing in the backseat. He's pissed off, but it's his own fault. Willa was never going to fuck him willingly, and he had too many feelings to take what he wanted from her. When I'd first got in the car with them, I'd been willing to take him for a test drive… but now? I think I'll set my sights a little higher.

Not that Lakyn has shown much interest yet, even when I took my shirt off, but maybe he's just waiting for me to prove myself. I ash the cigarette out the window and take another drag, reveling in the whirly feeling of the nicotine speeding its way through my bloodstream.

"How long is this bullshit road trip going to last? Because I'm not sure I can handle much more of this fan club shit without getting sick," Aftyn grumbles, flicking his cigarette out the window before he rolls it back up.

"Don't you know that life's supposed to be a journey?" Lakyn glances up at the rearview mirror. "Enjoy the ride. Take pleasure in the little things. All that bullshit that basically means shut up and don't start asking me 'are we there yet' or I'll cut your tongue out to save myself the trouble ofnotlistening to you."

"You can try,Pops."

Tossing his cigarette, I love that Lakyn doesn't look the least bit concerned. It's his confidence, the absolute knowledge that he's in control of the world around him while Aftyn always seems to be fighting the universe. Wanting girls he can't have, seeking out family that didn't even know he existed, killing Willa's friend just so he didn't have to worry about the competition—it's pathetic. Clicking his tongue against the back of his teeth a few times, Lakyn finally looks up at the mirror again. "If you want to meet your auntie, kid, you might not want to test your luck before we're even out of town."

"Where the fuck is my aunt anyway?"

I watch as Lakyn tilts his head from side to side a few times before shrugging a shoulder. "She's wherever she thinks the devil wants her to be, but I know just the place to get an update on your errant Aunt Trixie."

"Yeah? And where'sthat? Or are you just making shit up as you go along?" Aftyn snaps, kicking at something in the floorboard.

"Try living in the moment, kid. Stop trying to figure everything out, because I'm definitely not going to tell you anything I haven't already decided I want you to know. Just sit back, shut up, and don't tempt me to make a decision about you before you've even tried to impress me."

"I don't give a shit if I impress you."

Lakyn chuckles, pushing a hand back through his hair before he gets comfortable in the seat, one hand draped over the top of the steering wheel. "Sure, kid."

They both fall silent, and I let my cigarette drop out the window before I roll it up and the lack of wind rushing past makes everything seem even quieter. It's hard to take my eyes off Lakyn, and I don't even know why I'm reacting like this. I've never felt anything like it, so I don't even have words for it, but I do know a few things.

One, Aftyn may not want to impress Lakyn, but I definitely do.

Two, he's dangerous and interesting and a killer like me.

And finally, I wasn't lying when I said 'I love Lakyn.' I've never felt the emotion before, but I'm pretty sure this is it, and I'll do whatever it takes to stay on this side of the hatchet he carried over his shoulder like it was made for him.

I'll do whatever he wants.

FIVE

Blah, Blah, Blah

LAKYN

The Scooby girl keeps looking at me with stars in her eyes. The only redhead I can recall meeting before her that held my attention for a short time was Jizz Ball. Of course,thatbitch turned out to be more trouble than she was worth.

She tried her hand at being the new and improved Beatrix St. Germain… and it worked for a while. Until I went and got the blonde who keeps ruining my life—even in her fucking absence—from where she was hiding at junkie central.

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