Page 61 of Marks of Rebellion
"That you might not be able to handle it."
I grunt.
Vanessa and Miguel talk more, and she goes to his side of the counter and turns the stove on.
"What are you doing, Flower?"
"What does it look like? I'm cooking." She puts a bit of oil in the pan, and once it's melted, takes a cutting board full of vegetables and dumps them in.
Miguel takes a slab of meat and holds it in the air while looking at me and speaking.
"And I still don't know what you're saying. But Salud." I hold up my glass and take another sip while trying not to grimace.
Vanessa reprimands me. "Hunter."
"What?"
She shakes her head. "He wants to know if you like peccary."
"What's that?"
"Some people call it a skunk pig."
"Skunk pig?"
"Yeah."
Ryker and Julieta enter the room.
"Well, I've eaten stranger things with Dirk, so bring it on, big guy!" I take another swig, and the alcohol burns my throat a little bit less than the time before.
"Don't call him that," Julieta says.
And add another strike to my name.
I spin. "You have looked at him, right?"
Ryker scoffs. "Knock it off, Hunter."
"Hey, it's all respect. He makes my six-foot-four frame look tiny." I rise and stand next to Miguel. I point to his torso and wave my finger in a V motion. "Do you see that? That's legit."
Vanessa gazes at me in disproval. "Now you're acting like he isn't even in the same room as us."
Miguel takes a step back and says something to Julieta. Vanessa spits her drink out, laughing.
"What did he say?"
"He wants to know if you're gay and hitting on him." Julieta crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows.
"Tell him that he is and has the hots for him," Ryker says.
"Not funny."
Julieta quickly says something, and Miguel leaves the room and comes back with a T-shirt on.
"Seriously? You told him I was checking him out?"
"No. I said I didn't think you were since you've been all over Vanessa the entire time, but I've never asked if you batted on both sides."
