Page 41 of F*ck Steal Kill

“Last night, but that’s not the point,” Lacey said, knowing I’d focus on being left out of something.

“Then what is?” I asked, crossing my arms like a petulant child. Clearly, I still had some brat energy in me.

Lacey smirked, lifting one brow. “The point is, you have feelings for these guys,” she said, the word sounding weird from her mouth. She stopped, licking her lips like even saying it about someone else tasted funny. “So we might as well kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

“We’re not saying you have to be with them, but even before we knew you liked them, it seemed like the logical solution to helping Ava. So, maybe test them out and get to know them and see if they’re the good-bad guys or the bad-bad ones.”

“Aren’t we technically the bad ones?” I asked, pointing at the three of us.

“Not from our perspective. More like morally gray,” Lacey said like it was that cut and dry.

And I supposed it was when it came down to it. Most people would have a problem with us taking justice into our own hands, handing out punishments we saw fit, and making people pay for the harm they’d done. So, yeah, we might be the bad guys to some, but I’d rather be us than their lazy good guys any day.

“When are you going to meet them?” Joy asked, not letting it go.

“Oh, about twenty minutes ago,” I said, lifting my coffee to my lips. The mug was wrenched out of my hands before it made it there, a scowling Joy in its place.

“Get dressed!” she ordered, pointing toward my room.

“Yes, ma’am,” I simpered, ducking under her arm and scampering away to the safety of my room. Angry Joy was not one to mess with.

“If you’re not out in five minutes, I’ll drag you out in whatever you’re wearing!”

“Yes, Mommy Joy!”

She cackled again. “Oh, I like that. Mommy Joy.”

“Does that make me the daddy?” Lacey asked.

“Totes, babe. You got all kinds of daddy energy. And let’s face it, Hols is definitely our bratty child.”

They both chuckled, and I screwed up my face as I ignored them and rushed around my room to throw on clothes. Joy wasn’t playing around. She might be tiny, but she was fierce.

With ten seconds to spare, I stumbled out of my room, hopping on one foot as I slipped the other shoe on. Joy handed me my purse and pushed me out the door, smacking me on the ass.

“Go get your men!” she shouted, waving like a loon as I started down the sidewalk.

I felt more centered as I walked into the Secret Keep Inn, the worry I’d lose my best friends gone. If they were by my side, I’d get through anything.

Stepping off the elevator, I jolted to a stop when I came face to face with Grady. His eyes sparkled for a brief second; then he looked as shocked to find me in his hallway as I did to come upon him. His eyes dropped down my body, taking in my jean shorts, rock t-shirt, and Converse. I slipped the sunglasses I’d been wearing on top of my head, my arms crossing over my chest as his gaze hardened.

“Why are you here?” he asked, the earlier light I’d seen evaporating. I guess he wasn’t a fan.

“I was invited.”

He stepped closer, eliminating the space between us, my back hitting the closed elevator doors.

“You need to leave. I don’t know who you are, but I know you’re up to something, and I don’t want you anywhere near my men.”

“Your men? You sure about that?” I taunted, my natural armor falling into place.

His lips pulled into a sneer, the look still making him look handsome, the jerk.

“They’ll use and discard you, just like they’ve done to every other woman. You’re nothing special. You’ll be yesterday’s news, and I’ll still be standing here, watching their backs come tomorrow. So go spread your legs for them then. I hope you’re better at it than you are cleaning.”

His words stung, hitting my insecurities one by one. I didn’t think as I reacted, and my hand flew up, smacking his cheek in a flash. His head turned with the force, the red handprint forming as he stared back at me in shock. My hand tingled, but I stood my ground.

“Stay the hell away from me, or next time, it won’t just be a slap,” I threatened, turning and hurrying down the hallway.

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