Page 30 of The Echo of Violence

It takes a second for his words to kick in.

“Jesus fuck. What the hell happened last night?”

CHAPTER NINE

Jinx

“You want to grab something to eat?”

I lift my head from the book I’m reading to see Nico staring down at me.

“That depends on two things.”

“Yes, we can have Mexican, and yes, I’m buying.”

“Then yes, I want to grab something to eat.”

“She’s such a slut for salsa,” Rex teases as I take the brake off my chair and wheel myself inside.

I don’t put up a fuss because he’s right. Mexican food is my weakness, and the salsa at The Guactruck is as close to an orgasm as I can get without using my fingers.

I head to the bedroom and put on my legs before sliding on a pair of faded, baggy jeans. I tug off the black T-shirt I’ve been wearing and pull on a hot pink bra and a basic black tank top.

Walking into the bathroom, I grab some sea salt spray and spritz my hair, scrunching it with my fingers to give it a beachy, I-don’t-give-a-fuck vibe before applying some lip gloss. I’m too tired and too hot to add anything else.

I yawn as I head back into the bedroom, grabbing my gun and putting it in my bag along with my cell phone before pulling it over my head so it sits across my body. The guys are waiting for me when I return to the living room.

“Sneakers or boots?” Rex calls out as he heads back to my room. Looking down, I see that I’m not wearing any shoes.

“Oops. At least I didn’t forget my feet.” I chuckle, making Nico roll his eyes. “Sneakers,” I call out as I sit down on the sofa.

I prop my legs up on the coffee table, and when Rex comes back, he slips my sneakers on for me before lacing them up.

“You guys are too good to me.”

Rex shrugs. “We like taking care of you.”

“That, and if we had to wait for you to get ready, we’d miss our reservations,” Nico jokes.

I toss the cushion next to me at him. “Asshole. You don’t need reservations at The Guactruck, so bite me.”

“No thanks. You’re the wrong flavor.”

I stroke Toto’s head as he moves to rest it on my thigh before Rex tugs me up and ushers me toward the door.

“Come on. We can take my truck.” Nico runs his hand down Toto’s back before the dog heads back to his bed.

“You say that like we don’t take your truck every damn time we’re together,” I grumble.

“Stop, your bitching. You know I get carsick in the passenger seat.”

“Liar. You just don’t like being driven around by a card-carrying vagina holder.”

“It’s not that, and you know it. It’s the fact that you drive like a NASCAR driver.”

I roll my eyes as I open the door to his truck and haul myself up with Rex’s help. I scoot over to the middle as Rex climbs in beside me and slams the door.

“Exaggeration much? Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a little speed,” I say when Nico climbs in and buckles up.

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