Page 226 of Anger

Granger flinches back to see our masks illuminated by the torches we’ve lit around this portion of the path.

“Run,” Tanner reminds him, and that’s all it takes for Granger to run into the woods, his balance a touch off as he stumbles into the overgrowth.

Once he’s out of sight, I pull the hood from Blue’s head and remove the blindfold. She rubs at her eyes before taking us all in.

“Holy shit, you all look like demons. Why are you all doing this?”

I nudge her shoulder with mine.

“Remember when you asked me what happens if we make a deal with someone and they don’t do the favor we ask in return?”

She nods.

“This is what happens. But in Granger’s case, there was no deal. He’s just a dickhead that deserves it.”

She stares at me in astonishment.

“Well, then, I’m glad I helped you all with Brinley. I’m not sure I would have survived this shit.”

“Granger will live,” I explain. “He’ll just wake up with some twisted memories after pissing his pants.”

The rest of the guys laugh.

Tanner, Gabe and Ezra pull off their shirts then wait for Sawyer to blow the horn. The three of them run off to start the gauntlet. You can hear their voices and Granger’s in the distance as they toy with him while running him in circles.

“How often do you guys do this?”

“Only when someone doesn’t do us the favor we ask.”

“And you never get caught?”

“Not when we have enough information on the person so that if they tell, we’ll be dragging their ass down with us.”

Blue stares at me like she’s never seen me before. “Do you all have any more secrets you haven’t mentioned?”

I think of my father’s death but shake it off. That’s one secret that will go to the grave with me so that nobody else is implicated.

“No.”

Blue gets quiet and stares out into the woods.

“You did this for me, didn’t you? Because he hit me?”

I nod as the horn is blown again, then Jase, Shane, and Taylor take off into the woods.

“Nobody lays a hand on my woman and gets away with it.”

She smiles. “You could have just beat the shit out of him.”

Stepping up to her, I lift my mask and whisper against her ear. “And risk going to jail? Hell no. I can’t be locked away from you. And you’d probably kick my ass when they finally let me out.”

Blue’s shoulders shake with soft laughter, and she turns so that the corners of our mouths touch.

I can’t help but ask my new favorite question.

“Can I kiss you, Blue?”

She doesn’t bother to respond. Instead, she turns more and opens her lips, pressing her mouth to mine so that my tongue can sweep in to tangle with hers, our bodies getting closer as we deepen the kiss.

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