Treachery

They say it’s wise to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, yet Luca is the enemy who’s managed to retreat into shadow. But the distance she’s kept hasn’t ended the war…it’s only managed to delay the next battle for a bit.

My eyes bounce between them, my voice coming out on a practical growl.

“Then you owe Gabriel the money because that’s not why I invited her here. I had to get her alone in the woman’s bathroom during a quick recess just to talk to her. It didn’t give me a lot of time to discuss what I wanted.”

Head falling against the couch, Sawyer rests his hands on his chest and closes his eyes.

“If that’s what you have to tell yourself to sleep better at night.”

Liquid gold pours into Gabriel’s glass as he helps himself to my best whiskey.

“Leave Ta

“My father is like herpes that way,” I correct him, “or have you forgotten how this entire fucked up situation started?”

Gabriel swallows the drink in three large tugs, his glass clinking against the bar where he sets it down.

“Maybe tonight will be the night you finally move past her and we can end this war. I’m sick of hearing you and Jase cry like little bitches about it.”

Ignoring him, I shrug off my jacket and hang it from the back of a chair. “I mean it. I need both of you gone in the next hour.”

A door opens down the hall, high pitched, flirtatious laughter sliding through the air in harmony with Jase’s low voice.

I turn to watch him slap the woman’s ass and show her out of the house.  Cocking a brow when he returns inside, I stare at his guilt-ridden face.

“How much is that one going to cost you?”

Jase drops his weight in an armchair before answering.

“Too much, I’m sure. She wasn’t worth it.”

His brown eyes hold mine, disheveled hair tumbling over his forehead where it had been combed through by the woman’s fingers.

“Where’s Everly?”

He’s cut right to the chase, to one of the payments I will need from Luca in order to throw her husband’s case.

Everly had been hot and heavy with Jase at one time. It was no small feat for her to manage to hold his interest for so long, but the way she’d left things has been a sore spot he refuses to move past.

Jase is out to get even, and as such, he’s been looking for Everly ever since she ran away.

I’d feel sorry for the girl when he finally finds her if Everly hadn’t also been a large part of the reason Luca kept her distance from me.

The two girls were inseparable friends until Everly disappeared, Luca ru

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” His normally casual voice turns serious.

“Is she going to let you help that asshole she married deny her the millions she’s owed just to protect her old friend? Tell me she’s not that stupid.”

Shaking my head, I cross the room to pour a drink. I need it to deal with Jase’s bullshit.

Although he claims he only wants to find Everly to make her pay for ditching out on him and causing a significant problem after doing so, the rest of us know he was dedicated to that girl from the first second she let him shove his cock in her golden pussy.

The way I see it, Everly must have been bestowed with the magic of the gods to entice a man like Jase to settle down. I often wonder if she hadn’t taken off, would he have given up his manwhore ways years ago to stick with one girl?

Not that the rest of us have done so either. Of the nine men who make up my group, only one of us has found somebody worthy enough to make him consider giving up the vices in his life.

The tumbler damn near overflows for as much whiskey as I dump in it. Taking a large swallow, I pull it from my lips to answer.

“I didn’t have time to ask her. I had to corner her in a bathroom for two minutes just to give her the offer to discuss terms. That bitch she hired to represent her wouldn’t take her eyes off Luca for a second. Not that I can blame her. If Clayton ever gets near Luca again, I’ll personally end his life for it.”

“Personally?” Sawyer’s lazily voiced question cuts through the room. “Or do you mean you’ll send Ezra over to handle it?”

Although Ezra isn’t the resident hothead of the group, he has a cold temper that leads to several missing persons reports. But despite his talents, I won’t give him the pleasure of taking out Clayton Hughes. Not after what I learned over the past five days while I pretended to enjoy our attorney-client relationship.

“Personally.”

My gaze cuts to the window, the sky beyond it ribboned in color by the setting sun.

“I’m serious, though. I need you out as soon as possible. I want to be ready by the time Luca arrives.”

“Just do what I do and answer the door naked.”

My head shoots left to glare at Jase.

“It’s not like that.”

“Sure, it isn’t,” Sawyer laughs. “Don’t forget to pay up, Gabe.”

Jase’s laughter booms through the room to answer Sawyer’s.

“You actually took that bet? You might as well have lit the cash on fire for as easily as you lost it.”

My patience is ru

Snapped to attention by the volume of my voice, the three of them gather their things and move toward the front door. Before they can see themselves out, I volley one last reminder.

“And be sure to let everyone else know the party’s not here tonight. I don’t want any interruptions.”

The front door slam shut as the house is doused in silence, the headache that had been pounding my skull since court this afternoon finally easing to a bearable, low pulse.

After opening a few windows to air out the smell of pot smoke and three different types of men’s cologne, I make my way to a shower to prepare for Luca’s arrival.

The only thought ru

Not that I don’t plan to see Luca sprawled across my sheets again, but only after she begs. And only because I’m forgiving enough to allow her that second chance.