Fraud

“Fuck off,” Jase snaps. “But yeah, I’ll go.”

“Then we’re done here,” Ta

He glares at Ivy. “Anything you want to tell me before I walk outside?”

She bats her lashes, that damn halo in place again. “What would I have to say?”

Smirking down at her, Ta

A few of the guys chuckle, and I shoot them a look to shut them up.

“I don’t know, Ta

“No.”

“Then you should be fine.”

I lift a hand to hide my grin.

“Good to hear,” he grumbles. Reaching over to offer Luca a hand and help her up from her seat, Ta

Allowing him to pull her to her feet, Luca glances around. “Crap. I left my purse in the kitchen. You go ahead, and I’ll meet you at the car.”

“Fine.” His eyes shoot down to me. “I can’t wait to get home anyway because we have some things to discuss.”

It takes effort to keep from laughing.

“I’ll see everybody later,” Ta

Shoving up to my feet, I glare at everyone when they start to crack up.

Ivy looks at me with suspicion. “What’s going on?”

“Remember how you were pissed off about Lacey?”

“Yeah,” she answers, her eyes glimmering.

“So was I.”

The front door opens at that second, the sound of ice water splashing down from the bucket I set up earlier followed by What the fuck? Who the fuck? Somebody is going to die!

The guys bust out laughing, and Luca taps my shoulder. “You better run, Gabe.”

I take off at a dead run toward the back staircase, Ta

He’s fast on my heels all the way up the stairs, his fingers fisting in the back of my shirt. One hard tug brings me to my knees, my body sliding down three stairs before I manage to wriggle out of the shirt to escape.

I make it upstairs before he can grab my legs, and I lock myself in a bathroom just as he crashes against the door. My body slides down the door as I laugh my ass off at the expression I saw on his face.

The door shakes as he bangs a fist against it. “You will die for this, Gabe! I’ll get even.”

It only makes me laugh harder.

“Son of a bitch. What the fuck is wrong with people?” he mutters as his footsteps storm off, the heavy thud audible all the way down the stairs.

Wiping tears from my eyes, I try to think of the last time I laughed so hard.

It’s sad to think that it’s been well over thirteen years.