Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,48
arrowing directly at her brother where he sits with five other kids from his high school. All six of them are still in uniform, each one with bloodshot eyes and bad attitudes.
I laugh, only because it reminds me of the parties we used to throw at his age.
“What the fuck, Dylan? Can’t you all go somewhere else for this bullshit?”
Practically having to yell to be heard over the heavy thump of rap music, Emily stalks forward to turn off the stereo, knocking one of their beers over in the process.
“Foul!” one of the guys calls out, their combined laughter only pissing Emily off more.
Her brother was an unexpected child, one of the late in life mistakes that happen. Emily was ten when he was born, which isn’t too much of a stretch, but her parents had never intended to have more than one child.
Dylan lounges back on the couch, his head on an armrest and his eyes closed.
“If you don’t fucking like it, move out. You’re the adult, aren’t you? Go get married or whatever it is you’re supposed to do with your life.”
With a roll of her eyes, Emily throws up her hands. “Fuck off. Mom and dad will kill you for this.”
He laughs at that. “You act like they ever come back here or give a damn what I’m doing. I’m not the expensive piece of ass they’re selling off. Get the fuck out of here with your good girl shit. Go spread your legs for the Cross twins so you’re not so bitchy all the time.”
Emily’s eyes round with anger, but rather than answering him, she walks away. It’s probably best she lets it go. Dylan has never had a fuck to give.
“I should have the twins drag his ass off to an alley somewhere and teach him why he shouldn’t piss me off,” she grumbles as she brushes past me. “Might teach the asshole some respect.”
Following her, I keep my mouth shut until we walk into her room.
“We did worse, Em. His little gathering is a nothing more than a proper tea party compared to the trouble we caused.”
Laughing at that, she nods her head.
“True. Okay, well, I’m grabbing a shower. I hope you don’t mind, but Ezra is supposed to be coming by in a half hour. I didn’t expect to have to rescue you today, or I would have canceled. I mean, I still can, if you want.“
“Don’t worry about it. I can keep myself entertained while you play with him.”
She smiles at that. “You’re the best. I’d tell you I’ll hurry it along just so you’re not bored, but that won’t be an option. I like to take my time with those boys.”
I walk into her closet to grab some clean clothes.
“Take all the time you need.”
Dylan wasn’t wrong to tease that Emily needed something to help her mood. She hasn’t been herself since the engagement party. I would assume it’s the issue with Mason that has her so down, but I’m starting to think it has more to do with the twins than anything.
That’s on her to figure out, though. I have problems of my own. First and foremost, the need to get out of these wet clothes and into something warm.
Outside, another storm is rolling in, the distant thunder barely loud enough to grab my attention.
I strip off my wet dress and drop it into a pile of dirty clothes Emily has in the corner of the closet and grab a pair of thin sweatpants and a long sleeve cotton shirt to put on.
Thankfully, my panties are mostly dry, so I keep them on, but my dress had a built-in bra shelf, which means I have nothing to wear up top. I’d borrow something of Emily’s, but there’s no way I’m stuffing a set of Cs into her modest B cups.
Damn it.
I need my bags, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to Gabriel to get them.
Nobody can make me go anywhere near that man. Not for the rest of my miserable life. I flat out fucking refuse.
And with that thought in mind, I walk out of the closet, turn toward a noise, and scream to see Gabriel standing in the doorway, an arrogant smirk curling his lips as his eyes run a slow path down my body.
“You look nice,” he teases, pure humor in his voice. “Although I think I liked the dress from earlier better.”
His emerald green eyes meet mine. “It was easier access.”