glanced at the kitchen where Vaughn had disappeared and wondered how long it took someone to grab a few beers. Once upstairs, I crossed the landing to one of the bedrooms and knocked. I was left standing there a little longer than necessary before the door finally opened. I found myself staring into eyes so blue they were almost electrifying—a far cry from the usual cool gray of Wren’s irises.
“I need to speak to Lou.”
He stood back, allowing me inside before disappearing into their en suite to offer us privacy. Lou was sitting crossed-legged on the bed, her hair mussed, and lips swollen. I’d definitely interrupted something.
“What’s up?” she asked a little too casually after what had just occurred downstairs.
I crossed my arms over my chest as I stared her down. “I want to know what your problem is with my sister.”
“Oh, that,” she said as if it was of little consequence. “I don’t like her.”
“Why? What did she do to you?”
“Nothing. It’s what she’s doing to you or what she’s trying to do. I don’t know,” she said, sounding like a paranoid lunatic while throwing up her hands in frustration. “I can’t explain it, Ty-baby. All I can say is, I have a gut, and I trust it.”
I found myself lowering onto the edge of the bed and trying not to think about what Wren and Lou might have done on it. “What do you think she’s trying to do?”
Lou stared at me for a long time before lying straight through her teeth. See, I have a gut, too. It’s just that, unlike Lou, I doubted mine from time to time. “I wish I knew.”
I inhaled deeply before releasing it slowly. “Lou, do you care about me?”
She grumbled before responding because she hated being mushy. “Sure.”
“This is my sister,” I stressed. “I don’t want to her lose her when I’ve only just found her. Promise me you’ll try to be civil. For me?”
I added a pout at the black look she gave me.
“I guess I can try,” she agreed after some time. I didn’t doubt that she was unhappy about it. A second later, we heard a snort come from behind the closed door of the bathroom. Obviously, Wren wasn’t as gullible as me. He was also eavesdropping.
“Thank you.”
Lou leaned over to wrap her arms around my neck, so I hugged her back. When I tried to pull away, however, she tightened her hold, keeping me in place. “I really do care about you,” she whispered far too low for Wren to overhear. “And I wasn’t bluffing about Wren’s gun. If she screws you, I’ll help you hide the body.” Kissing my cheek, she let me go and winked.
The laugh that escaped me as I stood and made for the door sounded nervous to my own ears. I couldn’t tell if she were serious or not. Squaring my shoulders, I decided it didn’t matter. Despite my determination to make a relationship with my sister work, I couldn’t help but feel better about my decision, knowing I had friends like Lou to catch me if I fell.
And what a hard fall it would be.
Our weekend at the cabin came to an end, and our return to Blackwood Keep also meant my return to work. It’s barely been a week, and I already wished that Terry had suspended me for the entire summer. Especially when I had a sexy quarterback to keep me busy. It seemed Vaughn was determined to do that anyway.
A moan slipped through my lips as I gripped the brick wall in front of me, not caring that it was ruining my fresh manicure.
“Break’s almost over,” Vaughn teased as he gripped my hips. “I’d come on my cock if I were you, pip.”
A whimper escaped me as my eyes flew to the big metal door a few feet away. I wondered how long I’d be suspended if Terry were to step outside this very moment. Although, when he found me with my pants around my ankles and the town prince balls deep inside of me, I was sure he’d flat out fire me this time.
It was my own fault for responding to Vaughn’s text to meet him outside. He’d been waiting for me behind the coffee shop where I stupidly allowed him to bend me over for my first quickie. The damn dumpster was only ten feet away, but none of that mattered when he kissed me. Stupid girl.
The sound of our skin slapping filled the small alley