The Punk and the Plaything (When Rivals Play #3) - B.B. Reid Page 0,128

Who knew?

“We should celebrate,” Bee announced. She then turned in her seat next to me, briefly stealing my attention from the road. “I know it might not seem like much,” she told Four, “but I think you kicked ass out there and took thirteen riders’ names today. I hope I can call you my friend because nothing would give me more pride.”

I looked in the rearview mirror in time to see Four, after only a moment of hesitation, smile and nod.

Bee then turned her attention to Ever. “I know you’re determined to blame yourself for Olivia, but you didn’t break her. Maybe her family will never know what did, but until they stop wallowing in hatred, they’ll never get the closure they need.”

Ever’s only response was to lean his head back as he closed his eyes tight. Bee was right, even if my cousin wasn’t ready to admit it. Ever shouldn’t have slept with his friend’s sister—a girl he never bothered to look at twice—but that didn’t make him a murderer. The Portlands were too busy pointing in one direction to see the many reasons Olivia couldn’t bear this world anymore, and until they opened their eyes, they’d never see.

“And you,” Bee said, addressing Vaughn. “You need to find a way to get us some more beers since you drank them all.”

Vaughn responded with a lazy grin. Yesterday and this morning, he’d chosen to drown his sorrows in an entire case of beer.

When Bee’s gaze fell on me, I flashed her my most flirtatious smile. “I love it when you take charge, kitten. If we were alone, I’d pull over right now.”

“Don’t let me stop you,” Vaughn drunkenly slurred. “I already know Four and Ever got to see you do it.”

Unintentionally, my foot slammed on the brakes. How the hell did he know?

“Who told you?” Bee screeched.

“Tyra.”

Everyone’s gaze fell on Four.

“Well, I didn’t tell her!” Four screamed. “I didn’t even know she knew.”

“Lou told Tyra, and Tyra told me,” Vaughn explained. It was amazing we had as many secrets as we did since none of us seemed able to keep them for long—most especially me.

The back of my neck grew hot when I felt Bee’s gaze. I made sure to keep mine firmly fixed on the road as I picked up speed again.

“Don’t even try it,” Bee snapped. “I already know you told Lou.”

“What’s the big fucking deal?” Vaughn said while chortling. “We’re teenagers. Banging while other people are in the room is like a rite of passage. I’ve done it at least four times.”

“Please tell me Tyra wasn’t one of those times,” Four fussed. One glance in the rearview showed her glaring at the six-foot-plus, broad-shouldered quarterback as if she could actually take him. Hell, she probably could.

“It wasn’t Tyra,” I answered for Vaughn. “She’s definitely still a virgin.”

“And how do you know that?” Bee questioned.

My jeans tightened a little at her jealous scowl. “Because she acts like she needs dick in her life.”

We all looked to Vaughn for confirmation and realized he’d passed out. Heavy snores could already be heard coming from him. Five minutes later, we were pulling into the hotel’s garage.

“Should we wake him up?” Bee questioned as we climbed out of my Jeep.

“Hell, no,” Ever groused. “I’m not carrying his drunk ass upstairs. We’re all the way up in the penthouse. Let him sleep it off here.”

“We can’t just leave him in the car,” Four argued.

“Yes, we can,” I said, siding with my cousin. “I’ll crack the windows.”

Bee and Four stood back with their arms crossed as I did just that. It was easy for them to expect us to help him since they weren’t the ones who’d have to carry his heavy ass. Vaughn had trained every muscle in his body, putting both Ever’s and mine to shame.

“He drank an awful lot,” Four remarked. “Was he close to Olivia?”

“He barely fucking knew her,” I answered before sighing. “This is something else.” My guess was his prick of a father was the culprit. Franklin Rees was a bad fucking man, who would stop at nothing to corrupt his only son.

“Have you talked to him lately?” Four asked Ever.

Ever rubbed the back of his neck. “Whenever I try, he just shrugs me off and says that nothing is wrong. He’s so closed off now that I feel like I barely know him anymore.”

When you had a father willing to exploit any weakness, no matter how cruel or contemptible, it was no wonder Vaughn remained a blank