The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play #1) - B.B. Reid Page 0,125

her juices from my fingers. Hands down, she had the sweetest nectar I’d ever tasted. Her panting was the only sound as I drove us the remaining distance to the house.

I started to speak when a voice in the back seat beat me to it. “Thanks for the free porn. You assholes forgot I was back here, didn’t you?”

Four instantly turned red while scowling at me as if I had betrayed her. I’d forgotten Jamie had ridden with me that morning, still hungover from late-night partying. He must have stowed away in the back seat and crashed while I waited around for Four.

“Aargh!” Four shoved her skirt back in place, slammed the door after hopping out, and stomped inside the house.

With a groan, I rested my head against the seat and willed my erection away.

“You’re damn lucky, cousin, when you don’t deserve her.”

“I know.”

He clapped my shoulder before stumbling out of the car and disappearing inside the house. The burner phone I used for Exiled business began to ring as I parked the car inside the garage. I debated answering until curiosity won me over. It was better I knew if I had a price on my head.

“This is Danny Boy.”

As usual, Shane didn’t bother with pleasantries. “We need you for a job tonight.”

I tamped down my surprise that he wasn’t grilling me about my absence and said, “I’ll pass. Find someone else.”

“It’s not an option, but you knew that already. Normally, we wouldn’t use a fucking tenderfoot on the honcho’s personal errands, but Harlan’s got his hands tied dealing with something more important. You’re the next best thing, kid.”

I stared into the distance, itching to ask about the job occupying Harlan’s focus, but I didn’t want to seem too interested. Now that my cover was blown, it was possible this was a trap. Maybe Harlan had never even left Blackwood Keep…

I was ready to decline and spend the night buried inside princess when he added, “The boss man will be personally overseeing this job. Be at the junkyard by midnight, and don’t fuck up.”

Fuck.

Making Four submit would have to wait.

I was finally getting an audience with Nathaniel Fox, and I knew if I passed up this opportunity, there wouldn’t be another.

I HAD MY HEAD IN my textbook, but my mind was a million miles away. I think I was more disturbed by how easily I’d given in than having Jamie witness it all. Ever touched me, and nearly two weeks of resolve just melted away. He’d actually fingered me with one hand while driving home to take my virginity with the other. The promise of him inside of me obliterated common sense, and even now, I had to press my thighs together to lessen the ache. A groan, the first sound I’d made in hours, slipped out. I actually expected him to pursue me, and when he didn’t, it only made me feel worse. I needed to get my head in the game for the race tonight, and mourning my loss of dignity was getting in the way of that.

Mickey had texted me this afternoon with the location. I just needed to figure out how to get in and out with no one—especially Ever—the wiser.

I also needed a ride.

I was debating how successful I’d be getting Ever to lift the keys to my bike without answering any questions when the knock on my door came. Knowing it was him on the other side, I hurried to answer. It was time to test my skills in deception.

I opened the door, and rather than striking features, I was greeted by nothing. Stepping into the hall for a thorough look, I found it empty, but when I turned back, I discovered a small white bag hanging from my doorknob by the drawstrings. I retrieved the bag and locked myself in my room before inspecting the bag. With only the gray Apple logo as a clue, I opened the bag and found a white box bearing the same logo and a picture of a phone along with paperwork inside. I dumped the contents on my bed, and when a familiar slip of notepaper fell out, I rolled my eyes to keep from smiling.

Once upon a puppet, she accepted this trinket as the smallest token of the peer’s affection.

I picked up the paperwork and found my name listed among Thomas, Ever and Jamie’s, along with what was allegedly my new phone number circled in red. A curse exploded from my lips when I noticed