Devil's Game(97)

Hunter growled through the phone.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” he said,

“Wait! What do you mean?”

“I’m coming to get you. How many guys are in the house?”

“Just one,” I said frantically. “But seriously, this could get ugly. Why don’t I—”

There was a pounding on the door.

I locked eyes with Gordie.

“That’s Hunter, and I don’t think he’s going away,” I told him quietly. “Is this really worth a fight? Just let me head out, okay? You don’t have a right to keep me away from him.”

“Not my call to make,” he said, shaking his head. “Deke’s on his way. You sit tight and he’ll decide how to handle this.”

Hunter pounded the door again. Shit. I texted him.

ME: Deke is coming so I think you should just go home. We don’t want a fight over this. Not now, when everyone is so touchy

HUNTER: No f*cking way. You’re my old lady and you’re coming home with me. They have a problem with it, I’ll call in my brothers to help me



I froze. That didn’t sound good. Not at all.

ME: What about the truce? Wasn’t that our first priority?

HUNTER: I’ve already claimed you in front of my club, you’re my property now. If the Reapers won’t let my old lady come with me, that’s an act of war



I read the words and felt sick. Had he lost his mind? Yes, I decided. He had. Apparently he was so tired and worn out he’d forgotten what really mattered here.

Keeping the peace for all our sakes.

ME: It’s just one night babe. We’ll get it sorted out tomorrow. You have too much to lose here

HUNTER: No f*cking way. I back down now it shows weakness. I’m not the one being unreasonable here Em. I just want to pick up my girl friend



More pounding on the door. Gordie looked nervous, but he stood his ground, blocking me.

“Open up!” Hunter shouted outside.

ME: Is this really about us, or about you making some kind of point with Deke?

HUNTER: It started out about us. But him saying I can’t see my woman? Thats a problem. Deke is pulling up now. We’ll figure it out



Sure enough, I heard a truck engine. Cookie wandered out into the living room wearing a man’s bathrobe, rubbing her eyes.

“What’s going on?” she asked, sleepily. “I have to be up at four. This better be important.”

“I think we’re having a contest to see who has the biggest dick,” I muttered, frustrated. “Hunter came to pick me up, but Gordie won’t let me out and now Deke’s here. I’m just waiting for them to start whipping out their rulers.”

“Ridiculous,” Cookie said. “Come with me.”

I raised a brow.

“Kind of in the middle of something,” I muttered. I heard Deke’s voice out front, yelling at Hunter. Shit. If we didn’t shut this down, someone was going to get seriously hurt.

“Come. With. Me.” Cookie said, her voice harsher than I’d ever heard it. Damn. She looked almost scarier than Deke.

“Okay,” I said, eyes darting toward Gordie. I followed her back to her bedroom, where Silvie lay sound asleep with her favorite stuffed animal tucked in next to her. Cookie made a “ta-dah!” kind of gesture, showing me the French doors next to her bed.

“You can go out there and sneak around the front,” she said. “Just bypass them entirely.”

I gaped at her and she shrugged.

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because hormones impair thinking,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Go on. Get outside before they start shooting or something.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Because I’m sick of this shit,” she said, her voice blunt. “The Reapers don’t own either of us. Deke has no right to keep you here and neither does your dad. Make your own decisions, Em. I miss Bagger every day of my life and I wish I’d spent more time with him. We just never know when it’s all going to end, and life is too short to sit around waiting for a man. I still think it’s a mistake to hook up with Hunter, but it’s your mistake to make.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, giving her a quick hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Good,” she said. Then an evil smile crossed her face. “I know it’s wrong of me, but I’m really looking forward to Deke losing for once. About time someone stands up to him.”