The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (107)

Someone was mighty presumptuous.

I quickly sent him a text and got an immediate response:

Is this for real?

BOYFRIEND: All yours, baby.

You didn’t have to do this.

BOYFRIEND: Yeah…I did. Ditch the relic.

Rolling my eyes, I bought myself time to think of a response by changing his contact name to something more fitting.

Thank you, I suppose.

PRICK: Leave your door unlocked tonight.

I’m not repaying you with sex.

PRICK: You’ll do as I say.

I was ready to tell him how much I wouldn’t be doing that when I received another text.

PRICK: And we both know it will be because you want to.

Maybe.

But he didn’t have to know that.

And I didn’t have to make it easy for him.

A cold shower will be all you have to look forward to tonight.

I became anxious when a response didn’t come instantly. I was searching for something else to say when his response, along a with a picture, came through.

PRICK: Wanna bet?

When I clicked on the image, my new fancy phone slipped from my grasp onto the bed. With shaking hands, I retrieved it and gaped at the picture of an erection fit for a porn star trapped under gray cotton sweatpants, tanned six-pack, and the deep V trailing below his waistband. I could tell the picture was taken in his room while lying down. I just didn’t know how many girls he’d shown it to. Jealously strung a sharp chord in my chest as I texted my reply.

How old is this pic?

PRICK: Couple mins…why?

The breath I held released in a rush of relief. I wasn’t sure I should like what this boy did to me, but I craved more of it. Checking out the picture he’d sent one last time before deleting, I changed his contact name again.





No reason.


EVER, PhD: Jealous?





No.


EVER, PhD: I feel possessive of you, too.

Stop talking.

I waited anxiously for his response. When ten minutes passed and none came, I tossed the phone aside and took Jay D for a walk to clear my head before I had to face him at dinner.




Dinner had started out as just another dull affair until Rosalyn handed over my birth certificate to everyone’s surprise—other than Thomas’s, of course. I had a strong feeling he played a hand in her change of heart, especially when she visibly held back her displeasure during her silent acquiesce.

It was just an hour until midnight, and since Ever not so surprisingly disappeared before I could ask for the keys, I enlisted Tyra’s help. She was excited to see me in action but warned me that lying to Ever wasn’t such a smart idea. I simply reminded her that I wasn’t just going to roll over whenever Ever commanded. She shrugged, but I could tell she fully expected to remind me how she’d ‘told me so’ soon enough. I pushed Ever to the back of my mind and got my head in the game.

“So, how much do you get if you win?”

“Thirty percent of the profits.”

“That’s it?”

“Mickey takes half for himself, and the remaining twenty percent goes to flipping the money of the winning bets.”

“So if you win, you’ll make a lot of people happy?”

“Pretty much.”

“And if you lose?”

I suddenly felt apprehensive about bringing Tyra along. It had been so long since I raced that I’d forgotten the danger in it. Some people were sore losers, and when money was involved, bitterness sometimes turned into rage.

“Maybe you shouldn’t stick around. I can bum a ride from Mickey after the race is over.”

Her expression quickly became eager. “Are you kidding me? There’s no way I’m missing you race. I need to see it for myself.”

“It’s not safe. Some of Mickey’s buyers don’t like to lose.”

“All the more reason to make sure you have a friendly face in the crowd when you cross the finish line.”

I blew out a breath, knowing I was about to give in against my better judgment. “Stick close to Mickey. He’s a flirt, but I’m confident you can resist him.”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe I should invite Vaughn and let him see for himself that I have options.”

“Mickey isn’t exactly the boy next door, and Vaughn is much too whipped to care. It will be the brawl of the century.”

She cackled and banged her fist against the steering wheel. “You might be right.”

I checked my new phone for the thousandth time to ensure my absence hadn’t been discovered. It didn’t escape Tyra’s notice. “Why didn’t you invite him? I’m sure he would want to be there with his nose in the air and a hand on your ass to stake his claim.”

“Somehow, I don’t think he would approve given what happened the last time I raced.”

“He won’t like you lying about it, either. I wonder which offense will get you spanked?”

“You’re relentless.”

“I’m also right.”

“I should have never told you about him trying to spank me.” I could feel myself flushing from the memory.

“Don’t worry. You and Ever’s kinky secrets are safe with me.”