Page 61 of Penn

“Like you’d tell me if you weren’t?”

“Touché,” I say. “I’ll work on that if you’ll work on giving me a little more autonomy.”

Sighing, he gives me a dramatic shrug. “Fine.”

I laugh and head to the back to dump the glasses and plates next to the sink for the dishwasher, a man I haven’t bothered to learn the name of. Who is conveniently nowhere to be seen.

The trash is overflowing as I add napkins and coasters to it, and I groan. Lainey’s probably on her break. Again. And who the hell knows where Demi is. I swear, that woman is hiding more times than I actually see her.

It’s heavier than it looks, and I struggle to pull it from the plastic bin and drag it outside to the dumpster. With the baby growing, I have less lung capacity than normal, and it’s pathetic how winded I get from such a simple task.

As I brace myself to hoist the bag into the dumpster, I hear, “Fuck, right there. Don’t stop.”

“Ugh!”

“Yes!”

Rolling my eyes, I walk over to the alley, making sure I’m heard, and a zipper quickly zips as I turn the corner. Sure enough, it’s Lainey and Wylie.

“Seriously?” I hiss. “What if I’d been Penn? He’s been trying to do everything strenuous for me, and if he’d been the one to catch you, you’d both be dead.”

“Dixie—”

“You think he wouldn’t immediately run to Zep?”

Lainey hangs her head and nods. “I’m sorry, Dixie.”

“I’m not sorry,” Wylie says. “No offense.”

Of course he’s not. “Since you’re out here…” I point at the bag sitting by the dumpster.

He frowns. “What?”

“I can’t lift the bag up into the dumpster,” I admit. “Could you? Since I’m keeping the secret of a lifetime for you both?”

Chuckling, he walks over to the bag and hoists it up into the dumpster, wincing as he does. “Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Got shot in the arm,” he says, touching the now-blood-stained fabric.

My eyes widen as I gape. “How?”

He waves a hand to dismiss it. “It was a freak accident. Was driving by while someone was playing with a gun. Stray bullet.” Kissing Lainey, he heads to his bike parked in the shadows. “Gotta go.”

“That wasn’t just a stray bullet, was it?” I ask.

“I’ve learned it’s better not to question it,” Lainey says.

“You’re playing with fire. You know that, right?”

“Good thing I’ve always loved the heat,” she says with a smirk. “It’s why I live in the fucking desert.”

Holding the door open for me, she grins and pats my ass. I want to be angry, but I can’t really fault her. It sounds like the two of them really like being with each other, and I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to fall for one of a handful of men her stepbrother hates with a passion.

“She’s going to get herself killed,” Demi says when Lainey walks out front.

I nearly jump out of my skin and slam a hand over my chest. “Jesus, Demi, where the fuck did you come from?”