Page 95 of Devour

“She was whining and scratching at Priest’s door. And then she ran under there.” Kase nods toward Crew. “He’s been trying to get her out. But he’s not the best with taking care of pussy.”

“Fuck you, Kase.” Crew doesn’t look up from the floor. “Apparently you missed the giant scratch on your arm.”

Kynlee and I don’t bother to hide our laughter as we watch them fight with each other. It almost feels like it used to when we would get high and party.

“I handle pussy just fucking fine. Or I could, if the Ravens didn’t have these stupid-ass rules meant to drive us insane.” Kase inspects the scratch on his arm and then looks at me. “Speaking of handling pussy—thanks for telling your psycho boyfriend that I fingered you, Saylor. That was a real fun blindside for me.”

I stop laughing. Fuck. I knew Axl was pissed—at Kase, not me—-when I’d told him about that. We were talking one night a couple weeks ago and it seemed like the right time to tell him. But I haven’t spent time with Kase in a while, so I’d hoped Axl had let it go since he never mentioned it again. “What did he do?”

“He cornered me after you told him and punched me in the face.” Now that I look at him closer, I can see the almost healed black eye. “And so you know, I’m a dead man if I ever fucking touch you again. Did you really have to fucking tell him?”

“Oh my God.” I press my hand over my mouth, but I’m already laughing. “What did you want me to do? I couldn’t keep that from him. I tried to wait for the right timing to ease the blow.”

“Oh, when was that?” His tone is more jovial than it is angry. “When was the right time to tell the man who literally kills people for touching you that we did something that meant fucking nothing?”

“Do you really want the answer to that?” I tease, shrugging my shoulder at Kase.

He grins at me. “Yes, I think I fucking do.”

“After he tied me up and fucked me.” Kase just stares at me while Crew stops messing with the cat and snorts. Kynlee chokes on a laugh beside me. “To be fair, he was in a really good mood.” I smirk at him. “At least before I told him. If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t tell him about you jacking off on the bushes afterward.”

“I fucking hate you.” But the corners of his lips curl, and I can tell he’s not actually mad. He never was. Kase has been a part of my life forever and always will be. “At least he’s back to acting like it never happened. So let’s just never mention it again.”

“I’m just glad that’s the one time I wasn’t with you,” Crew adds. “I’ve never touched either of you. Have I, pretty girls?”

Kynlee and I both just shake our heads. We wouldn’t have let him, even if he’d tried. It was a lapse in judgement that I let Kase barely go there.

Crew stands up and wipes his hands on his pants. “Your cat doesn’t want to come out, pretty girl. I’ve tried everything.”

Kynlee crouches down and peers under the table. “Hey, baby girl. Come here. It’s just us.”

A pair of green eyes blinks from the shadows. Then a low purr. Veronica inches forward, and Kynlee scoops her up before she can bolt. The black cat immediately settles against Kynlee’s chest and starts kneading her shirt.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kase watches them.

“Because she’s a smart girl.” Kynlee scratches behind Veronica’s ears.

Crew crosses his arms and leans against the wall. “Look where she scratched the fuck out of Priest’s door.”

Kynlee doesn’t react, but I can see that she’s thinking something. She adjusts Veronica in her arms and doesn’t respond.

“Why aren’t you both with Axl?” I ask, doing my best friend duties and removing the attention from whatever that was. “He said he had to work today.”

Kase shrugs. “He took Priest with him. We have some other work we need to get done for the Sinclairs.”

“Don’t let us keep you.” I wave them off. “We’ve got the cat. Go do your super important Talon shit.”

“Try not to get high and do anything that will piss off your boyfriend.” Kase pushes off the wall and shoves Crew’s shoulder as they head down the corridor.

I roll my eyes and shake my head. Kynlee adjusts Veronica against her chest, and we walk back toward the suites. Kase mentioning drugs reminds me of the night I spent at my house and what Axl asked me.

I don’t know why I had such a reaction to that. But I also don’t want to think about it anymore.

It’s time to watch horror movies with my best friend and wait for Axl to come home. No drugs this time because I’m not allowed. And after that trip to my house, I don’t want them ever again.

CHAPTER 40

AXL