Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 132321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
Rav’s eyes widen to the size of frisbees. He grabs my wrist, attempting to pry me off of his windpipe. “Not…her…specific—specifically,” he sputters.
“All right, Jiggy, ease up.” Dex touches my shoulder, pressing gently. “Rav’s just dicking around, he wasn’t disrespecting her.”
I force a crazed grin onto my face and release Rav. He stumbles backward, holding his throat and coughs.
What’s happening to me? Rav and I trade way worse insults all the time. I won’t apologize, though. Insulting each other is fine; talking about Margot that way is unacceptable.
“Sorry, Jiggy.” Rav backs out of grabbing range. “Just messing around like we always do.”
“Yeah, I know,” I answer with a gruff bite to my tone. It’s as close to an apology as he’s gonna get.
“You know, when a mosquito lands on your ball sack, that’s when you’ll understand you can solve problems without violence,” Sparky says.
We all turn and stare at him.
He holds up his hands. “I’m just sayin’.”
If anyone else said it, we’d be questioning his membership in the club. For Sparky, it’s nothing surprising.
“Thank you, Philosopher Pot Plant,” Dex says.
Rooster’s staring at me with an expression I can’t quite read which is insane since I usually know every thought rolling through his head before he does. “What?” I snap.
“Nothing.” His mouth slides into a sly grin. “Does this mean I can reassure Shelby that her mother won’t be your date to our wedding?”
I roll my eyes at him but can’t come up with a quippy comeback. Margot broke me. I don’t even want to joke about nailing Rooster’s soon-to-be mother-in-law just to annoy him. One of my favorite pastimes.
“Wow,” Dex says, drawing out the word to a dickish extreme. “Is he speechless or is he having a stroke?”
Rooster waves his hand in front of my face. “Dunno. Hard to tell.”
I slap his hand away.
“So I had a thought.” A devious grin sneaks across Ravage’s mouth.
“Well, that must’ve been a long and lonely journey inside that dusty brain,” Dex mutters.
I bump my fist against Dex’s arm. “Good one.”
Ignoring us, Rav unleashes his big thought of the day. “Are you planning to give Margot the heads-up that you’ve nailed Shelby’s mom?” Rav grins and squeezes his hands together like an excited five-year-old waiting to be handed a lollipop for being a good boy at the doctor’s office. “Since, you know, you’re all gonna be in each other’s lives forever and all?” He waves his hands between Rooster and me.
Oh, fuck. Do I need to share that with Margot?
Is a meteor about to hit the planet? Ravage actually has a point.
Rooster’s stare twists into downright hostile.
“Oh, come on,” Dex says, slapping Rooster’s shoulder. “This isn’t news.”
I smirk at Rooster, daring him to deny it.
“Asshole,” he grumbles.
“Thanks, dick,” I grumble at Rav.
“That’s what you get for choking me, motherfucker.”
I take a quick step toward him and enjoy his flinch.
As the laughter and jabs die down, I catch Rooster watching me again. His eyes narrow like he’s puzzling something out. Not a fan of that. “You got something to say?” I snap, more harshly than I intended.
“Nope. Just never thought I’d see this day. I want to soak it all in.” He claps my shoulder. “My boy’s growing up.”
Instead of laughing that off with one of my usual snarky comebacks, I stop and look Rooster dead in the eyes. “Isn’t that what Shelby’s reading said? The old me has to die to feel truly alive?”
He frowns, as if he can’t believe I brought that up. “Cards or no cards, you’re headed somewhere good, brother.”
His words—and apparent faith in me—plunge deeper than a knife.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Jigsaw
Once again, I’m sneaking into Margot’s place under the cover of darkness.
She meets me at the back door, looking absolutely adorable in a black long-sleeved top with white skeletons printed all over it, matching pajama pants, and bright red socks on her feet.
Not caring who might be around tonight, I immediately scoop her into my arms and crush my lips against hers, taking her mouth in a greedy kiss.
“Missed you,” I say in between soft licks and tastes of her tongue.
Her fingertips feather against the back of my neck, sending an electric current straight to my dick.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” she whispers.
Her grave tone presses Pause on all the filthy things I want to do to her. “Bad day?”
“Not really. I just missed you.”
How do those simple words have the power to sneak into my chest and curl around my heart? I lift her higher in my arms. “Wrap your legs around me.”
“Are you going to carry me all the way upstairs?” she asks, while doing exactly what I want.
“I can’t let go of you, so yeah.”
She tightens her arms around my neck and rests her head on my shoulder, holding on while I slowly navigate the three flights.
At her door, I stop, wanting to press her against it and grind myself into her center but she left it ajar. I kick it closed behind us.