“Hey, did you know Big Daddy K knows about the—” I motion around theroom.
She makes a face at Giselle. “I suspected as much. I’m not worried about it. This is bigger than any of the Kraggers. It’s bigger thanWes.”
“Speaking of big.” Ellis smacks me over the arm. “I’ve got that demo crew coming out next Tuesday. You ready for the big knockdown? It’s time to cut our losses with the past and start somethingnew.”
A quick pain convulses through my body. “You bet. I’ll be there with bells on.” Tied to my balls. Strangling the shit out ofthem.
“Cool.” He leans in. “Dude, I know this is wrenching your balls. I’m rolling a fat one in your honor. On the house. A gift from me toyou.”
“Sounds like a plan.” And sadly, one I might take him up on. I have no clue how I’m going to get through the trauma of thatday.
Giselle pushes out a choo-choo train laugh. “How about we get lost and you rollmea fatone?”
“No,” I deadpan. The last thing I want is Ellis doing what he does best with my niece of allpeople.
Skyla scowls at Giselle. “Say nope to dope and ugh to drug. And if Ellis says he has something fat he wants to roll, you run, Giselle.Run.”
She lets out a honking laugh. “I don’t do dope, Skyla. That would makemeone. Ellis doesn’t do it either. That’s stupid. He just sells it because he needs the money to buy cars and things. He’s explained it all tome.”
Skyla and I exchange a quickglance.
Ellis clears his throat. “I think I see someone I know. How about we go say hi?” He stalks off with Giselle until the crowd swallowsthem.
Skyla lets out a cry of frustration. “Ellis is rolling big fat lies and shoving them all down her innocent throat. What is Emma thinking letting this go on? What isGagethinking?”
“What amIthinking?” I wince at the thought. “I’ll talk to Ellis. I know he has a good heart and he lovesher.”
“She’s as loveable as she isgullible.”
A cold darkness crests over my shoulders, and I turn to find Chloe beaming with a wickedgrin.
“Talking about yourself again,Skyla?”
“You’re not funny.” Barron begins to peck at Skyla’s chest, and she shoves him under her shirt. “What is it, Chloe?” She looks to me. “She said it wasimportant.”
Evidently Skyla is her keeper. She should be, but something tells me this relationship has gone off the rails, just how far I’m terrified toask.
Chloe whips out her phone and holds it between us. “Does this look important to you?” Her camera blinks to life, and all I can make out is human flesh in atangle.
“What’s this?” Skyla takes it fromher.
“Not what,who.” Chloe takes it back and skirts through a few pictures before displaying anotherone.
“That’s Laken.” Skyla smiles down at her good friend. “And Wes?” Her smile melts right off. “So what? She probably felt the need to tell him to go tohell.”
“Maybe.” Chloe flicks to the next picture. “But with her clothes off?” She flashes another picture at us, and holy hell—Laken is clearly taking off her dress, the outline of black panties and a matching bra pop against her pale flesh as if someone took a marker and colored themin.
“No way.” Skyla shakes her head in disbelief, and Chloe is quick to skip to the next picture—Laken with her arms around Wes, their heads knit together in what looks to be a kiss. Chloe flips to the next picture, and as soon as I realize what it is, I look away inreflex.
“That’s not her.” Skyla takes the camera and studies a naked Wesley with Laken straddling him on top, her face lost in ecstasy. “That’s”—she looks to me—“where is Ezrina’s little experiment gone wrong,anyway?”
“Crap.” I swallow hard while looking around for Coop or Laken herself. “She’sgone.”
Skyla looks as if she’s about to puke into the phone. “And now she is found. Nicework.”
Chloe offers a smug look my way. “I’m working my way back to theisland.”
“Skyla.” I can’t help but sound disappointed. It’s because Iam.
