Forty bucks?
“Ah, come on!” Lorena protests, scowling at me. “Why’d you have to admit it, douchebag?”
“Who are you calling a douchebag?” I laugh with disbelief, shaking my head at them. “You guys had abet?”
Lorena pouts, striding over to her purse.
“I’m only giving you twenty because I’m your girl.”
“Nah, that’s not how it works,” Kai argues, holding his hand out. “Pay up.”
“Hold on, youknew?”I stare at Kai who nods, glancing at me.
“Everyone knew, dickhead. She was like a wounded puppy when you left foryears.”
Fuck.
I hurry to clarify, “What happened is in the past; we’re meeting to sort out your two’s parties. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Bullshit!” Kai eases himself onto a stool, tugging Lorena into his arms. “Tell me, does Declan know?”
I’m irritated by the sheer mention of his name.
“I dunno, he’s not my boyfriend. That’s up to Sierra.”
Kai and Lorena exchange a worried look.
“What?” I ask with a frown.
I don’t like that look at all.
“Declan can be a bit…of a dick.” Lorena chews on her lip, darting a look between Kai and me.
“He’snevertouched her,” Kai adds defensively. “He’s just an argumentative prick.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
“Are you saying he gives her shit?”
More silence.
“What the fuck, Kai? She’s yoursister!”I clench my fists together, the ball of fury in my chest almost burning a hole through my clothes. “What does he do to her?”
Kai narrows his eyes at me.
“Hey, he doesn’tdoanything. As I said, he’s just a loud prick.”
Lorena strokes Kai’s back, and he relaxes.
“I would kill him if he touched her, you know that.”
“Hey, not all abuse is physical,” I grit out, dragging my phone out to text Sierra. “I’ll kill him if he’s so much as raised his fucking voice to her.”
CRANE: Can I see you?
Kai watches me, a smile on his lips.
“It’s about fucking time.”
