“For fuck’s sake. Just tell me where we can find rations, additional light, and some form of protection!”
“Why?”
“In case… uh… In case there are wolves out there.”
“Wolves?” she repeated, all stupid and doe-eyed. “And how should I know where that stuff is? Look in the boxes.”
This woman was trying my patience by breathing. “It’s your house. How do younotknow?”
“Nope! It’sGran’shouse.”
I was literally face-palming at this point. “And she didn’t tell you where she keeps her shit before you got here?”
Nickie chewed on her lip and looked around nervously. It lasted a split second before she perked up and started dancing again, making herself dizzy from the light bouncing all around. “No, silly. Granny… doesn’t talk much anymore.”
Hmm, was the old lady sick? Maybe Nickie stole this property from right under her grandmother’s nose.
I rummaged through boxes, trying to put my hands on anything but Nickie’s damn neck. I found a shit-ton ofyarn and thought of Que, pocketing a handful to throw at him later.
“You look hot when you’re all broody.”
I could feel her shadow on my back as I stood to my full height, quickly remembered to duck down, and turned around. Resting a palm on Nickie’s forehead before she got any closer to me. “Fuck no. You got plenty of toys upstairs who are more than willing to play your twisted game. I’ve got work to do.”
She huffed, her lower lip quivering until I gave her head a light shove.
“Now, little shit. Go upstairs and keep the boys warm. I’ll be back when I’ve dug out enough supplies. And leave this—” I snatched the flashlight from her hand and spun her body towards the stairs, finishing her off with a little kick to her ass.
I shook my head as I watched her skip away.
Good luck, boys. She’s your fucking problem now.
CHAPTER 16
NICKIE
“Eeny, meeny, miney…” I said, prancing upstairs and observing the boys.
The twins were cuddled together in a blanket, laughing over old comics with boobies on them. They got mad at me earlier and told me they weren’t calledthat. They were manga. If I was going to be ridiculed my whole life for liking romance books, I was going to call it like I sees it:book porn.
Nothing wrong with it, but don’t go lyin’.
Vix was nursing another bottle, and I vaguely wondered how many we even had left in Granny’s fridge. He’d already hit the hard stuff.
None of them were paying much mind to me, not even Que, and he always wanted to fuck. I was feeling a little sore but the best way to cure the pain was to become numb to it.
Blitz had a joint he’d rolled pretty fantastically with the shit he must have found in one of Granny’s hidey holes.
I could use a good smoke. Maybe he’d be nicer than the grump downstairs.
“Mo!” I cheered excitedly, plopping down on the couch. Jostling Blitz and his blunt and watching ash fall onto his exposed torso. He had his weird onesie thingy pulled down off his arms and tied at his waist, showing me the happiest of trails.
“'Sup? You sure light up the room, don’t ya?”
I beamed at him, snagging the joint and taking a massive drag that had the end smoldering with an orange glow. It was abittoo much and I gagged, which caused Blitz to laugh his ass off. The others didn’t notice, busy with burning random crayons Rudy told them to light in different areas of the cabin.
They better not go in Gran’s room. She didn’t like people going in there.
“What’s the matter?” Blitz said with a laugh. “Can’t take it,little star? Here, lemme help you out.”
