He blew it back out again. “One of you assholes wanna get off your asses and lend me a hand?”
“What’s wrong, Rue-Rue? Can’t handle one itty-bitty girl all on your own?” This came from Que. I recognized his voice as he stepped up behind me, and then he was pulling me free and setting me on my feet again. The rest of the guys were all watching us from where they were sprawled out on Granny’s sofas or tucked up into the corners of the room.
“That isn’t a girl. She’s a succubus or something,” Rudy grunted. “She tried seducing me out there.”
“A suck-you-what?” called out one of the guys.
“I got something you can suck right here, darlin’,” added another.
Quetskedhis tongue, grabbing me by the hand and twirling me around to face him. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, Red.” He smirked. “The big guy hasn’t beenwith a woman since his fiancée…” His smile dropped and his glare flicked behind me like he was saying something he shouldn’t.
“Since his fiancée what?” I pressed.
Que shook his head, his grin firmly back in place like it had never left to begin with. “Since his fiancée agreed to spend the rest of her life chained to that giant ball of fun.”
I narrowed my eyes, my left hand making its way to my mouth as I chewed on the tip of my nail, the polish I’d taken from Granny’s vanity nearly gone by now. “How about a man?”
“What?” Rudy hissed from behind me.
I spun around to look him in the eye while gesturing a thumb over a shoulder. “He said you haven’t been witha womansince your fiancée. Not that you haven’t been with anyone, so…”
“So?” Rudy repeated.
“So have you? Been with a man?” I could feel myself practically bouncing on my heels. This was better than any of Granny’s tv dramas.
“What? No.” Rudy appeared taken aback. But not in the offended kinda way. More like in thehitting a little too close to homekinda way.
“I don’t believe you,” I sang out, as I twirled myself around the living room and back into the kitchen.
Those cookies weren’t gonna eat themselves, now were they?I glanced down at the half-empty plate that had been piled high a few moments ago.Or maybe they would…
CHAPTER 6
QUE
I’d fucked up.
Likeconvincing your best friend to cover up a murder, only to have someone find the body you buried in the woodsand have it land you both in prison with a life-sentencesort of fucked-up. It wouldn’t be the first time. Probably not the last either. Someone had to protect the fucker from himself. Or at the very least, try.
I could tell by the look Rudy was giving me—a mix between I’d kicked his puppy and he was about to kick mine—that he wasn’t happy with me right now.
My knee twisted inwards at the thought.
Guess some part of me knew I deserved it if he did kick me. I never should have mentioned Holly. But the best lies were always the ones that were closest to the truth. He knew that as well as I did. It was also the only excuse I could come up with on short notice. One that made it sound like the rest of us were available, andhewasn’t.
The big guy had trust issues.Not that I could blame him. I would have 'em too if I were him. Lucky for everyone, I wasn’t him and could think quick on my toes. Apparently not quick enough though, seeing as Red was climbing him like a Christmas tree the moment she’d gotten him alone.
That wasn’t my fault.I mean, how was I supposed to know she would take it as a challenge?
It didn’t matter. This cabin, this girl, none of it was long term. We just needed Prat to get his ass back here and wait for the storm to pass, and we’d all be on our merry way again. Until then, Grumpy-Pants just needed to keep the peace with our fiery little hostess.
Was the girl a tad off the walls? Sure, but there wasn’t one of us here who wasn’t.
“You and me, talk later,” Rudy mumbled under his breath at me, snatching a cookie out of Dash’s hand when he wasn’t looking.
“Hey!” Dash started to protest. Rudy shot him another glare, and Dash zipped his lips.
I sent Rudy back a mock salute before sidling up next to Nickie, her cheeks puffed out to twice their size and her fingers covered in sugar. She peered over at me through her lashes as she licked 'em clean, one at a time. Ensuring she didn’t miss any of the nooks and crannies.
