“Aww and you’re such a fucking delight.” Tugging my hoodie over my head, I made sure to do it quickly, not daring to take my eyes off him for long. I didn’t trust that bastard.
Noah rubbed his throat where bruises were already starting to form. “I still owe you. You tried to blow me up, Dom. I can’t let that go.”
I shrugged, already heading for the door. “Fair enough. Take your best shot.”
He watched me go in silence. Not even a parting remark thrown after me. Something about that didn’t sit right with me. Yet I didn’t hesitate. Leaving the church behind, I strode through the snow to my car. Without a glance back, I drove away.
He was right. I had made my move, and now he would have to make his.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DOM
I couldn’t deny the rush that gripped me as I drove home. The high that carried me was like nothing else. I knew that fucking Noah would be amazing, although I hadn’t anticipated how fucking phenomenal it would be. Walking out on him right after was merely the icing on the cake.
The smile wouldn’t leave my face. I felt happier than I’d been in a long time. It was amazing what a good fuck could do for a guy. I was so caught up in the vibe that I almost ran a red light. Oops.
When I pulled up to the house it was almost six. Everyone else would be home by now. Hopefully I could get inside and make it downstairs without running into anybody. I wasn’t in the mood for a discussion. I needed to hit the shower and enjoy the rest of this high before I came down.
Quietly, I opened the front door, relieved to find the living room empty as I entered. I eased the door shut before taking off my shoes so as not to track snow through the house. Unfortunately, my keys fell out of my pocket, jingling loudly as they hit the floor.
Stray stuck his head out of the kitchen. “Oh, you’re home. Where were you?” When I stood up and turned to face him, hisjaw dropped. “What the hell happened? Did you get your ass kicked?”
Knowing that I wouldn’t make it downstairs without an inquisition, I accepted my fate and headed into the kitchen. Auryn sat at the kitchen table eating a takeout burrito. He glanced up at my arrival, his expression mirroring Stray’s.
“I got into a fight. It’s no big deal.” I should’ve checked on my appearance in the car. No doubt I had blood smears on my face.
Stray and Auryn exchanged a look before Auryn said, “Oh yeah? Do fist fights also cause hickeys now? That’s news to me.”
Son of a bitch. I caught myself about to touch my neck, pulling my hand away. Trying to busy myself to break eye contact with them, I went to the fridge and dug around inside.
“It’s really not a big deal guys. Seriously.” Inwardly I cringed. There was no hiding what I’d been up to. If anyone knew how a freshly fucked person looked, it was these two.
I grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge and turned around to find Stray right behind me. “There’s no more hiding now, Dom. Time to fess up. Are you and Noah fucking? Didn’t you just try to kill him?”
My expression twisted into something uncertain and confused. I didn’t know how to answer this. Absently rubbing the back of my neck, I gave a short nod. “Yeah I did. And today after class, I fucked him in the church. I’m not sure what else to tell you guys. That’s really all there is to it.”
Auryn let out a bark of laughter. “Do you hear yourself right now? You sound absolutely insane. We all know you guys are into each other. What’s with the attempted murder? Is that like foreplay or something?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Popping open the can of Coke, I took a long swallow and said, “You might be ontosomething there. I can definitely see how it would look that way.”
Stray didn’t seem to think it was funny. “Okay, so you’re fucking Noah Cunningham. What happens now? Are you two a thing? Because I’ve got to say, Dom, I don’t entirely trust that guy. He’s got more than enough reasons to want to hurt us. What if that’s all this is? Maybe he’s trying to get close to you so he can hurt you. Maybe kill you. He’s been pretty vocal about wanting revenge in the past.”
He definitely had a solid point. I couldn’t argue with that. Knowing Noah, Stray was probably right. After the history between our two groups, he had valid reason to want any of us dead. Maybe I was the easiest target.
“You definitely shouldn’t trust Noah,” I agreed. “I don’t trust him either.”
Crossing the kitchen to where Auryn sat at the table, I plucked the burrito from his hands and took a large bite before handing it back. He frowned up at me before flipping me the middle finger.
“Then what the hell are you doing?” Stray leaned against the kitchen island, eyeing me curiously. “It feels like someone is going to get hurt. I don’t want it to be you.”
I waved away his concern. I was in much too deep to be fearful now. Leaving Noah the way I had. He was almost forced to take a shot at me. I had tried to blow him up after all. Now it was his turn.
“Someone probably will get hurt.” I nodded. “I don’t see how this can end any other way. Try not to worry about it. I won’t let any of this blow back on you guys.”
Silence fell among the three of us. The only sound was the subtle fizzing coming from my pop can.
Finally, Auryn spoke. “What’s going on with you, man? This kind of reckless behavior isn’t like you. We’re worried.”
