“Yup, get it all out. Every bit of angst and drama and Devils needs to come out. I’m here for it. I think we may need more wine, but fuck it, I can always make Jett run out and get some.”
She was so refreshingly honest and uncensored that, despite the awful day, I laughed. “I’ve never purged my soul before,” I told her as we headed to my bedroom. “It sounds painful.”
“Oh, it totally is. I hope you have tissues; we’re going to cry a shitload of tears.”
Pausing, I looked back at her, and she half shrugged. “I’m just being honest. If you don’t cry it out, you’re not doing it right.”
As I climbed the stairs, I thought about it. “You’re odd,” I told her offhandedly.
“Says the girl who only eats things in twos and hates green Skittles,” Ava mocked behind me, and the ridiculousness of her statement had me chuckling as I entered my bedroom.
We spent the next few hours just talking, crying, and drinking wine. A lot of wine. Anne made us sandwiches and sat with us for a while as we talked. Well, I talked. It was nice, and Ava was right, I felt lighter after it.
I didn’t tell them what the guys had been doing for the past year. I trusted Ava, but I thought the fewer who knew about their revenge plan, the better for everyone. Selfishly, I think I would have preferred not knowing. I can’t say I blamed them, and the more I mused on it, the more the burning rage within me began to grow.
Gray was right. They were all right. The agency couldn’t get away with this. I had been lucky in my escape, and just thatthought alone made me realize how fucked up everything was that I considered myself lucky to have escaped them, considering what it had cost me to do so.
Jumping to my feet, I staggered slightly. Ava was dozing on my bed, and Anne had long since left us. I hadn’t a clue what time it was, but I needed to see him. I needed to tell them I was all in.
Running down the stairs, I ran to their house, my desire to let them know I was no longer hiding burning within me. Seeing the back lights still on, I headed to the kitchen and burst through the patio doors like a woman possessed. Gray was on his feet instantly, and I didn’t even register the full table of occupants.
“Jett!” I called out, and Jett was suddenly beside his brother. “You’re right — you’re absolutely right — I need to tell you everything. We have to stop them.”
“We will,” Jett said as he walked around the table to meet me. “You okay?”
“Yes. I’veplurgedmy soul.”
I saw him glance to his side, and then I saw him fully.Gray. He was grinning at me as he walked toward me. Lord, he was hot. “Are you drunk, Queeny?” he teased me as I reached out to him eagerly, stumbling a little as I did so.
“I think I am.” I nodded emphatically. “We have to stop them, Gray.” I wrapped my arms around him and looked up at him, my eyes wide.
“I know.” He dropped a kiss on my nose and then turned to the others in the room. “I think I may need to take her home.”
Looking around, I saw them all. Kerr, Kage, Jett, Ash, and Onyx.
Onyx.
“Why do you hate me so much?” I blurted to him, and I saw him assess me before he dismissed me. “No.” Pushing away from Gray, I marched to the table and poked him in the chest. “You’re always such a prick to me, why? I did nothing to you, ever.”
“I don’t like you, it’s that simple.” Onyx leaned back out of my touch, and I wasn’t having it.
“But why?” I staggered a little as I stood straighter, but I wasn’t willing to let it go. “You have no reason to be such a complete dick to me.”
“Okay.” He shrugged, and I narrowed my eyes at him, or at least I think I did.
“You’re a dick.”
“You’re a bitch.”
“I am a bitch,” I agreed as I nodded. “But that’s no reason to hate me.”
I heard the muffled snickers, and I looked around the room. Kerr and Kage were watching me, both trying to hide their amusement. “Oh, I forgot you were here.”
“Thanks,” Kerr said dryly.
A warm hand tugged at mine, and I turned to look at Gray. He was so beautiful, my hand reached out to touch his face. “Hey,” I said quietly.
“Hey.” He tucked my hair behind my ear and pulled me closer. “Do you know you’re in your jammies?”
