I dial Lily’s number. “I disagree,” I say. “The tip of my heel to your ball sac would cripple you.”
“A hoardof fucking guys,” Ryke emphasizes. He purposefully rests his dirty boots on my coffee table.
I choose not to break his neck. This time.
Daisy pries the plastic open and pops out the canister from the packaging.
I press my phone to my ear, the ringing incessant.
Daisy shakes the pepper spray. “Should I test it out?” She grins and points the nozzle at Ryke. “Stay away, you pervert!”
Ryke’s face darkens, not amused.
She drops her hand and walks over to the couch, plopping down beside him. They have an intense whisper-conversation that Brett tries to catch by edging close to Daisy. Ryke physically plants his hand on the camera lens and drives Brett back, putting space between them.
Brett glares. “You can’t touch the cameras, Ryke. How many times do we have to tell you that?”
“Back up and I won’t.”
Brett shakes his head, but heshuffles backwards.
I concentrate on my phone call, and the dial tone sounds after the last ring. I groan and click the “off” button. “LILY!” I shout. I know she’s upstairs, and I want to give her a bottle of pepper spray before I leave.
When I glance back at my little sister, I scrutinize the way she leans into Ryke as she whispers something to him. Her eyes drift over his features in a curious, impulsive manner, and my heart quickens.
She’s going to kiss him.
And then when her lips stop moving, Ryke puts a hand to Daisy’s cheek. And he forces her face away from his. It’s a gentle push that has her trying to tackle him on the couch with a laugh. They’re verging on flirting, even when his brooding features say that he’s pissed at her.
He struggles to hold her still as she slides beneath his arm and snatches his helmet. She swiftly fits it over her head, and he tries to pull it off her, his lips slowly upturning. But she wiggles out of his hold, and in seconds, she’s suddenly straddling his lap. He flips up the visor to his helmet and stares harshly at her, hiding his partial smile.
I worry that the cameras will pick upanychemistry between them. My mother will not approve of a Ryke Meadows and Daisy Calloway coupling. For multiple reasons.
“Both of you, stop it.”
Ryke snaps awake, and he shoves her completely off his body. Her back hits the cushions.
His eyes flit from me to the staircase. “Lo!” he yells. “Lily! Get your asses down here!” His voice is a lot louder than mine.
From upstairs, feet patter but then they stop and go quiet, hesitating to join the land of people and real, adult things. Lo and Lily keep to themselves, living in their own hazy, addicted world. Here, it’s a bit scary.
“Loren fucking Hale!” Ryke calls.
Nothing.
Daisy rises to her knees and grips the back of the couch. She peers up at the staircase behind me. “Lo! Lily! A comic book came in the mail for you!” She pulls off the motorcycle helmet.
Enticing Lo with something that’snot herewill put him in a worse mood.
But it works.
Lo and Lily stampede down the stairs. “It’s mine!” Lily shouts at him. “I ordered the newX-Mencomic.” She tries to shove him into the wall, and they block each other mid-stair.
“And I ordered the last issue ofNew Mutants.” He steps forward and she jumps in front of him, gaping.
“You’ve already read that! Mine is more important.” She spins to race to the door.
Daisy crouches behind the couch.
