Page 20 of April’s Fool

“How was school this week?” Hazard asks, shuffling a deck of cards, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Long,” I answer, leaning back into Fool like I’ve done it a million times, even though it’s really a first.

“Fool texted, saying you had to work on a paper and could use some help with it,” Cannon says, eyes on me as he lifts his beer to his lips.

“Ugh, yeah.” I nod and shift in Fool’s lap to look at him. “It’s a last-minute paper my professor wants. It has to be ten pages on how a business runs while keeping the margins in the black.”

Hornet, whom I’d also met, whistles from his seat across the table. “Ten pages on that shit has to be brutal.”

I shrug and wring my fingers together. “At least it’s not the twenty pages he’s known for assigning.”

“Well, what can we do to help you with it?” Cannon asks.

“I’m not sure, really. I was just going to go to the library and knock it out, but . . .”

“I told her that we could show her how a business is run right while keeping profits up,” Fool says, interrupting me.

“You in on this game?” Hazard asks, holding the deck of cards up in front of him.

“Yeah,” Fool answers. “Gotta get April something to drink first.”

“What do you want?” Rimfire asks, getting to his feet. “I’m grabbing something anyway.”

“Oh, um, a bottle of water would be good.” I don’t mind drinking, but this is my first time here, and I honestly don’t know these guys. If Kayla or Mercy were here, it’d be different. At least then I’d have someone at my back.

Sure, after a week of texting with Fool and getting to know him, I’m a bit more comfortable around him, but I’m still in a new set of surroundings.

“Coming right up.” Rimfire nods.

“We ordered pizzas for dinner,” Cannon announces, taking his cards as Hazard deals them out. “Rex and Lola left for Mississippi this morning, and I didn’t feel like dealing with getting someone in the kitchen to cook.”

Fool snorts and takes the ones set in front of us with ease, and I settle into him.

Before long, Rimfire is back with a bottle of water and a beer for himself. He hands me my drink, then returns to his seat and picks up his cards. Conversation flows among the guys throughout the game, sometimes pulling me in as well. I begin to relax even more, growing comfortable around them.

That is until the redhead comes over, putting her hands on Fool’s shoulders. “Baby, I thought you promised we’d spend some time together,” she whines.

I stiffen in Fool’s lap as he tenses.

“Venus, go somewhere. No one wants you at this table,” Hazard remarks without looking in her direction. “All you’re trying to do is stir up trouble.”

“But Fool promised.” She pouts.

“The hell I did,” Fool snarls, tightening his arm around me as he straightens in the chair, twisting us to face her more fully. “You’re acting like a bitch because you see I’ve got my woman in my lap. Back the fuck off and stop acting like we have a thing between us. Every one of my brothers here knows I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.”

Cannon snorts. Hazard chuckles. Rimfire laughs outright. And Hornet shakes his head, grinning.

Venus shoots me a glare before huffing and flouncing away. I have a feeling she’s not done, but given the way Fool spoke to her, I believe him. It wasn’t just in his words but in his body language, how he held me tight to him and tensed at her touch.

“You okay?” he whispers, lowering his head to speak into my ear.

“Yeah.” I mean it. Whatever Venus thought she was going to accomplish, she failed.

“Don’t mind Venus or the others around here.”

“I know the drill,” I tell him with a small smile.

Fool presses a brief kiss to my temple and turns us back toward the table, sitting back and fanning his cards out. I take a sip of my water and try to refocus, but my eyes drift to where Venus has settled herself across the room, perched on the arm of a chair belonging to some guy who doesn’t seem to mind her presence. Her eyes, though, keep cutting back to our table. Back to me, specifically.