CHAPTER FIVE
AURYN
I wasn’t really going to jerk it in some frat bro’s bed. I had already fucked Ripley in his sheets. That was enough.
After she left I laid there for a while, savoring the fading smell of sex. Deciding that I’d rather lie around in my hungover state at my own house, I dragged my ass out of bed and got dressed.
Making sure not to forget her adorable pink panties, I tucked them into my jeans pocket before heading downstairs. Most of the partygoers had cleared out, other than those who’d passed out at random all over the house.
By the time I got home, it was almost noon. My insides were itching. Craving a hit of the blow I kept in a small metal container on the living room coffee table. Stray had told me multiple times to put that shit in my bedroom. I never did.
As soon as I entered the house, I kicked off my shoes and went straight to the coffee table.
Plopping down on the couch, I poured the sacred white powder out on a metal tray and reached for my credit card, divvying it up into thin white lines.
I grabbed the rolled up twenty off the table and snorted two lines in succession.
Within minutes I felt better. More like myself.
The coke helped to chase away the existential dread that threatened to set in now that the ecstasy high had worn off.
Feeling more awake and settled in my skin, I headed upstairs to grab a shower.
As I passed by Codie and Stray’s bedroom, I heard the telltale sounds of them fucking on the other side of the door.
Like little Energizer bunnies they kept going and going.
Rolling my eyes, I closed myself in the bathroom and hit the shower. Fuck that felt good. As I scrubbed down my body, I took note of the many marks coloring my skin. I could only imagine what my back looked like. Ripley McKay was a feisty little minx in the sack.
When I emerged from the shower and toweled off, I got a good look at my back in the mirror. Good goddamn that woman was a little hellion. My back was covered in red scratches, some deep enough to draw blood. I couldn’t help that it stroked my ego. She’d clearly had a great time.
I too had enjoyed myself. She was everything I knew she would be and more. Even this morning when she’d tried to sneak away and I caught her, that flush to her cheeks and her suddenly timid nature had only made me want her again.
Ripley had caught my eye because she was a gorgeous blonde. However, there was something else about her that left me feeling like I wanted more than just one night. It had been a long time since I hung out with a woman the way we had and not been bored out of my mind.
We’d talked in our little nook under the stairs. Tucked away from the rest of the party in our own little world. There had been something about her that drew me in. Something that told me we were kindred in some way. Like maybe she would get me in ways that other people didn’t.
Drugs are bad. They make you feel and believe stupid shit.
Naturally after getting dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, I returned to the living room to do more of them.
Because why not? That was the thing about blow.
You couldn’t do just one line. Thirty minutes later you needed another.
Anything to keep that sense of carefree wonder going.
To avoid the inevitable crash as long as possible.
After doing another line, I went to the kitchen where I found Codie brewing a pot of coffee. Good timing. I could use a hit of caffeine.
She eyed me up as I slid onto a stool at the island. “Did you just get in?”
“Not too long ago. Crazy party last night. When did you guys get home?” Needing something to do with my hands, I lit up a joint that I’d brought from the living room. No shortage of drugs around here.
“Just after two in the morning. We lost track of you last night.” Codie wrinkled her nose. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?”
“For a wake and bake? Hell no. It’s already the afternoon.” I took a long draw on the joint, turning my head to blow the smoke toward the other side of the room. “Where’s Stray? Is that lazy fucker still in bed?”
“Shower,” she said, turning to grab a few mugs from the cupboard. “Looks like you hooked up with a wild one last night. Is that a bite mark on your neck?”
My hand went to the bruise I knew she referred to. With a chuckle, I said, “Yeah, that Ripley is a bit of an animal.”
Codie spun around so fast she fumbled one of the mugs. It hit the floor and rolled without breaking. “Excuse me? Did you say Ripley did that? My Ripley?”
She picked up the mug, placing it on the counter with the others. Staring at me intently until I answered.
I shrugged. “That’s the only Ripley I know.”
Codie’s brows knit together in a tight frown. “How did that happen? I don’t need details. I’m just surprised, I guess.”
I knew that I might be in trouble here. Especially when Stray found out. He’d warned me off Ripley. We were both consenting adults though, and we had a great time.
“Some guy was hassling her at the party, so I stepped in as her fake boyfriend. We did some ecstasy after and had fun.” I accepted one of the mugs of coffee she’d poured with a nod of thanks.
“Well damn.” Codie shook her head, her black ponytail bouncing from side to side. “I’ve got to say, I’m shocked.”
I laughed out a puff of weed smoke. “Why? Do you think your girl is too good for me?”
“No, it’s not that. Ripley has expressed her concern toward Storm, Luna, and me about getting involved with dangerous men. I never expected her to change her mind about that.” While stirring cream and sugar into her coffee, Codie stared off, perplexed.
I splashed in a little cream and too much sugar before chugging back half my cup. I didn’t see what the big deal was. Maybe Ripley had developed a taste for danger. Maybe she’d stopped being so damn uptight and let herself have some fun.
Not that it mattered. I was only her fake boyfriend. Not her real one, and I preferred to keep it that way.
Stray strolled into the kitchen then, his black hair damp from his shower. He accepted the coffee that Codie held out to him, leaning in to press a kiss to the tip of her nose. Making me roll my eyes as I fake gagged.
He flipped me a middle finger, doing a double take when he noticed the bruise on my neck. “What happened to you? Looks like your latest conquest took a bite out of you.”
“You should see my back. That chick was crazy.” I laughed around the joint between my lips while poor Codie cringed.
“Please stop,” she begged, clutching her coffee mug tight between both hands. “Don’t use the word conquest. He was with Ripley last night, Stray.”
Stray’s eyes momentarily widened before narrowing into slits as he glared at me. “Does that mean I have to kick his ass?”
I scoffed. “What’s the big deal? Why does Ripley need the two of you to be her bodyguards?”
“She doesn’t,” Codie was quick to say. “I just don’t want to see her become another number to you. She’s better than that.”
Strangely enough, I agreed. The thought of any other guy using Ripley to get his rocks off before tossing her aside made me want to break the bones of this imaginary guy. I wasn’t sure what that said about me. I wasn’t sure I liked whatever it said about me.
“We had a fun night. That’s all it was for both of us.
” As an afterthought, I added, “If it makes you feel any better, I tried to get her to stay this morning after we woke up, and she refused. Practically ran out the door in her haste to get away from me. I don’t think you need to worry about her. ”
Remembering the way Ripley had run out this morning left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Was that rejection? I’d never had anyone fight so hard to resist me before. At least it had been a struggle for her. I saw how badly she wanted to give in.
“Rebel called a few minutes ago.” Stray thankfully changed the subject. “He’s on his way over. You and I are going with him to collect that payment Jerry owes us. Rebel wants to catch him before he gets a chance to take off again.”
I rubbed a hand over my face and up into my hair. “I think it’s time to cut that guy off. This is the third time he’s held out on us.”
Running the type of business we operated often meant encountering people who were less than honest. People who made promises they never kept. They learned all too quickly that we weren’t the kind of guys you wanted to fuck with.
“Sounds like that’s the plan. Be ready to go in ten minutes. Dom stayed at Noah’s last night, and Casper is taking Damon on an organ drop today, so it’s just the three of us.” Stray left the room with his coffee in hand. I followed him out.
So much for lazing around on the couch in my sweats all day. Oh well. Duty called.
I returned to my bedroom to change into jeans, grabbing a hoodie on my way out. The weather had warmed up considerably with the onset of spring. I was happy not to have to layer up anymore. Cold weather and I were not friends.
Every year I asked myself why I lived in Wintervale.
A town named for the eight months of frigid temperatures forced upon us.
You’d think growing up in Western Canada would have conditioned me to such weather.
Nope. Give me hot and sunny any day. We had amazing summers. They just didn’t last long enough.
“Where did you end up last night?” Rebel asked when I climbed into the passenger seat of his car. “I never saw you again after you disappeared with Ripley.”
I buckled my seatbelt before reclining the seat into Stray who sat behind me. He reached around to give my head a shove in response.
“They hooked up last night,” Stray said, immediately spilling my personal business. “I’ve got to say, I’m a little offended. She was so against me getting with Codie. How hypocritical.”
“It was a one-time thing. Pretty sure it had nothing to do with you, dude. Talk about ego.” I turned around in my seat so he could see me roll my eyes.
“If you roll your eyes at me one more time today, I’m going to pluck them out of your head.” To drive his threat home, he reached forward, as if he would indeed pop out one of my eyeballs.
Jerking back out of reach, I spun around to face the front.
I felt the two of them casting glances in my direction.
I wasn’t sure why it was such a big deal.
People hooked up all the time without it meaning a damn thing.
The two of them used to do it as well before they were so pathetically domesticated.
“What?” I finally asked. “Why do you both keep looking at me?”
Rebel snickered, slowing down for a red light. “Just wondering how long it will take until you fall head over heels for her. If karma has a sense of humor, it will happen.”
“Good thing I don’t believe in karma. I’ve fucked a lot of chicks and never fallen in love with a single one of them. Why would Ripley be any different?” My brow furrowed as I scowled. Since my friends had lost their minds over their women, they’d turned into absolute idiots.
“I don’t know, man, you tell me.” Rebel shrugged. “Since when do you chase other guys away from girls you’re not interested in? I saw the whole thing from the table. You’re not fooling anyone.”
I shot him a perplexed look that conveyed my confusion. Too bad he’d already turned his attention back to the road as the light turned green. “Don’t be ridiculous. I saw an opportunity and I took it. I’ve wanted to fuck that girl for a while. Now I’ve done it, and we’ll both move on.”
Both Stray and Rebel burst out laughing. I was tempted to open the door the next time Rebel slowed the car down and leap out. I didn’t want to catch their kind of crazy. From what I’d seen it seemed to be contagious.
We soon reached the home of the guy who’d been holding out on giving us our money. Quickly the mood changed, becoming more sinister and serious. I was more than happy to kick this guy’s ass and take our cash. Anything to get the focus off me.