Five
Shark
F uck.
I peel my eyes open, and thankfully my room is still nice and dark. Ray and the boys threw me a killer welcome party last night. Whiskey, weed, and the fucking women in this place. Vegas is fucking top notch.
I had a quick sit down with Ray yesterday when I got here. He explained to me that he and the boys had a few things to handle today, but he’s going to give me a pass for a couple days before putting me to work. He figured I’d need a day or two to get adjusted to the time difference. I tried to argue with him about it, but now I’m fuckin’ glad I didn’t push it too hard.
My head is fucking pounding. I pull myself up, dragging my legs to hang off the side of the bed. There’s no doubt, I’m in desperate need of a shower. But first, I need a fucking smoke. I lift off the bed and grab my jeans from floor, yanking them up my legs before picking up my cigarettes and heading out the door.
The hallway is empty and the house is quiet as I move towards the main room. I find the two prospects busy cleaning up the mess from last night. Poor fuckers.
“Mornin’ boys,” I announce my presence and they both turn. “Remind me what your names are. Too much whiskey last night,” I grin in explanation.
“Miles,” the one with shaggy brown hair answers quickly as he drops a couple beer bottles into a large trash bag.
“I’m West,” the other says before offering me a cup of coffee.
“Not yet,” I answer. “I need a smoke first,” I share.
“If you head back through the kitchen, there’s a nice spot out back by the pool, if you were planning to take it outside,” Miles suggests and my stomach growls at the mention of the kitchen.
“Thanks. How about food?” I ask.
“The rest of us ate early, before the guys hit the road. But Trish, Johnny’s ol’ lady, is still back in the pit. She’ll whip up whatever you want, or there’s always cereal in the pantry,” Miles shares.
“Thanks,” I repeat before turning towards the kitchen.
I push through the kitchen door and a pair of icy blue eyes lift, meeting mine. Her long blonde hair has been pulled back and is piled up in a messy knot on top of her head. The pale blue bikini she’s wearing matches her eyes and makes her tanned skin glow.
“Mornin’,” I drawl and she cracks a soft smile.
“Good morning,” she offers as her eyes drop briefly to my bare chest. I feel a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth knowing that she’s checking me out.
“Hungry?” another voice rings through the room and I quickly realize that we’re not alone. My gaze swings left and I find another female. She’s only slightly older, I’d guess maybe mid-thirties. A long brown ponytail swings side to side as she moves around, cleaning the countertops.
“I’m Trish. Happy to fix you something, if you’re hungry,” she adds, turning to face me.
“Nah, not yet. I’ll get something when I come back in,” I share, showing her my pack of cigarettes. “But those Lucky Charms look pretty fuckin’ good. Maybe I’ll have a bowl of those,” I smile at the blue eyes still watching me and she releases the softest laugh I’ve ever heard.
The sound hits square in my chest and an uncomfortable feeling seems to spread through my veins. I step forward, grabbing the handle on the sliding glass door and yanking it hard. Stepping outside, I pull a deep breath through my nostrils, quenching the burning sensation now radiating through my entire body. I left one temptation behind in Rock Hill, just to have a new one thrown in my face.
I’m fucked.