Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Stumbling out of the warehouse, Avery is tipsy enough that she doesn’t notice the state of my teddy or the wet spots on the guys’ boxers, and no matter how difficult it is to keep her on her feet, I’ve still never been so fucking grateful for margaritas in my life.
Blaise has to be carried out, and I tuck my arm into Avery’s to keep her walking straight.
“Fuck guys, Lips. Just fuck them.” She giggles, but tears shine in her eyes even as her giggles turn into a full belly laugh.
I am hoping to fuck three of them in particular, but, stone cold sober as I am, I keep that little nugget of wisdom to myself. “What’s happened? Atticus being a dick again?”
She tucks her face into my neck, which is totally fine, except that the last thing in my mouth was Ash’s fingers coated in my cum and I really don’t want her smelling it on my breath. I don’t want to think about her reaction to that!
Oblivious to me losing my mind, Avery rambles on and I try to keep up. “I told him I was out on the town, and he said I’m not the type of girl that should be out at parties. I didn’t even tell him where I was! He thinks I’m some perfect china fucking doll, maybe that’s why he won’t fuck me.”
My brain goes blank, and when Ash’s head snaps around to look back at us, he’s all fury and rage. I shake my head at him with a look. Glass houses and all that.
When it’s clear he’s immune to my scolding, I speak before he can butt in.
“I’m confiscating your phone. We’re making him come to you, remember?
If he wants to try to tell you what sort of girl you are instead of seeing it for himself, then he’s a dick.
You’ll feel better in the morning, and if he tries to make you feel bad about it, I’ll stab him.
Or we can ask Illi to, he loves that shit. ”
Avery laughs again and whispers, far too loudly so everyone hears her, “You didn’t tell me Illi was so fucking hot! Do you think his dick is tattooed too?”
I see the tension form in Harley and Ash’s shoulders as I giggle. I deliberate for a half a second but think, fuck it.
“I told you he’s married, right? Well, Odie told me he has her name tattooed down his dick because any girl that dares to go near it should be warned it belongs to her.
I’m not sure if she was being serious, but I do know he has a piercing there.
I haven’t seen it! A few Mounty girls told me about fucking him. Before Odie, obviously.”
Avery stumbles and my leg protests so fucking painfully as I hold her upright.
“A piercing?! Do you think he’d show it to me?”
“Avery, shut the fuck up!” Ash snaps, and I snort with laughter at them both as we finally get to the car. Avery frowns at him, but at least the tears are gone from her eyes.
Ash frisks Blaise for his keys, handing them off to Harley as he helps me into the back seat, and then practically pours Blaise in after me.
Avery sits in the front passenger seat and Ash seethes about her drunken ramblings next to me.
I feel like warning him that she’s just doing it to piss him off, but Avery needs to get her kicks somehow, I guess.
When we get back to the hotel room, the guys leave Blaise on the couch, and Ash stomps after Avery to start another argument with her. I wiggle my feet out of the boots, grabbing my knife to take with me to bed, and then move to follow the twins into our room.
I make it a single step before Harley catches me around the waist and drags me into his body. “Did you forget something, babe? You’re in my bed tonight. It’s my reward for not mouthing off to that sick fuck.”
Oh, right.
I turn in his arms, rubbing my face on his bare chest as I yawn, dead on my feet.
“I’m not sure you deserve it after your little private show for him.”
Harley hoists me into his arms and carries me to his bed. “That’s exactly why I deserve it, babe.”
I’m woken a few short hours later by a text from Doc checking in to see if I still need to see him.
Smothering a groan, I flick him a quick text saying I’ll be an hour before I crawl out from underneath Harley and jump in the shower.
I order an Uber as I throw on some shorts and one of Harley’s tees, then shove my cherry Docs on and swipe a room key from the side-table at the door.
“Where are you sneaking off to this early in the morning?” Ash whispers, and I jump about a mile in the air. Creepy fucker. He’s standing there, already dressed and with a cup of delicious smelling coffee in his hands. I think about wrestling it off of him.
“I’m going to see Doc. I have an appointment,” I whisper back, and try to ignore the blush that immediately starts.
Ash eyes my cheeks and quirks an eyebrow. “I’ll drive you in. We can pick up breakfast on the way back.”
Okay, that sounds amazing, but the chances of him waiting in the car while I’m in with Doc aren’t great.
He hands me his coffee while he grabs his shoes and I drink the rest of it in a giant gulp.
“I need to speak to him about birth control and my period. I didn’t think you’d want to sign up for a front row seat to that. ”
Ash smirks and grabs his keys. “I’m glad you’re thinking about birth control, Mounty, and I’m not squeamish. Who the hell do you think helped Avery when she first got hers? I don’t give a shit. Now, do you want to take the Maserati or the Mustang?”
Fuck.
I guess he’s coming.
We take the Maserati because he has the keys for that already, and I don’t want this to end up a field trip to my uterus by asking Harley for the ‘Stang keys.
It’s strange to me that Ash has access to the largest amount of money and yet we’re borrowing cars from the other two.
When I mention it, he smirks at me. “I have a collection of cars and if I brought any of them to the slums of Mounts Bay, I would have to stab someone for daring to breathe too closely. I leave them safely in the garage at Avery’s horse ranch. ”
Huh.
Avery has a horse ranch?
Ash laughs at my expression. “She bought it freshman year and she’s been renovating it since.
She’s been careful about keeping it a secret from Joey and Senior.
She hates horses because she’s a germaphobe, but the land is in a prime and secluded location.
She built a garage for me, and she’s been renovating rooms for us all too.
She’ll start bugging you about moving into it during summer break soon. ”
Huh.
Maybe I do have a house I need to have secured by the Coyote? I make a note to ask Avery about it.
Ash is shockingly good with directions and remembers how to get to Doc’s house without much prompting.
The drive is clear of cars and he parks out front, unbuckling his seatbelt and pausing when I don’t make a move.
Admitting when things hurt or are concerning me isn’t exactly my strong suit, I’d rather make a sarcastic joke, so I give myself a second to get my shit together.
He watches me fidget for a moment, and then gives me a look. He says, with a surprisingly neutral but stern tone, “I’m coming in. I don’t like him and if he has someone else in there, I don’t want you walking in alone.”
I nod, but I don’t move to get out yet.
“Is there something else?” he asks, and it’s in that soft damn tone he uses for Avery. I cave.
“I get severe cramps. I’ve been getting the birth control injection from him for years to help lessen the pain, but it’s not working out, and being at Hannaford makes it hard to get them on time anyway. I’m asking for something else.”
Ash frowns at me and shrugs as he opens the car door. “Stop worrying then. Let’s get this over with so we can go get breakfast. I need another coffee.”
Doc opens the door before we make it up the steps. “Hello, my girl! Brought a friend again, I see. I’m glad you’re being a bit more social.”
I can barely hear him over the noise of the kids running around the house, and Ash is scowling at them all. I wait until we’re locked safely in the exam room before I quietly murmur to Doc, “This is Ash. He is the one who tried to help Maria.”
Ash’s eyes snap to mine. “What do you mean tried to? She got out, didn’t she?”
Fuck. I grimace and Doc smiles wryly at Ash, clapping him on the shoulder. He doesn’t act like a man deeply mourning, but I can see the strain in his face, the signs of his devastation there if you know him like I do.
Doc answers Ash for me while I’m still fumbling for the right words. “You did get her out, and I cannot thank you enough. But she was a silly, love-sick girl and went back to Matteo. She’s gone now. Those noisy little beasts out there are all I have left.”
The mask snaps back over Ash’s features, and I curse myself for not telling him earlier. Doc gives him another little pat then directs us to sit down.
“Here for a shot? You’re late, my girl. I hope you’re not here about babies.”
I flush and grit my teeth at him. “No, Doc, I’m not here about babies. The shot isn’t helping anymore and I want the rod. That’s the next thing to try, right?”
He hums and starts rummaging around in his drawers. “Do you want babies? We could just cut it all out. That can be effective in stopping the pain. Not always, but it’s an option.”
Sweet mother of God.
Why did I bring Ash here again?
Fuck.
While I’m too busy freaking the fuck out about this, Ash snaps at Doc, “You’re not cutting anything out.”
Doc gives him a stern look. “Not your choice, boy.”
Ash surveys the room with contempt. “If she wants anything cut out, I’ll take her to a real hospital, with real doctors, so she doesn’t bleed out at the hands of a second-rate hack in the slums.”
I groan and bury my face in my hands. Is anyone safe from Ash’s sharp tongue?
Doc looks at him for a moment and then laughs, thank fuck, pulling out the equipment to insert the rod in my arm.
It takes under a minute and once he’s finished sticking the band-aid over the wound, he gives me a stern look.
“Any changes from our last visit? Do you need me to test you? Boys lie about being safe and clean, you know, even rich ones.”