7. Athena
SEVEN
ATHENA
“ W e’re what ?” I shouted, staring at the four sets of eyes before me, crammed inside our apartment’s living room.
“We’re breaking into a bookstore,” Raven said, like she’d just recommended a spa day.
“Are you trying to get me locked up for my birthday?” I mumbled, my gaze traveling over my friends who were nonchalantly holding boxes of my signed books.
“Of course not,” Raven deadpanned. “We want you to have the best birthday.”
“Then let’s go clubbing,” I suggested. “Not break into a damned bookstore.”
“No can do,” Isla muttered. “Raven got it into her head that this is the best gift we could give you and now we must follow through.”
I shook my head. “Does it matter what the birthday girl wants?”
“Birthday girl is confused,” Reina chimed in unhelpfully. “We can go clubbing right after we stock the shelves with your beautiful smut.”
Phoenix set her box down and signed. “ It’s for the good of humanity .”
“And women’s libidos,” Raven added.
I snorted. “They could watch porn, you know.”
Reina tsked. “Don’t dismiss your talent. Your stories are beautiful. Yes, they have smut and a lot of… fucking, but they’re a dream come true for your readers.”
“Yes,” Raven claimed. “They’re Oscars material.”
I narrowed my eyes on them. “Are you all high?”
A giggle escaped one of them and it was a rolling effect from there.
“How come nobody offered me a joint?” I asked when we all settled down, crossing my arms over my chest. “After all, it’s my birthday.”
Silence descended. Dilated pupils stared back at me.
And then a loud shout. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
Suddenly, confetti fell and balloons floated to the ceiling as the girls ran up to me and wrapped me in a hug.
“Do you want a joint?” Raven asked, frowning. “Will it make you braver for our bookstore operation?”
Laughing, I kissed all their cheeks one by one. “I think so.”
Thirty minutes later, we giddily stumbled our way to the bookstore, hands full of boxes.
Looking inconspicuous and completely innocent— right —we made our way into the alley, our steps slightly unsteady and our giggles incessant. We’d laughed so much my cheeks hurt, and it was already the perfect birthday.
Until we got to the side metal door. Raven stopped, confused, and we all followed suit, her eyes darting between the door and the window five feet away.
“What is it?” I singsonged.
“It seems wrong to go through the door,” she muttered.
I glanced over my shoulder at the rest of the girls.
“ What is she saying ?” Phoenix signed.
Reina lowered her box and told her sister, “ She thinks we shouldn’t go through the door .”
“Why not?” Isla seemed as confused as the rest of us. “Don’t book suppliers go through the door?”
Raven whirled around. “Yes, but during business hours.”
I looked around left and right, the world tilting on its axis. “It looks like daytime to me.”
“But are they open?” Raven demanded to know.
I frowned, my brain too slow to process her question.
“ Are they ?” Phoenix signed.
“How in the fuck should I know?” I hissed. “I thought we had a plan?”
Isla shrugged. “Well, we kind of did. We just have to get in.”
Raven pouted, looking around the alley, her gaze landing on the window.
“We’ll go in through that window,” she declared, pointing as if there weren’t multiple windows in the alley.
A dry breath escaped me, suddenly feeling as if I needed another hit of that joint to survive this.
“Oh, look,” Isla said, stepping around me. “Raven’s ass is hanging out.”
As if pulled by the same string, we all turned around to find Raven’s upper body inside the window, her ripped yoga pants giving us the perfect view of her bare ass.
Two heartbeats passed before we burst into full-blown belly laughs that had us folding over.
“Stop laughing and help me,” Raven grunted.
One shared glance with the girls and we howled and roared as tears pricked our eyes.
“Come on, girls, I’m stuck,” Raven whined.
Isla bumped shoulders with me, then pushed me away playfully. “You help her.”
“But I’m the birthday girl,” I grumbled, but I was already making my way to the window. “Stop moving, Raven. I don’t want to touch your naked ass. I love you, but not that much.”
From the sound of it, the girls were rolling on the ground behind me as I awkwardly attempted to grab Raven’s legs. Despite my complaining, I was lucky to find friends who could be as crazy as I was. Not many people could say the same.
“Stop kicking,” I yelled, drawing hushed scolds from the girls. “You almost knocked my teeth out and broke my nose.”
No sooner had she stilled than I grabbed her ankles and pushed her inside. She landed with a thunk.
It wasn’t until we were in the small room on the inside that Reina asked, “What about the boxes of books?”
Fuck. Me.
I stepped around her and was just about to climb out the same window, praying I didn’t smash my face, when a voice came behind us.
“Why in the fuck are you coming through the window? I said to come through the front door.”
We all whirled around to find a man, well over six feet, leaning against the wall, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and black T-shirt tight across his chest.
“Kyran Callahan,” Raven exclaimed. “Where the fuck were you?”
His eyes rested on Raven before moving over the rest of us and letting out a string of curses under his breath.
“Are you all fucking drunk?” He did not seem very happy.
We all shook our heads. “No.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Just high as a kiiiite,” Reina sang.
Raven, Isla, Phoenix, and I facepalmed, shook our heads in shame, then laughed our asses off. Being high was hilarious.
Kyran muttered another string of expletives, then pushed off the wall and muttered, “God spare me from these women.” He walked away from us and looked over his shoulder when none of us moved. “Follow me.” When we stayed standing, he barked, “Now.”
We scrambled after him, sharing glances and looking back at the window and beyond, as if we could x-ray through the wall and see our boxes.
“Who’s Kyran?” Isla asked.
“Aiden’s brother,” I muttered. “He’s hot, but he’s trouble.”
“I can hear you,” he said, not slowing his pace.
“Kyran, we left our stuff outside the window,” Isla stated matter-of-factly. “And while I appreciate following your gorgeous ass, we need them. Otherwise, this birthday gift has gone to shit.”
“Too late,” Reina muttered, rolling her eyes. “And for the record, his ass is not that great. I’ve seen better.”
Mental note: Never let Reina get high again.
Kyran stopped, causing Raven and me to bump into his back. I swore I could see him inhale a calming breath before turning around.
“While you five were hanging your asses out of the window, I had one of my men bring them in.” He pointed to the right, and sure enough, there they sat, waiting for us in front of an empty shelf. “Now stock your shit and get out.”
I rubbed my forehead—was his back made of steel or something?—and sidestepped him.
“Worst birthday ever.”