Chapter 17 #2
Athena cackles. “Yeah, you should try to get with her. I’m sure Ace, Logan and Law would love to hear you were hitting on their girlfriend.”
His eyes shoot wide in surprise before he schools his features again. “Sorry love.”
“Uh, it’s okay.” I mutter softly.
“Names Ghost, VP of The Dead Wanderers MC. You ever need anything the club is at your service.” He looks back to Athena and leans closer to her. His voice, a low, devious purr. “And if you ever need anything spitfire, I’m at your service.”
Her cheeks flush crimson as he pulls back and walks away from her. Her body is tense but it's the strange longing lingering in her eyes that has me calling out for Shelia.
“Uh Shelia, I think maybe we need two shots after all.” Sheila, thankfully, is a girl's girl it seems and has no issue sliding two shots of vodka at us.
“You have to tell me who has the best dick.” Athena leans over onto my shoulder with a loud giggle, slurring her words.
“Oh my god shhhh.” I say, equally as drunk sounding. I’m not sure when it happened but somewhere between the 3rd shot and 5th ghost in the graveyard the world started to seem less scary and more funny.
“No no pleaseeee you have to tell me I need to know. Throw a single girl a bone!” She says in a rather loud voice.
Taking a slurp of the last of my drink, I wince as the alcohol hits my throat.
I don’t want to admit that Ace and I are no closer to repairing our relationship, or that I’m desperate to know exactly what his cock looks like.
So instead I shrug, “All I’m saying I’ve become a big fan of piercings” Athena cuts me off with a shriek, cackling hysterically and screaming about needing to get fucked by someone with a dick piercing.
She slaps her hand on the bar and Shelia cuts us a look that screams we might be two seconds away from getting kicked out.
Another shrill sound pierces the air from my friend as the music shifts and she’s dragging me off the bar stool. “OH MY GOD THIS IS MY SONG!”
The alcohol fuels my body and pushes away any embarrassment that I would normally feel at this moment as she starts to grind on me.
Our bodies twist and sway to the song, laughter pouring from us.
The song switches but Athena keeps me glued to her and sweat starts to drip down my spine as we dance to song after song.
Eventually we stumble back to our seats, sweaty messes, and chug the water that someone has left behind for us.
“Sheila! Two more shots!” Athena yells out.
“I don’t think so spitfire.” Ghost comes up next to us, his eyes on fire as he looks over my friend.
“Hey!” I growl, emboldened by the booze. “Don’t you tell her what to do. We are strong women who can do whatever we want! We are survivors!”
Athena echoes my statement, slinging her arm around my shoulders just as a very familiar dark voice joins Ghost. “You are cut off, Cricket.” My mouth goes dry as Ace comes to stand next to Ghost. He looks me over from head to toe and I shiver at the attention.
Attention he’s deprived me of since the other day when he stole my stuff.
Narrowing my eyes I let the alcohol choose violence for me. “You don’t own me.” I take Athena’s half full drink from the bar and suck down the liquid with my eyes locked on Ace.
“Oh shit.” Ghost mutters, dragging his hand down his face.
Athena steps away from me, her warmth gone in a flash just as Ace enters my space, pressing my back against the bar as he pulls the drink from my hand. He hovers next to my ear as he does. “You are mine Cricket. And you are in such deep shit.”
Ace
Ghost: Your girl is getting pretty saucy with Athena at Shelia’s.
Me: Fuck. Keep an eye on them for me, I’m on my way.
Ghost had texted me the second he figured out who Thea was.
I had subsequently called Logan and chewed him out for letting Thea go off with Athena Gold.
Town trouble maker. And general pain in the ass of most of us.
He had only laughed and reminded me she needed friends right before he pointed out exactly who followed the town trouble maker around.
“She’s as safe with him watching her as she is with us, Ace.” He had reminded me. He wasn’t wrong that Ghost was lethal, and that he had eyes on Athena 24/7, but I still had no interest in allowing Thea out alone like this.
Particularly because its been fucking impossible to get access to Royce.
So impossible it makes me wonder who is covering his tracks so well.
It’s been infuriating. I’m not the one who people can hide from, I’m the god damn Grim Reaper.
And yet this cock sucker has been able to avoid me spectacularly.
Walking into Shelia’s I’m immediately greeted with the sight of Athena and Thea grinding on one another to some fucking rap song.
The girls are laughing and stumbling, obviously beyond drunk.
Thankfully no one is approaching them and everyone is keeping their eyes averted.
Perhaps because they know who these two belong to, or perhaps it’s because Ghost is actively shooting daggers at all the patrons who dare even walk by the girls.
Either way I’m thankful I don’t have to gut anyone in Shelia’s fucking bar.
He catches my gaze and jerks his head upward. I give him a nod but keep my body tucked to the shadows as the girls wobble off the makeshift dance floor towards the bar.
“Sheila! Two more shots!” Thea yells, or tries to. Her words are beyond slurred and she can’t stop laughing. It was almost comical, honestly. If I wasn’t so god damn worried about her life I’d be laughing.
Ghost walks up behind them and makes the piss poor choice of telling Athena she’s cut off. But to my shock it’s not Athena who snaps back but Thea. “Don’t you tell her what to do. We are strong women who can do whatever we want! We are survivors!”
Athena seems to cling to my girl, and not for the first time I’m curious about her past.
Emerging from the shadows, I slide up next to Ghost. “You are cut off Cricket.” I know before the words are out of my mouth that she is about to choose violence and I fucking love it.
The glare she gives me could kill, icy and hot all at once and out for blood.
Ghost and Athena both step away from us as I lean in and snatch the drink from her.
“You are mine, Cricket. And you are in such deep shit.”
She inhales, her breath picking up as I let my nose trace the shell of her ear for a second. When I pull back I take her body with me, throwing her over my shoulder. She squeals out and pounds her fists against my back as I turn towards Ghost. “Can you get Athena home safely?”
He smirks at me and nods. “Have fun with that.” He turns towards Athena who is perhaps even drunker than Thea. “Let's go spitfire.”
“I’m not falling on your dick again!” She slurs. “That was one time.”
I bite back the surprise as Ghost shakes his head and loops his arm around her.
“Don’t worry, the next time I fuck you I want you sober enough to scream my name and remember its me who makes you cum so good.
” Turning I exit quickly. I have no interest in getting in the middle of that lovers quarrel.
“Aceeeee.” Thea whines against my back.
“What is it, Cricket?” My hands firmly grip her thighs to keep her steady over my shoulder.
“Why are you here? You hate me.” She slurs.
I let out a deep growl. “I don’t hate you, we’ve been through this.”
She scoffs, the sound making her seem even more intoxicated if possible. “No I mean nowwww. You hate me nowwww. You’ve avoided me since the garden.” She hiccups a bit and I wince hoping she doesn’t puke down my back. “OH MY GOD MY GARDEN! You made me a garden and you hate me.”
“I do not fucking hate you Thea.” I snap, pulling her from my shoulders. She wobbles on her feet as I hold her shoulders. “I’m keeping my distance because I don’t think you’ll like me when you realize exactly what type of person I am!”
She frowns, eyebrows furrowed as she wobbles. “I don’t feel good.” It’s the only warning I get before she’s puking directly at our feet. I wince as it splashes over our shoes. “Oh fuck I’m sorry.” She sobs before another wave comes and she’s emptying more of her stomach on the sidewalk.
I let out a long sigh, holding her hair back best I can. “It’s okay, better here than in Logan’s jeep. Though he deserves it for letting you go off and get wasted.” She pukes a few more times before I’m fairly certain she's done.
“I’m sorry.” She slurs. “I’m the worst.”
Scooping her up into my arms I frown at the words. “Cricket, you are allowed to get drunk with a friend.”
“No. I’m not.” She curls into my neck, her breath hot against my skin. “He’ll find me. He tells me in my head all the time.”
“What do you mean Cricket?” Opening the jeep door I slid her drunken body into the passenger seat eliciting a giggle from her. “Thea. What do you mean he tells you in your head?”
She lets out a sigh and her eyes flutter closed. “You know I think I love you, even when I shouldn’t.” The words stun me, my body freezing. “When he takes me again, I’m not gonna live with it. I won’t live with it.”
Those words spurn me into action. “What the fuck are you talking about Thea?”
But she doesn’t respond, slumping over and letting the alcohol take her away. Leaving me alone with the haunting, drunken confessions.