Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
“You must have a death wish,” I told the two-faced bitch.
“Relax. Your boy is with my boys.” She shifted nervously on her feet before asking, “Can I come in?” Ruen stepped forward like she’d do just that, but I blocked her.
“No. What do you want?”
“You haven’t been answering my calls or texts, and I’ve missed you. I thought you might—I wanted to come clean, but I’m guessing he already told you.”
“Owen didn’t have to tell me you sold me out, Ruen. I figured it out all on my own.”
It was something Rowdy had said after the hot-air balloon ride—about letting someone into his kingdom for me. It had taken a few days for it to click and a few more to accept the fact that Ruen must have told Rowdy where to find me that night at the club.
She’d used me as leverage to get her crew the green light from the Kings. I guess she must have had second thoughts, afraid that he might hurt me, and that was why she’d barged in on us fucking in the bathroom. Ruen had felt guilty, but it had been too late to take it back.
“I’m sorry. I have no excuse. It was a shitty thing to do.”
“Thanks. Bye.” I tried to close the door, but she stopped it with her boot. “Move, Ruen, before I make you move.”
Her signature smirk appeared for the first time since she arrived on my doorstep. “I’m sure that would be a lot of fun, but I’m not here to fight. I’m here to make amends.” She lifted the Tupperware container I hadn’t noticed her holding before. “Brownies from Remedy. She misses you too.” When I didn’t react, she said in a sing-song voice, “I think they’re still warm.”
Goddamn this manipulative bitch.
She knew I couldn’t resist Rem’s cooking.
I tried to snatch the container, but Ruen held it out of reach, so I drove my fist into that shady bitch’s stomach and snatched the brownies from her when the air whooshed out of her and she leaned over.
Feeling my mouth water, I left her there and carried the brownies into the kitchen. I was pouring a glass of cold milk when I heard the front door shut.
Ruen appeared while I was grabbing a small plate for my brownie and made a show of looking around. “Nice crib. I see Rowdy succeeded in turning you into a house bitch.”
“And I suggest you leave before he turns you into a dead bitch.”
“I told you I had it handled, didn’t I? The guys are going to text me when he leaves. I’ll be out of your hair before he gets back.”
I didn’t bother mentioning that Rowdy had cameras all through this house. Something he had installed after I moved in. No doubt to keep an eye on me with his stalking ass.
“So, what do you want, Ruen? You already apologized.”
“But you haven’t forgiven me.”
I bit off half a brownie, chewed, thought about it, and said, “If I say I forgive you, will you go away?”
“Mmmm…probably not since I won’t believe you.” She stared at me while I ignored her. “Are you seriously telling me you wouldn’t have found your way back to him anyway?”
“I’m not telling you shit. You’re the one talking.”
Ruen sighed heavily as if I was the one being unreasonable. “I fucked up, Atlas, but I’m still your friend.”
“Are you?”
“Yes. It’s just that…the guys are family. Besides Rem, they were all I had for a long time. It’s second nature to ride or die for them. I don’t know anything else. I’m not making excuses,” she rushed to add. “There’s no excuse for what I did. I just—I don’t want you to think it was easy for me to give you up.”
She held my gaze, letting me see the sincerity in it, but since I wasn’t ready to forgive the bitch, I grabbed my plate and glass before leaving the kitchen and returning to the living room.
Ruen followed me from the kitchen and sat down next to me on the couch. Giving up on psych for the time, I grabbed one of my biology textbooks. “If I thought for a second that you wouldn’t be safe with him, you know I wouldn’t have done it.”
Still not looking at her, I flipped a page. “Is that why you stuck around to listen to us fuck?”
Ruen smiled a little. “Maybe. Mostly, I liked the way you sound when you’re being fucked. And I might have been a little jealous that it wasn’t me in there with you.”
“Ruen,” I warned.
She held up her hands in mock surrender. “I know, okay? You’re not into me.”
I cut my gaze at her but chose not to remark on it. Ruen had chosen her words carefully. No, I wasn’t into girls, but she knew I had been into her.