Page 23 of Masterson Made

“No one is that clean.”

“I will say this,” Stone adds. “He rents most of his apartments to women that fit a very similar description. Young, pretty, short, blonde, and they’re all students.”

“So he’s creating his own built-in dating service.”

“The dickhead’s a predator,” Cutter says. “Plain and simple.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“He’s going to have to be dealt with.”

“What do you mean dealt with?”

“Elizabeth mentioned her friend is from Oregon, so she’s a long way from home with no family here to speak for her. So I’m going to pay the little prick a visit.”

“Who are you, Batman?” Cutter asks flippantly. “Now you’re out here defending helpless damsels in distress?”

“Keep it up, fathead.”

“I’m just saying, Rome. We pay assholes a visit when we’re getting paid for it. What you’re thinking about doing is something we did when we were seventeen. Kid shit to impress a girl.”

“Yeah, man, I spent a week’s worth of time and resources tracking that dude for you. I thought there’d be some payoff.”

I look at Cutter and Stone like they’ve lost their minds. Are they fucking serious right now?

“This is different and you know it,” I try saying calmly.

“Because it’s for Elizabeth?” Camden asks incredulously.

“Fucking right!”

I stare down every King brother in the room. Each one of them bigger than the next. No one was more happy than me when Camden and Cutter found their brother Stone, but right now their collective brotherhood asses are getting on my nerves. I ball one of my fists tightly, ready to swing, if one of them says one more thing about this favor or Elizabeth.

“Look, he’s ready to swing on one of us!”

“Dayummm, we were just busting your balls,” Cutter says as all three of them bust out into deep belly laughs.

“Y’all weren’t lying,” Stone says. “I thought he was going to slit our throats.”

“Can I get you a drink?” Camden asks facetiously. “Because you look like you need it.”

“Is this a frat house?” I say snidely. “Did I just get hazed by three jackoffs?”

They continue laughing like I’ve just said the funniest shit ever.

“Is this what you three do all night in my club?”

“You mean laugh?” Cutter asks sarcastically.

“Whatever,” I mutter under my breath, recognizing that they got me good. Things have been so tense lately, I can’t even tell when my oldest friends are messing with me.

Finally, I crack a smile.

I guess it was kind of funny.

“Hey, so we’ve been working on the job Kat gave us,” Camden says, getting serious for the moment.

“How’s that going?”