Page 37 of Pretty Lies (Watch Me Burn #1)

“Get mad at me. Hit me if it makes you feel better, but don’t shut me out,” he begged, not giving a shit about causing a scene. “I’ll get on my knees for you in front of the entire school, I’ll donate all my money to charity, I don’t care what it takes to make you forgive me.”

“I’ll keep an eye out in the tabloids to hear of your wife leaving you. Then I’ll track her down and buy her a drink because she deserves praise for marrying you in the first place,” I hissed, turning to walk towards the road. “Leave me alone, Jensen, or I’ll have you arrested for stalking me.”

He cursed but didn’t follow, and I made the long walk back to Skeeter’s in record time, not wanting anyone to follow me.

The driveway was filled with cars when I arrived, so I knew some of Skeeter’s crew was here, most likely handling business.

I lit a cigarette as I made my way through the house, ignoring the Psychos that ran their eyes over my soda-soaked body. The red coloring stained my white shirt, and my hair was a tangled mess now that the soda had dried.

Skeeter raised an eyebrow as I found him in the kitchen, where he was sitting at the table cleaning guns with Slash and a few others. “Something happen at school, baby girl?”

I snorted, accepting his touch as he pulled me down onto his lap, his fingers toying with my sticky hair.

“Claire and her army of cunts tipped soda over me in business class. I’m pretty sure I broke her nose, so I’m expecting Josie to get a call. Jensen freaked out on me today, but Caden was in his usual piss-poor mood. How was your day?”

“It was okay. Had a bit of a problem at the Shed, but it’s sorted now.” His eyes tracked my ruined uniform and his jaw clenched, telling me he was pissed about the girls.

“A dead body problem?” I offered lightly, ignoring the look that Slash gave him as Skeeter replied with a simple yep .

“Well, fuck,” I cringed, flicking the ash from my cigarette into the ashtray. “Stop stressing about the girls, it was just soda. You’re going to break a tooth if you keep grinding your jaw like that.”

He scowled, giving me a stern look. “Claire needs to back off before she’s my next dead body problem. I’m going to have to deal with Holloway’s boys too if they don’t back the fuck off from you.”

I nipped his neck playfully, secretly loving how protective he was of me. I’d never enjoyed possessive assholes before, but it seemed to be my thing now.

Skeeter could look at another man with violence in his eyes and I’d come in my panties.

“How about we go upstairs so I can make you feel better? Then we can go to the Shed so you can watch me demolish bitches for fun.”

He smirked, biting my shoulder sharply and making me gasp. “As much as I love that idea, I’m busy. Go wash up and try to save your uniform, we’ll fuck later.”

“I’d prefer to shower with you,” I murmured, jumping as Slash’s fist smacked down on the table.

“I’d prefer it if you’d stop distracting my boys by dangling that pussy of yours in front of them. Go wash up, you’re a fucking mess,” he barked, fuming as I flipped him the bird.

“Bite me, Russo.”

“Skeet, I’m about to tear your bitch apart,” Slash growled, and Skeeter sighed as he helped me to my feet and swatted my ass.

“Stop disrespecting my boss before you end up dead. I’ll be up soon.”

“Promise?” I asked, and he gave me an annoyed look as he shooed me away.

“The sooner you leave, the sooner I can finish what I’m doing.”

I rolled my eyes at his change of mood and headed up to the bedroom that I’d claimed as my own to grab a change of clothes from my bag, locking myself in the bathroom to strip off and shower.

The hot water pelted down over me as I stood under the spray, washing the soda from my body and hair before turning the water off and wrapping a towel around myself.

It was another big fight night tonight, and as much as I was glad that Slash was allowing me to fight, the girls were boring me. I wanted a challenge, someone who could actually fight at a higher level.

The girls at the Shed were good, but I continued to beat them.

I quickly got dressed and walked back to my room, finding Skeeter sitting on the edge of the bed. He eyed my ruined uniform as I tossed it aside, his gaze snapping to mine as I spoke.

“Can girls fight guys in the cage?”

“They’re allowed, but not many guys will agree to it. I don’t want you getting beat to shit by one of them. Our biggest guys are the only ones who’d get in the cage and swing at you, and they’ve killed with their bare hands before. Most of the guys that fight on your level wouldn’t hit a girl.”

“I’m getting sick of fighting the girls, they’re not a challenge.”

“I’ll ask around, but it’s only happening if I find a fair fighter. If they win and you get seriously hurt, I’ll shoot them,” he warned.

“No, you won’t, that’s not fair.”

“Bet on it, Aurora.” He got to his feet and yanked me closer by the throat, speaking in a firm voice. “You promise to only fight a guy that I approve of? No going rogue on me?”

I nodded, groaning as he kissed me hard before releasing my throat and stalking from the room without another word.

Most of the Psychos had cleared out by the time I got back downstairs, but Slash leaned against the wall with a scowl fixed to his face.

“Guys would do some damage to you, Donovan.”

“I know.” I halted as he grabbed my elbow firmly, annoyance on his face.

“What the fuck are you trying to prove? That you can get your ass handed to you?”

I yanked back but he only tightened his grip, waiting for my answer.

“I’m bored, that’s all. I haven’t lost a fight or even come close to it.”

“The good news is if you step in that cage against a guy, you’ll definitely come off second best,” he grunted, leaning down to get in my face. “If you want to hurry things along, I’d be more than happy to help you lose.”

“You wouldn’t hit me, Slash.”

“I would. Would you prefer my fist, or my fucking car?” he bit out, releasing me just as Skeeter walked in.

“Do you two ever stop bickering?” Skeeter grunted, raking his gaze over me appreciatively as if he hadn’t just seen me. “You want to drive?”

It took me a second to realize he was talking to me.

“You’ll let me drive the McLaren?”

“Fuck no,” he snorted, handing me a set of keys. “I brought my Corvette home from storage for you to use. Test drive it on the way to the Shed, and if you’re comfortable with it, you can use it to get to school. Don’t draw attention to yourself in it, I don’t need the heat.”

Slash rolled his eyes, giving Skeeter a bored look. “I suppose there’s a key to your house on that keychain too? You’re so fucking whipped. You really going to let the walking fucktoy access your shit like that?”

“Choke on my dick, asshole,” Skeeter threw back without hesitation. “Yes, there’s a key to the house on there. I have shit to do out of town sometimes, so at least she can get inside without harassing me.”

“Like I said, whipped. You’re literally letting her move in,” Slash said dryly, running his eyes over me. “You’re hot, but you’re not that hot. Sluts don’t make good housewife material.”

“Hey!” I scowled, amusement dancing across his face.

“What? You know in some states it’s illegal for him to fuck you, right? You’re a child.”

“I’m more adultier than you.”

“Adultier? Sure you are, kid,” he deadpanned, turning to Skeeter, who didn’t seem to find the conversation entertaining in the slightest. “I’ll meet you there. Don’t take too long.”

“Jesus, man. We’re leaving right now with you,” Skeeter snapped, pulling the McLaren keys out of his pocket and shoving a cigarette between his lips, lighting it on his way out the door.

Slash climbed into his red and black 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and took off, leaving us to check out the Corvette alone.

Nerves tingled through me as we walked around the back of the house to where the McLaren was parked alongside a white and black 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and my eyes almost fell out of my head. It was beautiful.

The black rims, spoiler, and stripe down the hood looked so good against the white, and I was itching to start it and hear the engine.

“I take it you approve since there’s a puddle at your feet?” Skeeter joked as I unlocked the car and opened the door.

“You’ll really let me drive this? What did it cost you? Should I be on the insurance?” I blurted out, running my hand over the leather seat.

“Only my soul. Didn’t cost me a lot of money, and no, I won’t tell you the details because you don’t need to know,” he answered flatly, watching me slide behind the wheel. “It’s only a loan for now, don’t get too excited. Do you know how to drive a car like this? It’s stick shift.”

“Yes, I can drive stick shift,” I said defensively as I started the engine, a moan leaving me as it roared to life. “Skeet, I’m leaving you for this car.”

“It’s cute that you think we’re together and that I like you enough to care,” he chuckled darkly as I shut the door and put the window down, and he rested his forearm on the roof to lean in. “I expect you to show me some appreciation when we get home later.”

“You’re the best. I’m the luckiest girl in the world,” I cooed with fake sweetness, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Make sure you tell everyone that too, especially how good my dick is. Give me a second to warm up the McLaren, then I’ll follow you to the Shed. If it’s too much power for you, pull over.”

“I’m from the Heights. I know how to drive and steal one of these,” I answered with a grin, buckling up and running my hands across the steering wheel. “You probably can’t keep up with me anyway.”

“Drive it properly, or you’ll lose it,” he warned before walking towards the McLaren and climbing in.

Once both engines were warm, I eased on the gas and off the clutch, the car rolling forward with a rumble as I made my way towards the end of the driveway, flipping the blinker on before turning onto the road.

I couldn’t stop smiling, the car shifting gears so easily as I drove.

Skeeter was right on my ass the entire time, not trusting me to behave myself, but we arrived at the Shed in one piece.

He parked beside me and I climbed out, locking it before turning to him and draping my arms around his neck.

“That was fucking awesome.”

“Be a good girl and I’ll let you play with it whenever you want,” he murmured, sliding an arm around my lower back to tug me closer, leaning down to nip my lip. “Try not to piss off Slash, okay? I like you, but he’s where my loyalties lie. If I have to choose, it’ll be him.”

He didn’t look apologetic about it, and I couldn’t blame him for that choice.

I was pretty sure the crew was one of those blood in, blood out situations, meaning he was forever married to this life. His boys would always come first.

“As long as you leave me with the car, we’re cool,” I joked, laughing as he fisted my hair to kiss me, dominating my mouth right there in the yard.

When we pulled apart, he gave my ass a firm squeeze.

“Slash is wrong, you’d make a good wife. Taking all the man’s shit in the divorce.”

“You already have a nice car, don’t be greedy. I think fifty-fifty is fair. You get one, I get the other.”

He went to reply but paused, his eyes on something behind me that drew a sigh out of him. “Ty’s here. His BMW’s parked near Slash’s ‘Stang.”

“Great,” I muttered, untangling myself from him and knowing this night was going to go to shit. “If he pisses me off, I’m breaking his face.”

“If he pisses you off, let me know so I can break his face for you. Save your energy for the fights, money maker,” he said sternly, leading me towards the door.