Page 38 of Whips and Chains (Saint View Murder Squad #2)

VIOLET

G rayson eventually called the meeting over, and all nine of us filed out. Grayson strode ahead along the road with Scythe, the middle row made up of Ace, Trigger, and Torch, who were planning how best to take out their next victim from the list.

I walked in the last group, flanked by Whip and Levi, while X jogged in circles around the three of us, spouting the benefits of heart-healthy cardio and complaining we’d been sitting too long and we should all be working on getting our ten thousand steps in each day.

I suspected X probably did more than double that amount daily, considering the man really couldn’t sit still for any extended period of time. That meeting had felt like it had dragged on for a lifetime. Even I felt like I had some energy to burn.

Though I was definitely not about to join X while he buzzed around us like a fly that needed swatting.

Even still, tension crackled through my body. Pent-up energy and leftover adrenaline from doing a very un-Violet-like thing and storming a meeting of men and demanding to be heard.

They’d listened.

They’d agreed.

And that was going to my head.

Music and laughter filtered back from the Slayers’ clubhouse.

The evening air and being out in nature felt good.

When was the last time I’d been surrounded by trees and open skies?

I suddenly envied Levi for the fact he got to live here.

It was a hell of a lot nicer than my shitty apartment in Saint View.

Levi’s arm brushed mine. “Do you need to go back to work?”

“No. The bar was quiet, and when Fang told me there was a meeting happening, I asked for the rest of the night off. Nash told me to go, that he had it under control. Saves them on my wages when I really wasn’t doing much of anything, other than wiping down bar tops that were already clean.”

Levi’s little finger linked around mine. “Stay here tonight then? We’re having a party up at the clubhouse.”

I raised an eyebrow. “A Slayers party? I’ve heard they’re a bit…wild.”

He chuckled. “They can be, if you want them to be. Or we can just go to my room and watch TV in bed.”

The alternative was going back to Fang’s place and hanging out with Vaughn and Kian while they changed diapers and sang “The Wheels on the Bus” a thousand times because it was the only way Lavender would fall asleep each night.

Or going back to my place and sitting there with my memories, all alone.

Alone and unprotected.

I’d just made a big show of being an independent woman and storming the meeting and being a boss bitch, who wouldn’t take no for an answer, but going back to that apartment still made me feel sick.

Staying here with Levi for the night felt like a much more appealing offer. “Okay.”

His fingers threaded through mine, and he led me up the hill.

I didn’t miss the way he didn’t invite the others to stay for the party though.

Nor could anyone miss the awkward tension that crackled between him and Whip.

Well, maybe X missed it. He was too busy yammering about zone something running and metronomes and other exercise-related words I didn’t understand.

Grayson and Scythe were the first to reach the clubhouse, War meeting them at the top of the hill, a slow grin for his partner that heated even my blood so I could only imagine what it was doing to Scythe.

Grayson kept going, disappearing inside, but Scythe stopped close to War, the two of them exchanging a couple of low words with their mouths close to each other’s ears.

I couldn’t see Scythe’s face, only the back of his head, but I saw War’s expression change from neutral to a sly smirk, and I had a feeling I could probably guess what the two of them were whispering about.

I doubted it was PG rated.

They threw off the same sort of chemistry as the two men walking either side of me did.

Not that my two would admit it.

I was more curious than anyone as to what had happened between them in X’s bedroom. But unlike X and his murder squad friends, I wasn’t going to push them. They would tell me if and when they wanted to.

Even if my brain was in overdrive conjuring up a whole host of situations involving the two big men, hands and tongues everywhere, and whole lot of clothes hitting the floor.

That shouldn’t have got me as hot as it did. It felt vaguely pervy and inappropriate and like it wasn’t any of my business.

Except when I was sandwiched between them like this, and it was so thick in the air I could practically lick it, ignoring it felt impossible.

Still, I bit my tongue.

We reached the top of the hill just in time to hear War invite Trigger, Ace, and Torch to the party. They declined, in favor of going off on their killing spree.

It still surprised me how many of these people didn’t even blink an eyelid at announcements like that. War just nodded like it was an every day occurrence and said he’d see them all later.

He turned his attention in our direction and jerked his head toward the clubhouse. “What about you guys? You staying for the party?”

X shook his head. “I’ve got a body to go deal with.”

War nodded. “Grayson told me. I’ll send a couple of prospects up to the gate to help you if you want?”

X saluted him. “Thank ye, kind sir. I can return the favor in ice cream. Only slightly blood-tinged.”

War wrinkled his nose. “I think we’ll just call it a no-strings-attached favor, yeah?”

“Suit yourself.” X turned to me. “Love you. Miss you.” Then he lowered his voice to a stage whisper, as if it were only for me, though everyone around us could hear.

“Find out which of them is the top and which is the bottom. I need to know these things so I can make them personalized Christmas presents.”

“Is there a way your prospects could bury him while they’re burying the body?” Whip asked War. “I’m happy to pay extra.”

X walked backward with a shit-eating grin and pointing a finger at Whip. “You’re just jealous because I was planning to give Levi the T-shirt that says ‘Flip me over, Daddy,’ aren’t you?” He rubbed his hands together. “My Cricut machine is going to get such a workout.”

War and I both bit back a laugh, but Levi and Whip didn’t seem quite as amused.

X took up his jog again, catching up to Trig and his group as they continued on up to the gates where they’d all left their vehicles.

War looked at Whip. “What about you? You staying? Or you got bodies to bury as well?”

Whip smiled and opened his mouth to reply.

But Levi cut him off quickly. “He’s busy.”

Whip raised an eyebrow at him and then turned back to War. “I was going to say I had some things to take care of, but you know what? I’m suddenly in the mood for a beer and some company. So I think I will stay. Thanks for the invite.”

He shook War’s hand and moved past him, heading for the clubhouse door.

I could hear Levi’s molars grinding, even above the music floating through the compound. He stormed after Whip, leaving me alone with War.

He winced. “Oops. Did I fuck up there?”

I grinned at him. “Not from where I’m standing. They have some…unresolved tensions they could stand to work out.”

He turned and walked me into the clubhouse. “Ah. I know all about unresolved tensions.” He grinned over at me and winked. “Get ’em drunk. Get ’em naked. Get in the middle. Guaranteed to fix all.”

Heat flushed through me, partly out of embarrassment, but partly because the very idea of being in between the two of them was very appealing. “Don’t think my brother would be too happy about that idea.”

He winked at me. “He’s already gone home for the night. He doesn’t hang out here much when they have a new baby. Which is basically all the time. They need all-hands-on-deck with their tribe.”

We entered the clubhouse, and War went straight to the bar, reaching over the top of it and pulling a beer from a bucket of ice. He shook it off before handing it to me.

“Drink. Have fun. Like Psychos, whatever happens at a Slayers’ party, stays at the Slayers’ party. Nobody is going to tell your brother what you get up to here.” He clinked his beer against mine.

A tingle of anticipation ran down my spine. The room was already full of people. Most were familiar, and a few I recognized from Psychos stopped me to say hello. Drinks flowed freely, and chatter surrounded me.

War made his way through the room, smiling at everyone and slapping their hands, but the whole time, his gaze kept drawing across the room, and when I followed it, I found Bliss watching him with a small smile on her face.

I waved to her, but she was fully focused on War heading her way.

She moved her ample hips sensuously in time with the beat, and I wondered if she even had any idea how effortlessly sexy she was.

Her hair was out, all wild waves of beautiful auburn, and Scythe stood at her back, his head lowered to kiss her neck while she sipped her drink.

She had her free hand resting on his thigh behind her, her thumb stroking over the denim of his jeans while she waited for War to get to them.

When he did, she tipped her head back and kissed him deeply, zero shame or awkwardness that she was kissing one man while another kissed her neck.

I glanced around the room, and nobody was staring at them. They all just went on with their conversations like it was completely normal for the three of them to be making out in the middle of the room.

A warm hand wrapped around my wrist, spinning me around, which was a relief because otherwise I probably would have stood there all night, mesmerized by a woman who looked like me being so worshipped by multiple men.

Memories of the night I’d had three men in my bed, taking turns at having me rushed through my head, mixing with the pleasant buzz from the alcohol.

“What are you thinking right now?” Levi asked.

I bit my lip. “Nothing.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Your face says otherwise.”

I laughed at him. “Fine, maybe it does. But I don’t need to tell you my every thought.”