Keaton shrugs. “We still can…”
“Can’t,” I murmur just as Lilith walks down the stairs in a tight sports bra and little black booty shorts that ride over her swollen ass cheeks. “Made a promise to Cartier that I wouldn’t.”
Lilith has her silver hair in two French braids that tighten down the curve of her head as she flicks through something on her phone. Her eyes fly up to Keaton and me as she removes an earbud out of one side. “Morning.”
Keaton nods up at her. “You’re up early.”
Her head turns toward the two of us, her face free of makeup. I really wish I could say that she’s not as great as I remember her from the night before, or even the night I carried her out of the shithole after Sass killed her father, but nope. With no makeup on, it’s as though you can see everything she tries to hide, and they’re not blemishes.
I tilt my head, knowing damn well I’ve been staring at her blatantly too long for it to pass as normal.
“Wanna come for a run?” Lilith asks me, wriggling her brows.
Even without all that makeup on, there’s one thing she can’t hide, and that’s the madness that dwells in her eyes. I think about saying yes because I planned to go for a run anyway, but find myself shaking my head.
“I’m good.”
She shrugs, her face giving nothing away before leaving through the front door.
“You know, I’m starting to catch the way you look at her.”
I don’t pay him any attention, taking another bite of my apple just as Eli enters the kitchen.
Keaton picks up his protein shake, leaning over so that only I can hear his next words. “And him.”
I flip him off as he makes his way out of the bus. He’s probably going to run with Lilith. Typical. Keaton is confusing to people who don’t understand him or know him. Shit happened to him when he was a kid that shaped how he deals with people now. He doesn’t open up easily, but for whatever reason, he likes Lilith. Probably because they’re both fucking crazy.
Or were bred from crazy.
Eli sits opposite me with a coffee cup in his hands. He brings it to his mouth, his eyes on mine.
“Nope, fuck no. I’m not doing this with you either.” I go to stand from my chair and make my way to the sitting room when his hand is on mine, pulling me backward. I tilt my head back, closing my eyes to count to fucking ten because between him and Lilith, I’m fucked. It’s as though they’re both playing on the same team.
He continues to stare up at me behind dark lashes and sleepy eyes. He has a lazy grin on his mouth, and I just know. I know he’s going to say something that’s going to have me either wanting to punch his mouth or fuck it.
“The broody hard-to-get thing you have going on isn’t working, just FYI, so when you’re ready to swallow your pride, I can lube your throat with my cum so it goes down easier.”
And there it is.
I shake my head and pull out of his grip. Smart-ass motherfucker.
The crew are clearly on form tonight since we’re not scheduled to leave for Florida until tomorrow afternoon. Since it’s a seventeen-hour-ish drive down, we all have our own plans to stop where we want since there’s a week between every show, depending on where we’re traveling to. This round we’re hitting all the coastline areas of the US and, hopefully, Mexico. I can’t fucking wait to get over that border. Something about Mexico just hits differently.
Music spills between the open spaces of the buses. There’s one big bonfire burning embers through the dark night as chatter and laughter litter the air. It usually gets loud after a show, but even more so the day after. We all have too much money and not enough fear.
I keep my gaze on the fire when Lilith’s laugh breaks through my foggy thoughts. I’m thankful for it. I’m done stressing about my fucking sister, who—thankfully—isn’t joining us for another four months. Mom and Dad flying her to finish her school year in France isn’t smart. We all know she’s just going to come home with a new French-speaking boyfriend, but it beats her shaking her ass around the place here. Cartier is the biggest contradiction you’ll ever meet. I bring myself back to Lilith, where she and Sass are talking, though it looks like Sass is doing all the fucking talking. Lilith looks over to me as if she can sense me watching her and I slowly bring my bottle to my mouth, taking my time swallowing the bitter beer. She’s hot. I know that’s why I find myself fascinated with her, well, that and she’s fucking weird. It doesn’t help. I’ve always been into the Harley Quinn type chicks. It gets my dick hard, wondering if it’s going to wake up to her riding on it or cutting it off.