She tries to grab the Dandies from me. I raise the bag over my head. “Uh-uh.”
“Kits.”
I grin.
“Fucking A,” Ryke growls. “Not in front of my fucking face.”
I stiffen.
Ryke pinches his eyes. “Fuck, I sound like my brother.” He throws a dish towel and sighs heavily. His back is turned to us while he’s sorting through his own feelings.
I hold out the marshmallows to Banks, who takes one, just to put in Sulli’s mouth. She grins up at him, then tries to feed Banks a marshmallow.
He has to bend down to her.
When Ryke turns around, he’s missed that interaction, and I hand him the bag.
Ryke takes it roughly. “I’m still waiting for one of you to leave.” He looks between Banks and me. “That hasn’t fucking changed.”
“You’re going to be waiting all night,” Sulli tells him.
His nose flares. “By the time these Crispy Rice treats are fucking baked. One of you is gone. That’s the best deal you’re getting all night.”
“Deal,” Banks and I say at the same time.
Sulli pulls her hair up in a messy bun. “I guess I should take what I can get, right? The alternative is you punching them.”
Ryke grimaces. “I don’t feel good about that, Sul.” He runs a hand against the back of his neck. “I’m not fucking proud of it.”
“We don’t blame you,” Banks says. “We know you were just trying to protect Sulli.”
“I’m still trying to protect her. Something I don’t fucking believe you two are trying to do.”
“That’s not true,” Sulli cuts in.
Ryke takes a breath. “Look, I don’t think Akara and Banks have your best fucking interest at heart. If they did, they both wouldn’t be with you.” He sets his glower back on Banks. “I changed my fucking mind—one of you should really leave before this gets any worse tonight.”
“I’ll go,” Banks says the words first.
He backs away from Sulli.
22
BANKS MORETTI
Last thing I want is to continuously add more friction between Sulli and her dad. They have a chance to repair things these next couple days, and if it takes me getting out of everyone’s hair, so be it.
She tries to catch my wrist, but I rest my hand against her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, mermaid.”
“Promise?”
“Promise. Cross my heart, hope to never die.”
Her lips try to rise.
I almost lean in and kiss her, but Ryke’s glower has torched to volcanic levels, so I back the fuck away. And I leave.
Cold wind hits me from the outside, and I dig in my pocket, feeling a pack of cigarettes. I scan the moonlit cul-de-sac. Threat still at large.
You’d think I’d feel like utter shit leaving Akara with Sulli and her dad. The one true boyfriend to rule them all. But I feel light. Happy, even. For once, I could give him something. A win. And hell, Akara Kitsuwon needs a win more than me these days.
“Wait up!”
I wince at the sound of his voice, and when I rotate, I just shake my head. “You dumbass,” I say to Akara and let go of the cigarettes.
He wraps an arm around my shoulder mid-step on his way to the driveway. He propels me with him. Not missing a beat. “How am I the dummy when I came to keep you company?”
“I don’t need any company,” I say. “I need you to get your ass back inside there—” I shrug his shoulder off me, but we’re already at Booger.
Akara twirls the keys, then unlocks the door. “I’m not going back without you, Banks.”
Slinging my head back, I let out a long cantankerous groan. “Mother of Christ. You’re so fuckin’ diehard SFO, you can’t even see that you’re hurting yourself in this—”
“So what if I am? I’m the boss. You’re my responsibility. I take the hits.”
“You have a chance to be alone with her—”
“Not at your expense,” Akara cuts me off, twirling the keys again but slower. “Ryke shouldn’t see you as the dispensable one.”
Dispensable.
He doesn’t even know the full brunt of what my dad said to me the night Skylar died, and still, he’s looking out for me.
How the hell does Akara think he’s the bad guy when he’s been so good to me?
“That’s the thing, Akara, I don’t care how the fuck Ryke sees me. I don’t even agree with half of what he said. Daisy was making more sense.” I lift my shoulders. “I don’t need her dad to like me—I need him to fix what he broke with Sulli, and they can do that with you there. Not out here freezing your nuts off with me. So go.” I shove his arm.
He wobbles and glares.
I huff, and our heads turn as floodlights from a security vehicle shine on us.
Price must be here.
We share a tense look and squash our fight. I’d rather end things short than have a run-in with Triple Shield, and Akara must feel the same.