“What?”
“Her hair is greasy. She needs to bathe, you know. Even with a gunshot wound. Actually, maybe especially with one.”
Did Valen’s eyes go a little heated at that or was it just my imagination?
And even if it was there, why the hell did it immediately fucking turn me on? After all these years. And all the shit he put me through.
“It’s a good thing you’re here then,” Valen said. “But I am hopping in,” he added, going to his cabinet to get fresh clothes, then moving into the bathroom, closing the door to one of the shower rooms.
“What are you up to, Vi?” I asked, watching as her gaze shifted away.
“Me? Nothing. I am innocent as a babe.”
“He is not showering me,” I objected.
“Why? Because you still think he’s a hottie? I mean, I think he’s disgusting. But that is, you know, Darwinism and shit.”
“Because I don’t want my coworkers seeing me naked,” I insisted. “I wouldn’t want Voss showering me either.”
“Really?” Vi asked, pursing her lips. “I mean… I wouldn’t mind Voss showering me,” she said, smirking because the man in question was walking in the room at that exact moment.
Her words made him actually stop mid-stride, looking almost taken aback.
“Oh, come on. You know you’re a sexy beast,” Vi said, clearly enjoying his discomfort. Which was likely due to the fact that Vi was both gorgeous and completely off-limits.
Sure, the club had made exceptions. Niro and Andi and Billie and Rowe. But those were different. They had been long-running crushes that just… eventually became more. And Niro had been a part of our world. Rowe, well, he was best friends with Malc, so he was around a lot too.
Voss, though. Voss was new. And most of us barely knew anything about his story, his past, or even his values. Normally, he wouldn’t have even been allowed in, given how little anyone knew about him. But saving Valen’s life made him an exception to the rule.
And not only was Violet a princess, and therefore off-limits. But she was also his best friend’s little sister.
You couldn’t get more forbidden than that.
He couldn’t know, of course, what I did.
That he wasn’t actually her type.
That she was just screwing with him a little.
Vi tended to go for darker-haired and darker-eyed guys. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her with someone with lighter features like Voss.
“Fucking… women…” was all I could make out as he turned around and walked back toward the door.
“Was that an invitation?” Violet called, getting an actual growl out of him as he exited the room.
“You’re cruel,” I told her.
“Oh, please. You should see Layna laying it on thick when she’s here. Poor Voss and Dezi don’t stand a chance.”
“Is she still doing the professional poker thing?” I asked.
“You would know if you maybe texted her once in a while,” Violet said, shooting me a hard look.
“We covered the me being a shitty friend part,” I reminded her. “I plan to try to… reconnect. You know… when I can sit on a barstool again. Because I think things like that require liquor.”
“Alright. I’m holding you to that. Even if we have to kidnap you. And, Louana, you know we will,” she said, looking like she might actually enjoy the hell out of it. “But, yeah, that’s what she’s been up to. I swear she’s been all over the world the past few years, seeking out those high-stakes games.”
If she was playing high-stakes games, that meant Layna had a lot of money to her name. A lot of those games wouldn’t even let you in if you couldn’t prove you at least had a million dollars in cash on hand.