I pursed my lips and scowled, trying to think how his goddamn mind worked by adding a blonde with daddy issues to the equation, and getting to a redhead. But I literally tried to understand it for two seconds before it felt like my brain was melting.
“Are you talking about Red?”
Manic snapped his fingers. “Yes. Red. How could I not remember that?”
“Because you’re dumb?”
“No, that’s not it.” He seemed to think really hard on this.
“Because you’re an asshole?”
“Not that either.”
I shook my head. “Or maybe because you’re a cunt who only has a dick for brains and couldn’t distinguish between a pussy and an asshole if your life depended on it.”
“Yes.” He grinned like an idiot. “That’s it. You just described my entire existence in one fucking sentence.”
I narrowed my eyes, unamused. “You will not believe how incredibly easy it was to do.”
“What can I say?” He shrugged. “I’m a transparent fucker. Did you know Red is a tattoo artist?”
“No, I did not know that.” I glanced at Onyx standing by the grill. “Dude, you have an ETA on those burgers? I’m fucking starving.”
“You’ll get it when you get it.” He pulled Wraith closer, wrapping his arm around her waist before nestling his face in her neck. Gag. There was just too much fucking happiness around here these days.
Alyx and Red came sauntering toward us, Granite towering behind them. I smirked. “You babysitting both chicks now?”
“I’d say fuck you, but in the spirit of having a family barbecue, I’ll try my best to behave.”
Alyx snickered. “Good boy.”
Granite balked, blinked, and suddenly seemed like he wanted to tear his own skin off. “On second thought,” he glared my way, “fuck you. Fuck you,” he said to Manic before turning to Onyx, “and fuck you.”
Onyx acted all offended. “What did I do?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to get my balls back after my old lady cut them off by calling me a good boy.”
Everyone burst out laughing, including Alyx’s redhead friend. I was about to ask her about her tattooing talent when Neon caught my eye, struggling toward us with a crutch and her leg still in a brace. A part of me wanted to jump up and rush over there to help her, but after what happened in her room earlier, I knew she’d need space to breathe, to try to sort through her thoughts. Her mind was the strongest part of her, but also the weakest. It was strong enough to get her through the worst part of her drug addiction. It was strong enough to not allow her thoughts to be corrupted or manipulated. But it was weak when it came to letting things go. Or maybe that was another sign of strength, the fact that her mind kept holding on to things, even if those things had the ability to hurt her.
“Neon, come sit here.” Alyx gestured to the seat next to her. “I want to talk to you and Red about something.”
“Uh-oh. Am I in trouble?”
Neon sat down across from me, her eyes only meeting mine for a second, a glance that spoke a thousand words.
Alyx shifted in her seat. “So, I was thinking, what if Red helped you out with a tattoo?”
“A tattoo?” Neon seemed confused.
“Yeah.” Alyx weaved her fingers together, and I lifted a brow, wondering what she was up to. “I thought it could help, you know…covering the scars on your back.”
Silence dropped like a heavy as shit concrete block, and suddenly no one was fucking breathing. Hell, no one was even fucking blinking. If we were in Texas right now, we’d be hearing crickets.
Neon gaped, her gaze drifting from Alyx, to me, and then to Granite. “Um, okay—well, maybe we can discuss that later, when we’re alone and not surrounded by people who clearly know how to make an uncomfortable moment even more uncomfortable by staring at us.”
“Let me take a look.” Red jumped up and went to stand behind Neon like she didn’t just hear what Neon said. “I’ll just take a peek.”
Neon’s eyes grew wide, and she stared my way, her eyes saying ‘what the ever loving fuck is this?’