Page 72 of Sling’s Awakening

“No.” Blake shakes her head. “He was in a police uniform. Those two guys are in suits.”

I exhale heavily through my nose as I flex my fists and crack my neck.

I’m not going to kill him.

I’m not going to kill him.

I’m not going to kill him.

Maybe if I tell myself that enough, I can convince myself of that outcome.

Blake gasps, her hand flying up and covering her mouth.

My brothers and I grow alert, bodies tense and on edge.

“You see him?” I ask.

“That’s him. Walking next to the woman in the pantsuit.”

“He looks like a fucking chode,” Bomber mumbles to us, making me choke to cover up a laugh.

“What do you expect from someone who pulled that shit? If he were a real man, he wouldn’t have to force himself onto women,” Mountain answers. “Fucking piece of shit.”

Fucking piece of shit is right.

“You can head to work now, babe,” I tell Blake, who is standing silently next to me, watching the officer walk to his car.

“Alright,” Blake says quietly before waving to Mountain and Bomber. “Bye, guys.”

She turns on her heel and begins to head back to her car.

“Hey,” I call after her. “You forgetting something?”

Blake spins back around as she tilts her head, thinking about it. “I don’t think so.”

I cross the few feet she made before gripping her jaw and tilting her chin up. I press my lips to hers in what was supposed to be a hard, closed-mouth kiss, but her lips open, giving me access to her greedy mouth. I nip at her tongue as she moans into my mouth.

I release my hold on her, leaving her wanting more.

“The next time you leave, you kiss your man goodbye.”

“Okay,” Blake breathes out when I let her up for air, looking like she’s in a daze.

“Okay,” I mumble with a smirk on my face. “Have a good day at work, toots. Don’t let anyone touch my ass.”

That snaps her out of it as she rolls her eyes and turns back on her heel, heading toward her car.

“Bye, guys,” Blake says as she waves her hand in the air, this time meaning it.

We watch until she gets in her car, pulls out of the parking lot, and is out of sight down the street.

Showtime.

My brothers and I tail him home, making sure to keep a few cars between us so he doesn’t think anything is up.

He turns into an older subdivision off the main street. The houses are small and closer together than mine and Blake’s neighborhood, which might cause a problem. He turns into his single-car driveway, and I signal to Mountain and Bomber to keep riding.

We’ll park down the street so he doesn’t see us coming.