Page 59 of Diary from an Inked Throne

I gaped at him. “You…you wrote fanfic?”

He snorted. “No! Of course I didn’t.”

“But he does secretly watch MAFS,” Dax threw in. “He ran me through all the drama while we were in that room.”

Luca slurped the last of his drink. “I need more alcohol for this.” He shot Dax a dirty look. “Traitor.”

Dax just clapped him on the back. “Love you.”

Luca shrugged him off, but I could see the way the corner of his mouth turned up at Dax’s words.

Cuties. I was here for a bromance.

The conversation moved from there to club gossip, and the fact Levi had seen Amber slipping out of Herb’s room early one morning was the hot topic of conversation. That was baffling and caused much debate, since Amber had been pretty vocal about her disgust for the Slayers’ prospect who was stoned more than he wasn’t.

Violet left the table at one point to ask Cecelia something, and I slid into her seat, next to X. I elbowed him, as the others continued the debate around us. “Hey, you.”

He grinned over at me and booped me on the nose in the most brotherly way I could have imagined. “Hey, yourself. You having a good time?”

I nodded. I really was. “Yes. But I did notice one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You aren’t drinking. And neither is Whip and Levi.”

He grimaced. “You caught that, huh?”

“Might have.” I narrowed my eyes at him in mock suspicion. “I’m assuming it’s not because the three of you are pregnant.”

X chuckled and patted his stomach. “Would explain the belly I’m getting.”

I rolled my eyes. “We both know your abs are about as washboard as they come.”

He grinned, lifting his shirt to show them off. “Right? Aren’t they great? Levi has me doing his prison workout routines. There’s a good reason those guys are so jacked!”

I shoved his shirt down. “Why aren’t you drinking though? Are you on a prison diet too?”

He sloshed the probably warm liquid around in his glass, because he definitely hadn’t drunk any of it. “Nope. But someone needs to watch over all of you drunkards. And you all needed it more than we did.”

I stared up at him. “You’re really sweet, you know?”

“When I’m not murdering people?”

I slapped his arm. “Violet said we weren’t allowed to talk about that tonight! But yes. When you aren’t murdering people. And when you aren’t being the class clown. Maybe you should let people see that side of you more often.”

X laughed and slung an arm around the back of my chair. “That sounds dangerously close to emotional growth, Nyah. You should probably stop before I start journaling.”

Violet smiled softly at the two of us as she returned, and I slid back into my seat.

She leaned over to whisper in my ear, “What was that about?”

I shrugged. “He’s a good one.”

She gazed over at her men with a look on her face that spoke of how much she loved them all. “I know. They all are.” She nodded toward my three, who were fiercely battling each other over who got the last inch of margarita in the bottom of the pitcher. “So are yours.”

“I know.” I laid my head on her shoulder, well aware it was a drunk move, but I didn’t mind. I was so fuzzy and warm, and it just felt good being surrounded by people I loved. “I love them, Vi. I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to make any of this work, but I love them.”

She rested her head on top of mine. “That’s exactly why it will work. All you need is love.”