Page 54 of Endgame

The guy who had been talking to me quickly disappeared from sight and I frowned. “Where’d he go?”

“Don’t give two shits as long as it’s far away from you,” Reebo replied with an easy smile. “Think you’ve had enough for tonight, don’t you?”

“I’m fine,” I slurred, holding my hand up in protest. “I’m not r…ready to go yet.” Reaching out, I trailed my finger down his chest and giggled. “Teddy bear. Big andstrong.”

“Okaaay…” Reebo took a safe step back from me. “You’re drunk, baby girl. And while you’re hot as fuck? I wanna keep my head on my shoulders.”

Seconds later, my beer was yanked out of my hand and I was greeted by two very angry blue eyes.

“Bed,” Rourke ordered.

“Nope,” I snickered, trying and failing to recapture my beer.

“Bed. Now,” he repeated, holding the bottle away from me.

“Why?”

“Because you’re embarrassing yourself.” Flustered, Rourke ran a hand through his hair. “You’re acting like a goddam…” He stopped and clamped his lips together. “Bed. Six. Now.”

“Slut?” I offered with a harsh laugh.

“Don’t,” Rourke shot back angrily, and if I wasn’t so drunk, I could have sworn I saw him flinch.

“But I am a slut,” I shot back innocently as I grabbed the bottle out of his hand and guzzled another large mouthful. “Isn’t that what you’ve been hinting at since I got here?”

“Shut your goddamn mouth, Six.”

“I mean, come on, Rourke, you’ve called me a worthless piece of trash on enough occasions.” Slapping the bottle back down on the counter, I shook my hair out and sighed. “I’m just finally caving and agreeing with you.”

“Goddammit, Six,” Rourke warned, yanking the bottle off the counter and tossing it somewhere behind him. It clanged on the ground and shattered. “Don’t fucking talk like that.”

“Why?” I half slurred, half snickered. “It’s okay for you to degrade me, but I can’t?”

“Is that what you think?” he asked, clearly irritated, as he ran a hand through his hair. “You think I’mdegradingyou?”

I threw my hands in the air and made a “Sheeesh” sound. “Feels like that to me.”

“Mercedes.”

“Oh, so I’m Mercedes now, am I?” Tears were burning my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I would not cry in front of this cruel bastard. “Howkindof you.” Drunk or not, I was a stubborn bitch and that stubbornness couldn’t be swayed no matter how much alcohol I consumed.

“You’re drunk,” Rourke said in a low tone, taking a step towards me. Everyone in the kitchen was watching me lose it, but I didn’t care. In fact, I didn’t give a damn. “Get up and I’ll help you to bed.”

“So, you can what, Rourke?” I demanded, roughly shrugging off his hand when he placed it on my shoulder. “Pat yourself on the back and give yourself brownie points for being kind to me?” I shook my head and sneered. “Save it…. Argh!”

My words got stuck in my throat the moment Rourke picked me up like a freaking baby and carried me out of the room. “If you think I’m leaving you here to make a fucking fool of yourself, then you’re wrong,” he told me as he carried me out of the kitchen and up the staircase towards my bedroom.

If I had been able to feel my ass, I might have fought back, but I couldn’t, so I didn’t struggle. He carried me into my room and sat me down on the end of the bed before reaching forward and pulling back the covers.

“Why do you hate me?” I asked when Rourke picked me up and tossed me onto the mattress.

“Believe me, Six,” he growled as he tucked my duvet up to my chin. “If I hated you, I wouldn’t have brought you up here.”

“Then why did you bring me up here?” I slurred, looking up at him.

“Because,” he muttered, but didn’t say anything else.

I closed my eyes. “Because?”

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