Page 39 of Give You Up

“Excuses?” I narrow my eyes. “What kind of crap are you pulling?”

“The kind where you talk to Dom, have him point out the dude who has our mark on his body, and you somehow worm your way into this dude’s life.”

Blowing out a breath, I lower myself onto one of the crates. “Explain.”

“A girl who works for Dom slept with the dude. She informed him the guy has the same ink as us.”

“And you care why?” I care for a different reason. What if he’s the one who hurt Natalie? “It’s a free country,” I add. “He can have whatever he wants inked on his skin.”

“Not where I’m concerned. We came up with the concept. Agreed on the drawing, our symbol of friendship.”

Until something happened between him and Riley. Whatever it was, the two of them refuse to talk about it with me and Dare or each other. They can be so stubborn.

“No one should be inked with it unless they give me a valid reason. Get the reason. Do this for me and I’ll call us even.”

“Why can’t Dom ask the woman to get the reason?”

“Because our business is none of hers.”

“What if she comes after me for trying to get with him?”

“She won’t. Annabelle isn’t into repeat performances.”

“Then he must not be very good in bed.”

“Syn.” He crams his fingers in his hair. “Fuck sakes, will you do it?”

“Why not ask Riley?”

“She doesn’t need a fucking boyfriend unless that guy is me!”

“Hey, no need getting your panties in a bunch.”

“I don’t wear panties. Men wear fucking underwear.”

“Easy with the f-bombs.”

“Syn.”

“Dare won’t like your plan.”

“Couldn’t give a flying fuck.”

He’s lying. How do I know? Midnight is not looking me in the eye.

“He’ll survive a weekend without you.”

“I’m working with the football team. Games are coming up.”

“In three weeks. Go this weekend, snag the guy’s attention, start something with him. Also, take the guy who has a boner for you as backup.”

“Which guy would this be?” I ask.

“The QB.”

“For what reason? He’ll punch any guy who comes near me.”

“Exactly. Spin a good story. Say he’s a distant cousin.”

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