Page 81 of Shift Change

“And functioning,” Harpy added, like the asshole he’d become.

“And hydrated,” Brody put in.

Gabe nodded. “And not suffering from, you know, exhaustion.”

“Can we come in?” Nels asked, as if I had a choice. “It’s cold as hell out here.”

“You wouldn’t want us getting pneumonia, would you?” Harpy asked, all baby-faced innocence.

These smug, nosy, goddamnbastards.

I huffed and stepped aside, watching my so-called friends saunter in like they were here for fucking brunch. Packy had the audacity to whistle as he looked around. “Where’s Dog?” he asked. “He’s the one we were so worried about.”

Logan, cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, “Come in here, Dog.” Apparently, the Warriors had no shame left as a species. When Chuck didn’t answer, Logan yelled again, “You’ve got company, Dog.”

I would kill them all. Every single one.

Riley turned, wearing a smirk wide enough to drive a truck through. “Holky, my man. Did we interrupt something?” He looked me up and down. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look this well-fucked.”

I dragged a hand down my face.Sorry, Chuck. There’s no surviving this.

While I stood there in shock, the guys spread out like they owned the place. They’d always made themselves at home here, and I normally liked that, but today was different. Besides needing to keep my eyes on them so I’d know where to aim the death rays, their snooping was intrusive. They weren’t making themselves at home; they were investigating.

My heart was pounding almost as hard as it had been while Chuck was fucking me, something I didn’t need to be thinking about right now. Not with Riley grinning like the goddamn Cheshire Cat and Packy looking way too pleased with himself.

My vision blurred, and holy shit, I thought I might pass out from sheer exasperation.

“What’s this? Did something happen?” Gabe asked, feigning innocent concern. He was looking down the hallway. “There are clothes all over the floor,” he said, “and they can’t all be yours. I see two pairs of boxers from here.”

A chorus of oohs went up around the room.

“Somebody’s been eating breakfast.” Richie emerged from the kitchen, with Nels right behind him. Richie had a juice glass, and Nels held up a piece of partially eaten bacon. They acted like goddamn detectives displaying evidence.

“Two place settings,” Nels said. “A lot of food left.” Like the lowlife I now realized he was, he popped the bacon into his mouth.

“Is Dog okay?” Harpy asked, tilting his head. “Should we go check on him?”

I wanted to punch that angelic innocence off his face but settled for a halfhearted, “Fuck off.”

Abby took that as his cue and stomped toward the hallway. “Is Dog hurt? I go and carry him in here.”

Chuck called out, “Hold your horses, Russian Bear. I’m coming.”

Packy looked at Riley. “Think he’s coming right now?”

Riley waved him off. “Nah, already happened. Holky didn’t get this way by himself.”

My soul left my body. I wanted to run to the bedroom, grab Chuck, lock the door, and never see these fuckers again. Instead, I froze when footsteps echoed down the hall. A second later, Chuck appeared.

Oh, fuck.

Brown hair? Disaster. Face? Still blotchy. Expression? Loopy as hell.

Shirt?Oh, for the love of God.He’d thrown on my UMass T-shirt, the one the team had seen me wear a hundred times. Of all the clothes in this house, why did he putthaton?

Brody made a big show of looking at the T-shirt, and then of inspecting mine. “What are you wearing, Holky?” he asked, far too amused.

“You never played for Syracuse, did you?” Richie asked.

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