Page 61 of Riot of Autumn

Ruby: You know all about fucking around in closets, dontcha.

Rhys: Yeah, with your sister.

Zara: Should I be offended that you’re using me to taunt Ruby?

Rhys: I’ll make it up to you, sweetheart.

Davis: If no one knows anything, why are you still sending messages.

The rush of orders waiting to be delivered stacks up on Jericho’s window, and I have to put my phone away. The hours fly by. Nothing like being crazy busy to keep your mind fully occupied. By the time the diner clears out and it’s only me, Tecia, Jericho, and a couple of old townies playing mahjong in the corner, I’m hoping the others will have solved all our problems.

Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I groan when I see a thousand messages from the group. Most of it is taunting and teasing back and forth. There doesn’t appear to be a miraculous solution buried in all the messages.

“Don’t you think it’s rude to be on your phone while there are customers waiting to be served?” I freeze, fear and rage holding me hostage.

I lift my eyes from my phone at the sound of Colton’s voice. It reminds me of wind chimes. Not because it has a tinkling quality to it, but because I hate the fucking things.

“I don’t see anyone worth serving around here.” I take a few steps back, pretending to collect salt and pepper shakers. In reality, I want to put space between us. This twat has magically choked me before. I don’t want his hands anywhere near my body.

Colton sits on a stool and spins to face me. He rests his chin on his fist and grins at me. I continue collecting the shakers, and do my best to ignore the human–Fae–equivalent of a living fart. He lingers like a bad smell, and I’d love nothing more than to get the hell away from him.

No one in my entire life has ever called me restrained. I almost wish someone else was here to see how well I’m doing ignoring Colton, except I don’t want him anywhere near my friends. When Colton is the one to break first, some part of me wants to pump my fist in the air.

“I was so sad when you left last night. It was shaping up to be a wet and wild night.”

“The only reason anyone was getting wet was because of the water.” Fuck. Why can’t I keep my mouth shut? It’s like a disease. Just when I thought I was doing so well, too.

Colton’s hand shoots out to grab my arm, and I only just avoid his greedy Fae fingers. “You’ll be begging to suck my cock as soon as I get my hands on you.”

I take a step back and a hand lands on my shoulder. Tecia is standing directly behind me. The scowl on her face is a mirror to my own.

“Ruby, who left all this trash on my counter?”

“Not sure, Tecia. It sure is an eyesore.”

“Kind of stinks like superior bullshit to me.” Tecia throws her arm around my shoulder, standing at my side while we both glare at Colton.

The sound of the stool against the floor as he stands is one long screech. Colton’s not as built as Ezra, but he’s still imposing, despite his stupid floppy hair.

He opens his mouth, likely to say something disgusting or insulting, but the door opens, and Ezra walks in with Rhys and Zara. Colton’s eyes flicker to the old ladies in the corner booth and narrow. He backs up a few steps, a grin growing on his face that has a trickle of sweat sliding down my back.

Ezra reaches me first, throwing an arm around me and Tecia. He leans down to press an unexpected kiss to my lips. I blink at him like a dumb dumb for a second before we both turn and stare at Colton.

“I was just leaving. I’ve got a few things to do.” His gaze drifts over to Zara and then Rhys, his smile growing broader. “I think I’ll take a page out of your friends’ book.”

With that, he takes off, none of us speaking until the door shuts behind him.

“What the fuck does that mean?” I frown after Colton. A ball of dread balloons in my stomach, making me feel like I need to puke.

“Who is that asshole?” Tecia asks, squeezing my arm before letting me go.

“Someone who needs to get his face beaten,” Ezra says.

There’s a wild glint in his eyes that tells me he’s two seconds from throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me out of here. It’s weird as hell, and fucking awesome. The pit in my stomach blooms into a warm ball of goo, and I’m sure I look like a lovesick fool.

“Are you going to go full animal?”

“Only if you want me to.”

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