Page 41 of Judge
“Chewy,” a low growl sounds out, “what was in the drinks?”
Looking around I notice my friends are all in varying positions. Ana, somehow is upright, looking completely normal. So is Blanche who is playing darts, getting bullseyes over and over. Mira has a goofy smile on her face, Nat is passed out on the couch, and Vi is salsa dancing, trying to lure Jules into her hip swivelling web. It’s working, because he’s looking all frisky and smiley and I ain’t never seen that man smile.
“What makes you think it was me that did anything to the drinks?” Chewy asks innocently.
“Pops was with us,” Mad Dog points out.
“The whole time?” Chewy asks, brow raised.
The men all turn to glare at Pops who shrugs like his life isn’t on the line. “It was a team effort.”
Mira raises her hand, “He’s right. We were all allowed to put one ingredient in the little drinky container.”
“And what did you put in there, baby?” Tank asks gently.
“I put in the secret ingredient,” she says in a loud voice and not the whisper she was going for.
“And what was that?” Marx asks, holding a goofy smiling Lovely upright.
“The stuff in the vial,” Mira giggles, then her head rolls back and a loud snore comes out of her.
“Wait, what stuff in the vial?” Pops and Chewy ask in unison. It’s so creepy funny that a giggle bursts out of me.
“Huh?” Mira asks, lids half closed.
“Baby,” Tank says gently, “what vial?”
“Oohh that pretty green one, so vibrant,” she whispers, patting her boobs, most likely looking for her pad and pen.
Chewy and Pops share a look and the room is silent save for Blanche’s darts hitting the dart board.
“Chewy, what was in the pretty green stuff?” Marx growls so low I edge closer to Leo, so I’m not collateral damage when he blows.
“Oh, it was just absinthe,” she says at the same time Pops says, “Just a bit of herbal ecstasy”.
Blanche’s rhythmic darts throwing stops and everyone stares at each other before Chewy yells “Run!” and for some reason, the whole girl gang follow her lead and we bolt.
Well, some of us do. Chewy clambers over the couch only to be caught midair by Rhodie. Lovely looked like she was going to run, but given that Marx is holding her up I don’t think it’s going to happen. Nat is still asleep on the couch, Vi has shimmied her way straight to Jules and Ana ran right out the back door with Gus hot on her heels.
“I do not run.” Mira slurs, as she power walks out the door with Tank shaking his head, following her at his normal pace.
“What you gonna do, Little Mama?” Leo growls down at me, a glint in his eye.
I purse my lips and think about it. Can I outrun him? No. Do I have a primal kink? I’m not sure, but I guess I could find out.
“What the hell is a primal kink?” Sniper mutters and my eyes grow wide.
“Yes, Kai, you said that all out loud,” Leo says, arms folded across his big, poofy chest, lips twitching.
“Shit,” I whisper, then I take off as fast as my legs can go. Which isn’t that fast given that I’m short and stubby and haven’t run since high school.
I dodge the brothers that don’t have women to chase, and I take their laughter and cheering to mean that I am totally winning. Totally. Until I’m horizontal, my legs still running but I’m in the air.
“Come on, let’s get you sobered up and into bed. You’re gonna feel it tomorrow, baby,” Leo’s voice is light and apparently so am I as he carries me like a misbehaving toddler into the trailer me and kids called home not long ago.
“Oh, I miss you trailer. I miss you ugly greige couch. I miss you - oomph,” I glare at Leo as I hit the bed.
He stomps out of the room, returning quickly with a huge glass of water and some Tylenol. “Swallow. Drink. Then sleep, in that order.”
