Page 36 of Dark Things
I pull my notebook back from him and scowl. “I don’t think so. Just because I don’t brag about my grades doesn’t mean you're smarter than me.”
He smiles and tickles my sides. “I never said I was smarter, just in math.”
I laugh until tears fall on my face, but when we stop I realize he’s leaning over me so we’re face to face. I look down at his lips and catch him doing the same.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he whispers. And before I can say anything about it his lips are on me. They’re softer than I thought. He growls and pulls me closer. I’ve only kissed Colter, but having Staff’s lips on mine feels natural. I could never choose between my guys.
He pulls away and sits up. My hand goes to my lips and I smile. “Let’s do that again.”
“You do that a lot?” a voice says from behind me.
I’m up and have my switchblade out of my pocket before the last syllable leaves his lips.
“Who the fuck are you?” I ask, keeping the guy inmy line of sight while doing a quick sweep of the area. No one should be able to get on the land unless authorized.
He raises his eyebrow before a smile stretches across his face. “Know how to use that?” he asks.
“Why don’t you come closer and I’ll show you how I can make you bleed out faster than Peanut can gallop.”
He doesn’t move, but he clocks the shift of my weight and the bottle that’s still clutched in my grasp. I don’t want to waste it, but I will knock this fucker out with it if I have to.
“No need, Pitch. I’ve been briefed on who you are. I just wanted to see if the rumors were true. I’m Brett, the barn manager.”
He extends a hand, but I only glance at it before dismissing it completely, putting my knife back in my pocket.
I raise the bottle toward him and point my index finger in his direction. “You’d do well to remember the rumors came from somewhere, and they’re probably true.”
I take a seat back on the grass after I see the rustle of trees behind Brett. He hasn’t seemed to notice, so I wait until he’s caught onto his surprise.
“You don’t seem so bad. I’ve been expecting someone…else.”
The words roll off my back, I’m used to the assholes underestimating me. I enjoy the look of shock whenthey realize they’re fucked. But right now I need to know how a member of the house that isn’t supposed to be cloaked by our dark business is calling me by my call sign.
“Lots of people have those thoughts. My question is more important though. Want to explain to me how a barn manager has been briefed?”
He smirks but his attention is still on me, and that’s not going to work out well for him in about three seconds.
One.
Two.
Three.
Brett’s spine snaps straight, and he freezes. What I’m sure would’ve been a devastatingly long description about how he’s amazing and some sort of important member of Stan’s business, it doesn’t materialize. Sadly, he doesn’t say anything.
It’s my turn to smirk and hold up the bottle in cheers. “The first lesson is pretty important. If you can see in the pitch black, know you’ll be seeing a ghost very shortly.”
Haunt laughs and shoves Brett a little before standing to the right of me, gun still clutched in his grip. “That was very poetic,gioia mia. We should get that on a T-shirt.”
“It would be nice right? Maybe a postcard we can leave with our kills. Like a calling card. It would be epic.”
I lay down on the grass and look up to the nearly cloudless sky. Brett doesn’t say anything, and I guess that’s a good choice. He’s already doing a shit job if he’s supposed to be here in any kind of professional capacity that isn’t mucking stalls.
“The lady asked you a question, Brett. Explain why you’re really here, and I won’t blow your head off with my SIG,” Haunt says.
Brett clears his throat, looking around. “I’m here to watch the property and keep Cat safe. It’s been my job since she started at Skyton.”
I can see the tension in Haunt’s posture and slip my hand to his calf, giving it a small squeeze. We need more information. Like what Brett has actually been doing the last week while we’ve been here.
