Page 64 of Pack Rivals: Part Two
It’s always been the way to deal with the pain when it threatens to drown me. When the waters creep higher and higher, over my head, and I’m gasping for air.
Drink. Girls. Fighting.
They’ve always been my life rafts.
Only problem is they don’t last. Soon the rafts are leaking holes and sinking along with me.
I flop down onto the sand.
For once, I’d like to wash up on dry land away from the water and its murky depths. A long fucking way away.
And for a moment, I thought I’d found that piece of salvation, between the omega’s legs, driving my little phoenix high up into the air where she could spread her wings wide.
I don’t deserve that.
None of us do.
Least of all me.
I lie there on my back, like a washed-up fucking deadbeat, until the first fingers of daylight crawl over the horizon. Then I pull myself to my feet and start the long fucking walk home.
She’s leaving. I’m going to have to break the news to Axel and Connor.
* * *
When the elevatordoors open out onto our penthouse several hours later, I find Hardy leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Shit man, what happened to you?” he says.
“Nothing.”
“You look like something the fucking pussy cat dragged in.”
“Something like that,” I mutter, thinking of the fucking pussy I had to drag myself away from devouring mere hours ago. If Hardy knew that he’d likely try to knock my block off. Try, being the operative word.
“What you doing here?” I say.
“You haven’t heard?” he says, face grimacing.
My shoulders stiffen. “What?”
“Peace talks.”
I stare at him. Then snort out a blast of laughter. “What the fuck?”
Hardy shrugs his shoulders. “Don’t ask me, I’m simply following instructions.”
I shake my head and crash through the apartment door, colliding almost immediately with Axel and Connor.
“Ahh Nate,” Axel says, the big fuck-off grin that’s been glued to his face since he made good with his brother not faltering. “Thought I heard you. You ready to move out?”
“Yep,” I say.
Connor eyes up my disheveled appearance. “You all right?”
“Dandy,” I say with a faux smile.
I haven’t slept in 24 hours, or shaved or showered – there’s probably cake in my hair – but Axel doesn’t seem to notice.
