Page 9 of Roses and Murder
“You both look like you’re going to puke,” I said.
“Lance figured out a hangover remedy. It doesn’t kick in until you get a really good belch and that doesn’t happen right away,” Ronan groaned.
Yeah, Lance had always been smart like that.
“The Madame will fire you and ban you from the brothel if you let out a nasty drunk burp in her presence,” I said.
Momma raised me so I wasn’t rude like that. I went to school with this moron named Aldo who did what most of Guttertown did and hit up the brothel when they got their first chin hair. Youcould just walk up to a girl and ask if she wanted to go to bed with you, but Aldo decided to march straight up to the Madame and demand her best girl right before he let out this vile belch right in her face.
Panas had been training Beck and me for about three years, so when the Madame tossed him a look, he let Beck and I get our first experience tossing someone since Aldo was our age. The Madame could hold a grudge, so he’d never been allowed back.
“Mom is also going to kick our arses if she sees us this hungover, so we’re sneaking in the back to my room until Lance’s cure kicks in. Want to come?”
Beck had the same look on his face that he always did when he invited me anywhere it was going to be more than just him. He asked because he really wanted me to come, but he was prepared for me to say no. I never got annoyed with him for asking, but I guess today was the day that persistence paid off.
“Sure.”
Weird. Beck had been asking for the last ten years like he wanted me to say yes, but he sure seemed shocked when I did. A man was allowed to grow and change his mind when he had more information.
What was happening right now? Lance was really Lucy and my girlfriend now, the Barons were changing everything, and something was going on with Neco. We all hid when Lucy opened the door and he didn’t immediately storm off. And yeah, we totally eavesdropped because everyone wanted Neco back. Lucy wanted him back, too, she just couldn’t see it because she was so hurt he left in the first place.
And yeah, Neco was right. Mom would be mad if she saw us hungover, but she would tear us new arseholes if we were rudein her presence. Mom was elegant and all about manners. If she didn’t have dark skin and come from the Jagged Key Isles, she’d be living it up in the fancy part of town with a title. Except she hated those people, so even if they asked, she’d tell them to get fucked, so she had her little slice of life in the brothel.
I grew up here, so I knew exactly how to sneak in and out without getting caught. I checked the hall and told Neco and Ronan it was clear.
“It’s cute you think the Madame doesn’t know every single time you come and go when you think you’re being sneaky,” Neco chuckled.
“He’s pretty much got you,” Ronan said as I unlocked my door.
“You can’t be a traitor if you’re going to be belching in my flat.”
“I didn’t know the three of you were with Lance, but why did you get so drunk he went to see his father? You had no idea they were going to change the rules. His father is an ass. He was more likely to send Lance away because he thought he doesn’t know how to throw a punch.”
I fell out laughing.
“I get Lance getting the jump on you once because he’s fast, but he completely fucked your face up.”
“Shut up,” Neco growled. “I let him hit me since I broke his nose and then he came back with a head butt.”
And Lucy probably didn’t follow it up by completely maiming his nuts because Neco thought she was Lance, so he’d have no problem throwing her through a wall. She had to be crazy breaking his nose in the first place. I was pretty sure she hadn’t thus far because Neco got giant and trained with my uncle.
“Lance has been wanting to break your nose since you broke his, but it’s pretty obvious why he hasn’t,” I said.
“Lance also has a temper, so what did you do that he picked a fight with you?” Ronan asked.
“I tried to help him when I realized he wasn’t my brother.”
Neco could be the most confusing man sometimes. Lucy and Autar knew each other, but they were a few years apart, so they weren’t all that close. Well, they were now that they found out they shared a father. Argent kids usually bonded over hating their father, especially if they shared one.
Neco was insanely protective of Rowena and some of that wasn’t just because she was a girl. Neco taught her how to protect herself and he took care of it when she couldn’t, like when their father was involved. I could see Neco forgiving Lucy and wanting to help her if they were siblings, but not why he’d stick his neck out after finding out they weren’t.
“Oh!” Ronan said. “I get it now.”
“I don’t. Tell me.”
“No way. Neco kills people. I’m not spilling his secrets.”
“Neco has a code. He’s not going to slit your throat for telling me.”
