The Revenge by Tijan

“What?” My voice cracked.

His eyebrows went up. “Cyclone and Ser’s aunt is coming back to the house.”

Quinn’s sister.

Payton looked like Quinn.

Quinn.

Who had been there, always there, always lurking.

It was Payton, but not really.

A sudden lance of panic pierced right down the middle of me.

Kash was gone.

Gone.

As in “not there.”

I couldn’t have that.

What did I do?

I shoved to my feet, knocking into the table.

“Hey, hey.” Matt steadied the table, shooting me a glare. “Let’s not be hasty and knock stuff over that we’ll regret losing here.”

I ignored him. “Matt! I have to fix this.”

“I know.” He reached for his glass, lifting it and petting the sides of it. “There, there. She didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“He asked me if I wanted him to leave and he didn’t wait for my answer.”

“Okay.” He moved farther over in our booth. He was cradling his drink. “Can we refrain from the sudden lurching? I’m on a mission to get drunk. Let me have this, please. Since you’re being nuts and irresponsible, means I can’t be, and I want one night before I have to take up the mantle. I have a right to a pity party here. Brother. He won’t need me anymore.”

“Matt.” I glared at him.

He glared back. “Mantle!”

I raised my hands, making a wringing motion with them. “You’re exasperating.”

“I’m aware.” He hiccupped. “I’ve not had to grow up, because when Kash stopped taking care of me, you came in, and you are way more mature than me. But when you lost your head on that roof, I know the time has come when I have to adult. I don’t like adulting. I try to do anything except adulting, but now I’ll actually have to step up.” He held a hand up. “I’m making my complaint official. I’m doing this under firm protest.”

“Noted.”

“Good.” Another glare before he took a swig from his drink. “Mantle.”

I rolled my eyes and sat down.

Matt slid my drink back over to where I was sitting.

He raised his up, waiting for me. “I’m sorry, Bailey.”

I sighed, picking up my glass.

“You’re still grieving. He shouldn’t actually listen to you. What was he doing, listening to you?”

I frowned because he was right.

He grunted. “Kash is gorgeous. I may be a male, but I can tell when women flock to certain guys, and yeah, yeah, it could be about his money, but come on. Even I can tell he’s got the brooding dangerous smoldering look going for him. You bone him on the regular, so you know.”

Pain sliced me. “Your point here?”

“Oh yeah.” Matt swung his hand up in a wide arc before it came down and slammed on the table. “My point is that there’s no way in this world that Kash would actually leave you. It’s more like a Kashcation, because you’re going to be here with me, plotting to wreak mayhem on Quinn, and he’s off doing whatever murderous mission he wants to do.” He burped but didn’t miss a beat. “He’ll come back. He’ll walk into your bedroom, and he’ll say ‘Hey’ and you’ll say ‘Hey’ back. Then you’ll melt and he’ll sweep you off your feet, then fuck you hard. Voilà.”

A second burp. His eyes were growing a little wild.

“Trust me. You and Kash, this is just a small hiccup.” He picked up his empty glass and held it toward me. “The makeup sex will be off the charts, so can you please wallow with your brother, because I’m the one who should be wallowing here, not you.”

Yes. Matt.

He wanted to wallow, so we would wallow.

But, holy crap.

Kash had a brother.

I picked up my drink. “You’re right. Here’s to wallowing.”

“Drink up, Bailey.” He raised his arm for a fourth whiskey, which the bartender saw, and nodded. And the same server sashayed up moments later for Matt, and turned, swinging her hips slow and seductively on the way back down. Matt was watching, but I didn’t think he was really seeing her. He held his glass out for me, and knowing what he wanted, I clinked it with my own.

He said, almost sullenly, “I figure you and me, we’re due a night. You’re going to pretend you’re upset about Kash, even though we both know he’ll be back and you’ll both be fine. And me…” He burped again. “I’m going to indulge and let my wild paranoia run free, because come dawn, I’ll rein it in. You and me. Team Batt needs to step up to home base. Kash has a lot on his plate. We’ll help out. It’s up to us to take Quinn down.”

He looked up.

So did I. And as if taunting us, the news was reporting on Quinn’s trial. Footage of her walking into the court was showing on a loop.

Matt extended a fist to me. “Team Batt.”

I met it with my own fist, and we pretended to blow it up.

“Mantle.”

“Mantle.”





TWENTY-ONE

Bailey


Six A.M. and Matt and I were struggling to even walk.

There were shots, more drinking. Dancing. Yelling. Chanting. We might’ve coordinated a cheer even, complete with starting a flash mob with strangers. Matt has a favorite hot dog place he likes to stop at after drinking.