Untouchable (Unstoppable 1)

Tugging the hem of the semi-indecent dress Lis had thrust on me—thank god for the still mild late October weather—I pasted a scowl on my face and trudged toward the flames. Might as well get this over with.

“Well, if it isn't little Miss Tease.” Slurring. Great, a drunk Leon. Even more fun.

“Suck

it.” I flipped him off.

His eyes made a slow track over my body as he moved around me, leering in a way that wasn't like him. “Couldn't get you to.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but a hard voice beat me to it.

“Le.”

My eyes shifted to Reno. The subtle warning in his voice infuriated me more than Leon's insults. “And you.” I jabbed a finger in his direction. “Stay out of it.” His soft chuckle sent a shroud of red mist over me. “I mean it. Let him get it all out, then we can move the hell on.”

Leon scoffed. “Move on? You really fucking think a lot of yourself!”

I turned back to him with a sigh. “Fine, you're good or over it, whatever. Can you stop being a dick now, go back to being friends?”

He took two steps toward me, stumbling a little, his eyes bloodshot and narrowed. “Yeah, we ain’t fucking friends, Riley. I'll do and say whatever the fuck I want.” His face twisted in confusion, before splitting with laughter.

I glanced sideways to Liss with a wtf look. She shrugged, raising her brows.

“Fucking friends! Fucking friends. Get it?” Leon’s laughter subsided and all traces of humor vanished from his face as he pinned me with a bitter glare. “Well, that's a fucking joke, isn't it? You wouldn't fuck me if I paid you, would you, friend?”

Liss stepped in front of me. “Seriously, dude? You need to back the fuck off.”

Wrapping my fingers around her forearm, I gently tugged. “Liss, leave it, it's fine—”

A deeper voice drifted over my head. “Yeah... it ain't fine.”

I dropped my head, shoulders drooping. Shit. This was turning into a shit-show of epic proportions. The fabric of Reno's shirt brushed my arm as he moved past me, stopping in front of a barely standing Leon.

“Reno, I told you, don't get involved.” He ignored me. Like I knew he would. Damn. “He's just drunk. He's talking out of his ass.”

“He is an ass,” Liss interjected, and I threw her a look that said seriously, wanna help me out here? She just raised her brows.

“Walk it off, Le. I’m not asking.”

Leon rose as high as he could on legs that could barely hold his weight and snarled up at Reno. What the...? They didn't do this. Leon was a good little sidekick; he didn't rise up.

“Uh, Le,” I started.

“You want to go there again, man?”

I almost gasped when Leon shoved his chest into Reno's. Reno rocked back on his heels, his jaw clenching.

“What? You wanna throw down again, Ren?”

“Christ! Leon, stop,” I said, my eyes bouncing between them.

Reno's eyes darkened, his stance widening as he stared Leon down. This was crazy. “Throw down? I put you on your ass like a bitch. Walk. Away,” he warned, voice eerily calm. “Now.”

Leon held his nerve a while longer, before fixing his eyes on me. Every bit of frustration and rage he couldn't take out on Reno, he aimed directly at me instead. “You fucking happy? This what you wanted?”

“Are you whacked? What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, stunned. I'd never want this; we'd been a dysfunctional little group for as long as I'd lived here, all of us in the same trailer park. The last thing I wanted was any friction or rifts.

“Shut the fuck up, Leon!” Reno's voice rose. That wasn't the norm. He didn’t have to raise his voice usually.