Bad Wolf (Wild Men 4)

Oh come on, Jesse Lee. Don’t be all surprised and shit. Nobody gives a fuck that you love her, that you want her. That you’d do anything for her. You wanna stay with her?

Nah. Don’t you know it yet? You’re just too much damn trouble to keep around.

Regards, The World.

Mel closes shop early tonight. He insists he’s fine, which is bullshit, but I hope all he needs is a good night’s rest. After I help him lock up, I head home, worried and damn tired. Despite the exhaustion, I feel ready to snap, a headache hammering behind my eyes.

So when my cell rings and it’s Seth, asking if I’d like to grab a beer, I’m game. I’d be game for anything right now, to be honest. Hell, I’d drink gasoline and light myself on fire. Anything to stop the thoughts churning in my aching head.

We meet in Halo, our usual place, and huddle around two bottles of Abita Amber. Shane and Ocean are there, too, shooting pool and cracking jokes.

“You okay, man?” Seth lifts the bottle to his mouth for a swig and regards me over the rim. “You haven’t looked up from your drink since you arrived.”

I shrug, look up at him to make a point, and go back to studying my fucking beer.

“Still no word from Amber?”

I shake my head. It has to stop hurting at some point, right? Has to, or I’ll go mad.

“Man, that sucks ass. But at least you still have a chance.” He upends his beer, swallowing it down, then glances at the pool table.

A chance?

I follow his gaze and find again my nemesis. Cassie is leaning against the bar, dressed in hot shorts and a short blouse that leaves her taut belly bare. Beside her is Manon, sleek, pretty and the object of Seth’s current obsession.

I frown at her. “What chance?”

“A chance, man. Unlike me. I’m unlucky. Always getting the wrong end of the stick.”

“What do you mean?”

“Manon. She’s with someone. I even saw her with the guy, dammit. So yeah.” He raises his bottle and drains the last drop from it. “Sucks.”

“Seth, focus.” I remove the bottle from his hand and shake it at him. “Amber. Chances. Does it ring any bells, or were you talking out of your ass?”

“No, man.” He slouches back in his chair and rotates his bad shoulder with a wince. “It’s just that Micah heard that Amber was happy with the flowers you sent her. That’s positive, right?”

Right. “Where did he hear that?”

&n

bsp; “Kayla, I bet. Who cares?”

But then why hasn’t Amber texted me or called me in all this time?

“I swear I don’t get chicks,” I mutter, viciously stripping the label from my beer bottle. “With a guy we’d hash it out, punch each other bloody, then go for beers.”

“Heh. Better not try that with Amber.” Seth snickers, though his gaze has wandered back to a certain dark-haired girl. “It won’t go down very well.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” But I don’t know what else to do. “I think I should let her go. Give it up. Hell, for all I know I’m harassing her with my gifts and calls.”

“Didn’t you just hear me say she was happy with your flowers?”

“Yeah. Micah heard from Kayla.” I make air quotes with my fingers. “Bullshit, man. I don’t believe it. She’d have called me if she believed me. And if she doesn’t, then who cares about the fucking flowers?” I rub a hand over my face. “Christ, I’m beat. Think I’ll head home to bed.”

“First time I heard you call that apartment home. Wasn’t it Jackass and Co.?” He grins, and I snort.

He’s right, though. “I haven’t had any problems with the guys recently.”