Perfectly Toxic (Sterling Shore 9)

“You stupid fucks! What the hell?” I snap.

Rye’s lips twitch as he comes toward the edge. “We figured you’d either wake up or drown. Don’t worry. We’d have fished you out if you didn’t wake up.”

I flip him off, but then remember why I’m at Wren’s house… Oh shit.

“Bella,” I groan, swimming toward the steps.

“Yeah. Bella. About that,” Rye says as I start running up the short stack of steps, and grab a towel. My fucking clothes are soaked now, so I start stripping too.

“I need clothes. Now,” I tell them.

“Not until you tell us what the hell happened with Bella,” Wren states flatly. “Allie took off to meet her.”

“Where?” I demand, when I’m down to my wet boxers.

“Not until you tell me what happened,” he repeats, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Long story short, Star Morgan happened, and I did something really stupid.”

Rye’s smile falls, and Wren looks ready to attack me.

“Not that stupid,” I elaborate. “I wouldn’t sleep with Star if she was the last woman on earth. But I might have made Bella think I was or had. Now I seriously need to fix that, because I was drunk and stupid.”

“You’re still drunk and stupid,” Rye points out.

“Half drowning in the pool had a sobering effect. I need to find her. So now will you tell me where she is?”

Wren curses while raking a hand through his hair.

“I don’t know where she is. Allie just said she was with her. I needed to know what the hell you did before I tried to find her for you.”

Manipulative bastard.

“And?” I prompt.

“And your shoulders will stretch my shirts,” Wren states without an ounce of sympathy. “So find one I don’t like since it’ll be ruined after you squeeze into it. I’ll loan you some sweat pants too.”

Rolling my eyes, I follow him into the house, but freeze when I see Angel in the living room floor watching TV. She turns to face us as I drip water all over the floor. That’s the pool Wren put in at her request, and I just got tossed in it after getting drunk and shredding the aunt she loves so much.

It’s like she knows, because she looks like she doesn’t want me here.

“Where’s Aunt Bella?” she asks me, cocking her head to the side.

“With your mom,” I tell her.

She glares at me and turns around, brushing the hair of her doll as though I’m not worth a second glance. “Mommy said you’re an asshole, and she told Aunt Bella she was coming to her.”

Wren chokes on air, and Rye walks out when his entire body shakes with silent laughter. He waits until he’s outside to unleash the riot going on inside him. Dick.

“When did Mommy say that?” Wren asks her, glaring over at me as I stare at his kid with a stupefied expression.

“When she was on the phone with Aunt Bella tonight. She thought I was in my room, but I was under your bed.”

Wren groans, but I see an opportunity. It’s highly unlikely that Allie will tell Wren where Bella is if she’s calling me an asshole, but it’s possible Angel overheard where they are.

“Where did she say they were?” I ask her, too far past the point of desperation to feel any guilt for pumping a child for info right now.

Angel smirks, because she’s a smart, somewhat wicked kid. “I’m not telling. It’s a secret.”