Assumption (Underground Kings 1)

“You’re looking for somewhere to hide?” he repeats, laughing.

“Autumn, I know you’re in there. Open the door.”

I close my eyes and lean my head back. I have no idea what I’m going to do, but it’s time to face the music. I take a breath and walk to the door. I click open the lock, pull the door in a crack, and peek out.

“Hey. Is everything okay?” I ask, seeing not only Nancy, but also Viv standing outside the bedroom.

Nancy smiles and Viv’s mouth twitches. “Looks like there was a little bit of an accident,” Nancy says, and Kenton starts laughing.

“I’m hanging up,” I tell him, annoyed that he is finding this situation so hilarious.

“I’m on my way home,” he warns me, and I hear the line go dead.

“Oh, great,” I sigh, pulling the phone from my ear. I start to toss it on the bed when I remember that the bed is no longer there, so I squeeze it in my hand.

“Did Cassie hit you?” Nancy asks, her eyes zeroing in on my cheek.

My hand naturally lifts to my cheek and I swallow. “Um…the thing is…she pulled my hair, so then I smacked her, and she smacked me back.” Yes, the chick is crazy, but I’m at fault as well.

“Are you okay?” Viv pulls me into a hug, and I feel Nancy put her arms around us both.

We stand there for a few moments. I didn’t think they would be offering me comfort after what I just did.

“Oh, isn’t this just fucking sweet? Seriously, she hit me and trashed my car and you’re fucking coddling her?” Cassie yells.

I pull back from Nancy and Viv before facing her. Her face is red with rage, but there is no mark on her cheek from where I smacked her.

“The cops are on the way. I hope you know you’re going to jail for what you did.”

Shit, she’s right; I’m probably going to jail for what I did. Then I’m probably going to lose my job when I have to tell them why I can’t show up to work tonight.

“Why are you here, Cassie?” Nancy asks her.

“I needed to talk to Kenton.” She shrugs, glaring at me again.

“You know he’s at work, so why are you really here?” Viv asks, stepping in front of me.

“Well, if you really must know, I wanted to tell him about the woman he has living with him. Did you know she’s a stripper and was letting random men do body shots off her at a club downtown?”

My stomach drops at her evil tone. I have no idea how she could possible know about that.

“It’s all over YouTube.” She smirks, reading my face. “Yep, your whore face is all over the Internet.”

I feel bile crawling up my throat as I look over at Nancy and Viv. I honestly don’t care that people are going to see me acting stupid and drunk, but I do care that the guy in Vegas could somehow see it and know where I’m now staying. I hate the idea of bringing danger to not only Kenton, but everyone else around me—people I really care for and consider friends for the first time in my life.

“Did you do it? Did you post that video?” I ask, ready to push her ass down the stairs.

“Cassie, why the fuck do you keep showing up at my house?” Kento

n asks, walking up the stairs. Butterflies erupt in my stomach when our eyes meet, and then his eyes go from soft to hard when they lock on my cheek. “She fucking hit you?” he growls. He must have forgotten that I already told him about our little exchange. His head swings to Cassie, the look on his face forcing her to take a step back. “You hit her?” he asks.

“Don’t you fucking dare, Kenton Mayson. She is not the fucking victim in this situation. She hit me then trashed my car.”

“You came to my house and hit my woman, and now you want to point fucking fingers? I told you to never show your face here again. I told you we have not one fucking thing to talk about.”

I suddenly feel faint. His ‘woman’? I didn’t think I was his, but he just said that I am, and he said it in front of his mom and aunt. I’m not going to explore why that made me feel all squishy and warm inside.

“Now, for the last fucking time, get the fuck out of my house.”

“Wait! She can’t leave!” I shout, grabbing Kenton’s arm.

“I’m out of here,” Cassie hisses and hurries down the stairs. I start to run after her, but an arm wraps around my waist and my back hits the solid wall of Kenton’s chest.

“Let her go, baby.” His lips brush my ear as he speaks.

I shake my head and he squeezes me tighter. “No, she can’t leave! She said there was a YouTube video of me from the bar the other night. I don’t know who put it up, but maybe she does.”

His body goes tight behind me and he lifts me, swinging me behind his back before running down the stairs. I look at Viv and Nancy before following behind him.

The second I reach the front door and swing it open, I see Kenton pacing back and forth, talking on the phone to someone. Cassie is next to her car trying to lift the mattress off of it. Just as I take a step out onto the front porch, two police cars pull up the driveway. Kenton’s head swings my way, and he lifts his hand and motions for me to come over.

I look at the cop cars then at Cassie, who is glaring at me while trying to lift the headboard. If things were not so messed up, I’d be laughing at her. I walk to Kenton. His voice is a low rumble when he tells the person on the phone to track the video and have it removed. When he hangs up, his hand goes to the bottom of my shirt and he pulls me until I’m forced to step closer to him.