Elude Read Online Free
stupid?"
"Don't leave yourself open to that one, Serg." Phoenix walked up to us, water bottle in hand. "That's just begging Tex to take advantage."
Phoenix was the newest leader of the Nicolasi family, and it showed in the way he carried himself. Once a rapist and the worst of the worst. You wouldn't know it if you saw him now. No more dark circles under his eyes, and he was wearing dark jeans and a shirt with a tailored jacket; the guy looked like he'd just stepped out of a magazine. His wife probably had more to do with that than he did, but still, it was an improvement from his haunted look of a few weeks ago.
At least then, my misery had enjoyed company, even if we had barely tolerated one another.
Chase approached us, his eyebrows raised. "Are we at a wedding or a funeral, Serg?"
"Both." I tilted more vodka back while the guys' expressions froze on their faces.
Slowly, I turned and cursed under my breath. Andi was standing in the doorway of the living room, her face pale, her smile weak.
"Hi, guys." She waved. "I was just wanting to ask Sergio's opinion on shoes."
Chase choked on his drink while I fought to regain my composure. Had she heard? And why the hell did I care if she was upset? That was the plan: upset her, don't let her in.
"Wear them." I shrugged. "Or go barefoot. Why the hell should I care?"
"Ass," Phoenix hissed, while Nixon nudged me from behind.
"So…" Andi poked her feet out from her long white skirt. "…do you like the silver or the tan?"
I licked my lips and stared at the shoes. Of course I had an opinion. Before my fall into the depths of hell, I'd probably been the most well-dressed of all the guys. I'd always loved clothes — the way they felt, the way they looked, the way they commanded a room.
"Andi, listen very carefully." I set my glass down on the table and folded my arms. "I couldn't give a rat's ass what shoes you wear."
I could feel the guys shooting daggers at my back. I ignored it. Maybe they'd lose their tempers and kill me — wouldn't that be a kindness?
"Barefoot, it is." She smiled brightly and started walking out of the room, then quickly turned around and skipped toward me. "Also, if we're planning a dual funeral and wedding, can you give my eulogy? It's only fair since you're going to be my husband and all. I could even write your speech for you. It should include how sexy I was, how much vodka I could drink, and the fact that I had the ability to kick your ass if I so chose."
I rolled my eyes.
And then suddenly, I was on my back. With no recollection of how I got there, just a view of the ceiling peering down at me with amusement, and my back feeling like I'd just gotten hit by a two by four.
"Holy shit." Chase burst out laughing. "I choose Andi for team captain when we go to war against the Russians."
"What…" My lungs seized as I wheezed out a breath. "…was that for?"
As Andi glanced down at me, her indifference was alarming. "You were being an ass, so I did you a favor by not only handing your ass to you, but making sure you landed on it, just in case there were any questions." She looked around the room. "This is what happens when I get treated like less than I deserve on my only wedding day… any questions?"
"Nope." Nixon chuckled.
"Hell no…" said Tex and Phoenix in unison.
"Just one." Chase's easy grin had me on edge.
The guys groaned. "What?"
He shrugged. "I just want to know how she did that so fast."
"If you're lucky I'll teach you." She winked and waltzed back through the door while I stayed on the floor, my pride bruised, my anger boiling.
The guys slowly, one by one, moved to stand over me. No hands were offered. They simply stared and, by their expressions, wanted me to try to get up just so they could set me back on my ass again.
Finally, Ax stepped through and offered his hand. When I took it, he released it then kicked me hard in the ribs. "Don't make me kick your ass too. Go pick out some damn shoes."
"She's going barefoot," I
"Don't leave yourself open to that one, Serg." Phoenix walked up to us, water bottle in hand. "That's just begging Tex to take advantage."
Phoenix was the newest leader of the Nicolasi family, and it showed in the way he carried himself. Once a rapist and the worst of the worst. You wouldn't know it if you saw him now. No more dark circles under his eyes, and he was wearing dark jeans and a shirt with a tailored jacket; the guy looked like he'd just stepped out of a magazine. His wife probably had more to do with that than he did, but still, it was an improvement from his haunted look of a few weeks ago.
At least then, my misery had enjoyed company, even if we had barely tolerated one another.
Chase approached us, his eyebrows raised. "Are we at a wedding or a funeral, Serg?"
"Both." I tilted more vodka back while the guys' expressions froze on their faces.
Slowly, I turned and cursed under my breath. Andi was standing in the doorway of the living room, her face pale, her smile weak.
"Hi, guys." She waved. "I was just wanting to ask Sergio's opinion on shoes."
Chase choked on his drink while I fought to regain my composure. Had she heard? And why the hell did I care if she was upset? That was the plan: upset her, don't let her in.
"Wear them." I shrugged. "Or go barefoot. Why the hell should I care?"
"Ass," Phoenix hissed, while Nixon nudged me from behind.
"So…" Andi poked her feet out from her long white skirt. "…do you like the silver or the tan?"
I licked my lips and stared at the shoes. Of course I had an opinion. Before my fall into the depths of hell, I'd probably been the most well-dressed of all the guys. I'd always loved clothes — the way they felt, the way they looked, the way they commanded a room.
"Andi, listen very carefully." I set my glass down on the table and folded my arms. "I couldn't give a rat's ass what shoes you wear."
I could feel the guys shooting daggers at my back. I ignored it. Maybe they'd lose their tempers and kill me — wouldn't that be a kindness?
"Barefoot, it is." She smiled brightly and started walking out of the room, then quickly turned around and skipped toward me. "Also, if we're planning a dual funeral and wedding, can you give my eulogy? It's only fair since you're going to be my husband and all. I could even write your speech for you. It should include how sexy I was, how much vodka I could drink, and the fact that I had the ability to kick your ass if I so chose."
I rolled my eyes.
And then suddenly, I was on my back. With no recollection of how I got there, just a view of the ceiling peering down at me with amusement, and my back feeling like I'd just gotten hit by a two by four.
"Holy shit." Chase burst out laughing. "I choose Andi for team captain when we go to war against the Russians."
"What…" My lungs seized as I wheezed out a breath. "…was that for?"
As Andi glanced down at me, her indifference was alarming. "You were being an ass, so I did you a favor by not only handing your ass to you, but making sure you landed on it, just in case there were any questions." She looked around the room. "This is what happens when I get treated like less than I deserve on my only wedding day… any questions?"
"Nope." Nixon chuckled.
"Hell no…" said Tex and Phoenix in unison.
"Just one." Chase's easy grin had me on edge.
The guys groaned. "What?"
He shrugged. "I just want to know how she did that so fast."
"If you're lucky I'll teach you." She winked and waltzed back through the door while I stayed on the floor, my pride bruised, my anger boiling.
The guys slowly, one by one, moved to stand over me. No hands were offered. They simply stared and, by their expressions, wanted me to try to get up just so they could set me back on my ass again.
Finally, Ax stepped through and offered his hand. When I took it, he released it then kicked me hard in the ribs. "Don't make me kick your ass too. Go pick out some damn shoes."
"She's going barefoot," I
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