Page 7 of Masked Darling
“God, you’re both so infuriating. You guys clearly like each other, and this sexual tension,” Alison waved her hand towards him. “That you have is palpable. I heard people were scared to go into the kitchen for a good bit while you two were over there looking like you were gonna fuck right on the counter.”
Kade closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
It seems they weren’t as stealthy as he hoped.
“Look, Kade,” Alison said quietly. “I’m just trying to help two of my good friends get past this little hump. And actually, get to the humping part.”
She giggled at her joke, and Kade stared at her like he thought she might be high. She totally could have been, since Chris was high most of the time. And he had the good shit–Kade would know. He was the one who got it for him thanks to his dad’s connections.
Alison caught his judgmental gaze and scoffed at him.
“Seriously! Just imagine how fun our double dates would be,” she grinned and started to leave.
Kade couldn’t help but smile at that. What a world it would be if that could become a reality for him. “Goodnight, Ali Cat. Go help Chris with the drunks. I’ll talk to Madison tomorrow.”
“I’d send her something tonight if I were you. A text, at least. I know she’s wide awake in our apartment, just overthinking like the professional worrier she is.”
When Kade reluctantly nodded, Alison waved a hand through the door crack and called out a quick, “Night, Kade!” before closing the door behind her.
After the door was shut he sighed and fell back against the pile of pillows on his bed. He liked to keep his room pretty minimal with just the basics in black furniture and a few electronics. He refused to skimp on the pillows, though.
He turned towards the black iron nightstand that supported a small reading lamp and grabbed his phone. He swiped his finger over the screen to wake it up and was about to text Madison when he saw that one from his brother had come through in the last hour:
Jagger:
Care to explain why I’m missing about $400 worth of alcohol?
Kade:
I’m surprised you didn’t ask about the kegs.
Jagger:
I gave Camille permission to take the kegs. I didn’t give you permission for shit.
Kade:
Fair point. I’ll pay you back when I have another job lined up.
Jagger:
Kade.
Jagger:
How many times have I told you to stop doing jobs for Dad? You have your whole life ahead of you. Don’t fuck it up.
There were a lot of things that Kade did that Jagger disapproved of, but doing shady shit for their father and the Renegade Rebels was at the top of the list. Granted, Jagger took on almost all of the heat when they were growing up, seeing how he was a few years older, but now that he was busy with the bar and his new fiancé, Sadie—Well, the middle-of-the-night calls were his responsibility.
Kade:
My future will be just fine. And in case you’ve forgotten, you went to school off of blood money yourself.
Jagger:
You can work it off next weekend. We are having a private event at The Serpent Pit, and I could use the extra help. Don’t tell your friends, this party is for the adults.
Kade scoffed when he read ‘adults’ since his brother was only—what? Twenty-five now? What a joke.
