Page 53 of The Devils They Are
"I've got this," Rylan murmurs to Tai, the sound of his landing reaching my ears. He steps in front of me, blocking Hunter from view. "Come on, firecracker. Let's go negotiate."
Chapter nineteen
Bexley
"Idon'tunderstandwhynegotiations need to happen outside," I grumble, following Rylan as we exit the warehouse.
After Tai and Hunter left, he took one quick glance at the broken cage before declaring we should step outside. How on earth he intends to figure out costs without properly assessing the damage, I'll never know.
"Inside is where we fight," he answers simply. "We're not going to do that—though maybe we should considering what you just said about my father in there."
I roll my eyes in a useless attempt at masking my guilt, wrapping my arms around my body as the night chill hits me. It's not a cold evening by any means, but after being in a stuffy warehouse with lots of warm bodies, it takes a moment to adjust.
I hate that I feel guilty—and I hate it more that it's only due to the fact that Rylan has managed to get under my skin recently. Despite my better instincts, Icareabout hurting him with my words.
"Maybe Hunter shouldn't have said what he did," I shoot back softly.
As I glance over to Rylan for his reaction, I'm surprised to see him nod in agreement.
"We should save the personal taunts for the school grounds."
And yep—there it is. For a second, I thought he might actually have a heart or conscience. That would have been a bizarre plot twist.
My eyes scan the empty parking lot, my response forgotten. "Ah, shit," I whisper to myself.
"What is it?" Rylan asks, pausing to look at me.
There's only one car left—and it's not mine. I clearly didn't think this through.
"I rode with Archie," I murmur, reaching into my pocket for my cell. "I'm just going to give him a quick call to come back for me and then we'll settle the cage issue."
"No need," Rylan says without missing a beat. "I'll give you a ride. I owe you one anyway."
Opening Archie's contact information, I shake my head with a laugh. "No, it's okay. If we get into an accident, it's better if our bodies aren't discovered together."
"Suit yourself," he shrugs, digging his hands into his pocket as he gives me a wonky grin. "But the offer is there. God—are you always this uptight when someone tries to do something nice for you? Just say thank you like the other day and accept the help."
Pausing over the dial button, I glance over at him with a witty smile. "Only when there's likely an ulterior motive. Don't pretend theofferis out of the goodness of your heart—you don't have one when it comes to negotiations."
"I keep the goodness limited to other body parts to make up for my lack of cardiovascular organs," he replies swiftly.
My cheeks heat up, mind drifting as I trynotto figure out what body parts he's referring to. "I'm not budging on negotiations just because you are giving me a ride."
His eyes light up in amusement. "So, Iamgiving you a ride now?"
Fuck me. Remain focused, Bex. Just because this asshole insists on making sexual jokes constantly, it doesn't mean I need to fall down that rabbit hole too—I'm not Alice in Wonderland.
"Consider it your consolation prize. You lost the fights tonight, so you get my amazing company for a few minutes. How is your car even still here?" I ask, changing the subject. "Didn't you give your keys to Tai?"
"I gave Tai's keys to Tai. We came in two separate cars—the smart method for situations like this."
I lock my cell screen and slip it into my pocket. "A perk to having to share your kingdom," I snort. "Options."
"There's nothing wrong with not wanting to be alone," he says softly, surprising me. My body stills as I tilt my head up, frowning slightly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask, immediately going on the offensive. "Another daddy joke coming in the punchline?"
Rylan's face falls flat. "I just mean there's nothing wrong with sharing strength and having trust in others. You might think that we are weak for being a team, but you'd be wrong."
