Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“Yes,” I agreed. “He is.”
“Halftime adjustments,” he said, then reached around me to tap on the keyboard of the laptop I was using.
I inhaled and savored his scent even if, tonight, there was the barest trace of nicotine. I found that I liked it.
“Gotta set a new point spread and draw in some new bets.”
I knew this, but I let him pull up the proper screen for me. He could do it all himself if he would continue doing it right here. I had no complaints.
“Hey, Elsie,” Calvin called out.
I shifted my gaze from pretending to watch what Forge was doing to my best friend.
“Go with me to the kitchen. I don’t want to get lost,” he said, standing up.
I felt Forge go rigid behind me.
“It’s not hard. Straight down that hallway,” Forge told him, not taking his eyes off the screen or moving back so that I could go anywhere.
“We can handle the updated spread,” Oz told Forge. “Let her have a break.”
Forge still didn’t move.
Calvin’s eyes darted from me to Oz. I knew I should do something, but I wasn’t sure what to say exactly to make Forge let me go.
“Forge.” This time, it was Bane’s voice that spoke.
Forge stopped typing and muttered a curse, but he lifted his arm that he had around me. “If you want to go,” he said simply.
I lifted my eyes to look at him. “He’s my best friend,” I whispered. “It’s okay.”
Forge shot a glare over my head, then turned back to the screen.
I was torn. He didn’t want me to go, but that was ridiculous. I’d barely had a chance to speak to Calvin since we got back from the picnic. Every time I began to feel bad about it, Forge would touch me or get close, and I’d forget. He was a distraction and had been since day one.
Deciding that it was going to make a scene if I stayed, not to mention be rude, I turned toward Calvin, plastering on a smile I did not feel, and headed in the direction of the kitchen. “This way,” I said, my voice sounding too chipper.
Forty-Three
Elsie
“What is going on with you and Forge?” The hushed words were out of Calvin’s mouth the moment we entered the kitchen.
I’d expected them, but that didn’t mean I had an answer for him. There were some things you didn’t tell your guy best friend. Especially when it involved his cousin … having had his face between your legs.
I sighed heavily, then turned to look at him. “We are friends,” I said, already knowing he wasn’t going to take that as an answer and let this go.
“No,” Calvin said, closing the distance between us. “We are friends,” he whispered, wagging his finger between the two of us. Then he pointed toward the great room. “That is something completely different. You remember that they’re in the Mafia, right? Yes, he’s my cousin, but he is dangerous. He kills people, Elsie. Kills them. Puts them in the ground.”
The concern on Calvin’s face was understandable. But that side of Forge’s life wasn’t one I was privy to. It was hard for me to associate that with him.
I shrugged. “I guess I don’t think about that when I’m around him. He’s nice.” God, that sounded lame. “We have … bonded, I guess, over grief and numbers.”
Calvin was staring at me like I’d lost my mind. “Grief and numbers?”
“Yes. His mother is sick, and I lost both my parents. Then I help with the bookie stuff on game nights. We’ve become friends. He’s just … a little territorial. I think he might feel … threatened that you’re here. I don’t know.” I threw up my hands in frustration, then placed them on my hips.
Calvin ran a hand through his hair and tugged at it the way he did when he was stressed about something. “I brought you here to keep you safe. To keep you alive. I didn’t anticipate”—he paused and glared back at the door—“this.”
“You’re overreacting,” I told him. “Forge isn’t going to kill me. What’s the big deal?”
Calvin’s eyes went wide as he looked back at me. “The big deal?” He sounded exasperated. “Forge looked ready to rip my head off for asking you to come with me to the kitchen. He’s not let you out of his sight all day, and earlier, when he saw us coming back from the picnic, he was pissed. Did you not pick up on that? What happens when you leave? Huh? Is he even going to let you? I mean”—Calvin shook his head—“this is messed up. I need to talk to Oz about it. Maybe he can—”
“Calvin.” I stopped his rambling. “I don’t want you talking to Oz. Forge and I are friends, and, yes, I think he is uncomfortable with my best friend showing back up. It reminded him that I may leave soon. He is going through a hard time, and you getting all worked up about our friendship isn’t going to help. Please, let me handle this. It’s fine. I swear. He needs me right now. With his mom and everything. Just don’t make this something it isn’t.”