“Me too,” Tara nods, “me too.”
KAT
As soon as Ricco is done speaking about his ex’s mother I rush out the door and practically run to the car. Macey is standing next to it.
“You puke?”
“Not yet,” I say and walk around to the passenger side. “Get me out of here.”
I pull my shades down over my eyes and lean back. As we pull out I see Lou-cifer and yeah, I flip her off.
At home Macey and I set out all the food buffet style on the island. Momma Joe dropped off a damn catering truck full of food, my cheese and meat tray looked like nothing compared to the lasagna, ziti, garlic knots, pans of meatballs, and sausage links all covered in Momma Joe’s marinara sauce. She even brought rolls and a kiddy pool size tossed salad.
I bet Ricco will love that.
Fucking man.
“You’re quiet. The funeral has you down?”
“What kind of question is that?” I ask.
“One with feels.”
“We don’t do feels,” I say rolling my eyes.
“We do and we do wine.” She grabs a bottle and looks at me. “Wine and feels.”
By the time everyone starts rolling in we have finished off a bottle and a half of wine and I am no longer feeling sick to my stomach.
Zack and Marcus are first through the door, the Steels, all eight of them are next and then about fifteen women dressed like hoochies and a few men wearing green.
I wait for the bitch bag to walk in and she doesn’t, but neither does Ricco.
“Zack was right,” Xavier Steel says to me. “You are two different people at work and at home.”
“She’s no different,” Cyrus chimes in. “Same Kat, different place. Looks good Kat.”
“Your mother did the food, not me.”
“No the place. I remember checking out the house. It was drab, you colored it up.”
“Did you expect any less?”
“No, you’ve got talent. I noticed it the very first time I met you,” Cyrus nods. “Place is in good hands.”
I know he’s talking about Forever Steel, or as I call it, FS.
“One with raw crazy ass temperamental talent, and one refined laid back even tempered ball buster with mad skill,” Jase smirks.
“I assume I’m the latter?” I say, knowing damn well he’s not.
“Yeah he is,” Zandor laughs. “Let’s chow.”
“I think we wait for Ricco,” Cyrus says and the brothers agree.
“Not happening.” Carly pushes past them.
“Pregnancy isn’t supposed to be fucking cute. But both Carly and Bekah Steel look disgustingly adorable,” Macey mumbles.
Cyrus’s wife Tara laughs. “Right.”
“You were fucking stunning Birdie,” Cyrus says to his wife.
“Thank God you thought so.” She pats his chest.
She smiles as she looks down and walks by us.
“Crazy, she has no clue,” he grumbles and follows her.
Macey waits until they are all out of earshot and turns to me. “Okay we did that wine or blood, or I don’t know what kind of swearing we did about being single for life, but if I find me one of those, I will see you once a month on Wine Wednesday.”
“You kidding me?” I gasp. “You little whore.”
As soon as the words left my lips every female in the place looked at me. The Steel chicks laugh, the others glare.
I hold up my middle finger high in the air. “I was talking to my girl, carry on… mourning and shit.”
I turn and walk into my room away from the crowd; clearly I don’t do well with them.
I am face to face with my bed and yes, my pooty still feels Ricco’s mountain cock.
Where the fuck is he? These are his people.
I look over my shoulder and see Macey walking in the room with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
“Did you come to apologize for threatening to leave me for dick?”
She sits on the end of the bed. “No, I came to get you shitfaced, and you are welcome.”
She pours one glass and holds it up. “You can’t have it if you don’t accept.”
“Fine but I swear, I will strap one on to try to win you back,” I deadpan.
“Bitch, I love you.”
I hear someone clear their throat and turn around. Ricco is standing in the open doorway and clears it again.
“You okay big guy, or did you get all worked up when Kat mentioned strapping one on for me?” Macey asks.
“The thought of Kat with a dick doesn’t do a damn thing for me.” He turns his head and I see scratch marks on the side of his face.
“Oh fuck no. Fuck. No.” I walk and grab his chin. “That bitch do this?”
“Settle down.” He takes my hand and pulls it away.
“Fuck that, you’re sober Macey, let’s roll.” I start to walk around the mountain himself and he stops me by grabbing my hand.
“Fuck no I’m not sober,” Macey laughs. “I wonder if Uber will take us to find the skank.”
I can’t help but laugh and Ricco drops my hand and walks past me.
“Are you gonna tell me what happened to your face?”
“I’m gonna get out of this monkey suit,” he says loosening his tie, “then I’m gonna get something to eat and chill. It’s all good.”
“Ricco you-” Macey stops me by grabbing my arm and pulling me down beside her as he tosses the jacket, and pulls the tie over his head.
Then he starts unbuttoning his shirt.
She grins and nods, then makes some stupid fucking face and wags her eyebrows.
He pulls the half unbuttoned shirt over his head and his back is on display. The ink is fucking perfect. ‘Natalia’ bridges across his shoulders in a black masculine script. The N at the beginning and the A at the end begin the tribal ink that runs down his arms all the way to his hands. A crest that I assume is his family’s, covers the majority of his back in grey ink. Two black, medieval swords make an X across it.
Macey bites her fist and I can’t help but laugh, she’s fucking ridiculous.
He kicks off the leather black loafers and bends down and pulls his socks off.
Then turns and catches us staring out of the corner off his eye and shakes his head.
“You see something you like?” he asks walking to his duffel bag.
“You’re like a fucking art show on legs,” Macey says.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he says pulling a shirt out and turning around.
“Fuck me,” she shakes her head. “I would-”
“Macey,” I interrupt knowing damn well what was coming next if I didn’t.
“He has people fucking up his side,” she says and points.
“It’s an embrace.”
“Sure as hell is,” she nods.
“It’s my folks,” he says pulling the black fitted t-shirt over his head.
“What’s the cross and wings across your chest and up your collar?”
“Folks and faith,” he says as he unbuttons his dress pants and turns to grab what I am assuming are pants out of his bag.
“Don’t fucking disappoint me now Ricco,” Macey says clapping and rubbing her hands together.
His eyebrow rises as he stands up. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
He walks toward the bathroom.
“Fuck,” Macey groans and falls back on the bed.
“You need to get laid,” I say and stand up.
He walks back out in light colored loose fitting jeans and nods to the door. “Ladies let’s go eat.”
“Wait,” Macey says jumping up and I am almost afraid of what she will say next. “Why the guns on your hip. Please tell me that didn’t get shot off.”
He lifts his tee and his jeans are hanging obscenely low.
“If all else fails,” he traces the phrase and points to the gun.
“If all else fails what?” she asks.
“Pull the trigger babe. Fuck.”
“Nice,” she nods.
“I was young.” He lets go and his shirt slides down his body. He looks up. “Kat?”
“Yeah, fine, I’m coming.”
“Two minutes more and I would be,” Macey mumbles as she walks out ahead of us.
I grab the back of his shirt and yank. “Did she do that?”
He turns around and looks at me. “Why?”
“Well because,” I scowl.
“Would it piss you off if she did?”
“Of course it would you idiot.”
His lip turns up in the corner. “I provoked her. Nick DeAngelo was there and I pushed a button. I knew she’d flip and now she has a restraining order on her.”
“Damn son,” I smirk.
“Daddy will do,” he winks and walks out.
***
Watching Ricco talk to everyone was just like it was at work, the females swooned, and some got handsy. I watched him give them a slow smile and either slowly push their hand away, act as if they weren’t basically trying to give it up to him in front of a room full of people, or step out of the situation.
Macey and I sat on the couch watching and making up conversations between them, just like we do at the bar.
“But Ricco, I want to make you forget about your loss,” she said mimicking one of the bitches.
Her voice would change to a drunken deep slur, because… she was fucking drunk, “I would bend you over this counter and fuck you, if the room wasn’t full of people.” Her voice changes back to the female, “I don’t care you giant of a man, I’ll take it in the ass if you want it.” Then back to his voice, “I’m kind of afraid of that ass, it’s the size of a delivery truck.”
“You’re so stupid,” I laugh.
“See, look he’s walking away.” She looks at me. “You should fuck him.”
“Macey, shut up,” I roll my eyes at her dismissing her.
“Exotic ass all over the fucking place,” Zack says from behind us and we jump.
“What the hell Zack?” I say shaking my head. “About gave me a fucking heart attack.”
“Back deck, fire pit, can we use it?”
I shrug. “Just don’t burn the house down.”
All the guys still here are out by the pit, Ricco isn’t. He’s leaning against the counter drinking a beer and listening to the chick who is the last remaining skank.
She then reaches out and grabs his waistband he shakes his head no once.
She bites her lip and looks down then back up and nods.
He smirks and takes her hand and pulls it off him, and again shakes his head no.
She pushes up on her toes and kisses him and it takes a good five seconds for him to pull away.
“He’s got himself a hot one,” Macey laughs. “Well, there goes my plan for the night.”
“Let’s give him some privacy.” I stand and walk toward the French doors leading to the deck where the Steel family, Marcus, Zack, and a couple other guys are hanging out.
I look back to pull the door shut and our eyes lock.
Fuck him.
I sit down next to Macey on the chaise lounge. It’s pretty snug which is good, the evening air is a little chilly. Her and I pass our fourth or fifth bottle back and forth to each other.
Jase stands and offers his hand to Carly. “You ready to go, Baby?”
She yawns. “No way, let’s party.”
He smiles. “We’ll party at home. Come on.”
She takes his hand and pulls herself up and looks at me. “Thank you so much for this Kat.”
I laugh. “My pleasure.”
“It was nice,” she says.
“Thank Momma Joe. She catered.”
“Doesn’t she always?” Zandor stands and grabs Bekah’s hand and pulls her up. “Take me home and I’ll let you do me.”
“Yeah right,” she huffs.
“Fine, just lay there I’ll do you.” He winks.
“You could let her have some control once in a while,” Tara says and Cyrus’s eyes bug out of his head. “Women talk Cyrus. He doesn’t-”
“Birdie, I don’t want to know what goes on in that house. I really don’t.” Cyrus leans in and laughs. “He’s into some fucked up shit.”
Zandor eye fucks his wife from head to toe, totally knowing we’re all watching him. He gets off on making people uncomfortable. “You like it don’t you, Kitten?”
She rubs her belly. “Apparently.”
“I fucking love you,” he says and pulls her toward the house.
“Don’t get her knocked up,” Xavier jokes. “And please don’t pop her water tonight.”
Taelyn nudges him. “We should head out too. We have rehearsal with our four adult size kids in the morning.”
He nods. “New album coming out. The band is fucking up the charts. Thanks Kat. You need anything-” he leaves it hanging.
Taelyn smiles. “That means call me. Men can’t multitask.”
“Would you rather I multitask or give multiples?”
She laughs and follows him, waving to us.
Once they’re gone Cyrus stands up. “We should get going too. Come on, Birdie, we got shit to do.”
She giggles and stands. “Sounds good.”
“Always is,” he says.
And they both say “Thanks Kat,” in unison.
Macey has her phone in her hand. I have no idea what I’ve done with mine.
“You two done checking out women’s asses?” Zack laughs.
“That room was full of a lot of ass,” Macey slurs.
“Nice round ass,” Marcus says leaning back in his seat.
“Fuck those hoes,” Macey mumbles as she thumbs through her phone.
“If you do, I’d love to watch,” Marcus sighs.
“I have a no ho rule,” Macey says not fully engaging in hen conversation as she thumbs through that new app. “I like dick.”
“Cock,” I correct her.
“You interrupted me, I like dick, I love cock.” She holds up her phone. “How about this guy, dick or cock.”
“For his sake I hope cock, the poor son of a bitch has nothing else going for him.”
“Can’t always judge a book by its cover,” Zack says.
“Like hell we can’t. Says here, he’s not here for a long time, he’s here for a good time,” I read.
“Well see, he likes to have fun,” Marcus says moving his chair closer and leaning over to look at Macey’s screen.
“Wrong,” I say. “It means he has no fucking imagination and he lasts two minutes. X him out Macey.”
“Swipe left,” she says and does it at the same time.
“No. Just fuck no,” I say and she laughs and swipes left.
“What was wrong with him?” Zack laughs.
“He has a porn-stache,” Macey and I both say at the same time.
Marcus leans over and looks at the next one. “He’s perfect for you. Says he likes them crazy, but not on meds. Wait, are either of you on meds?”
I flip him off and take a drink and then hand the empty back to Macey.
“Hey, you emptied it now you have to refill.”