Read Online Firebug by Lish McBride - Free Book Online Page B

chaste kiss on the temple, which for some reason I found more embarrassing than Ezra’s manhandling. I felt my cheeks get hot. He slipped an arm around my waist, tugging me out of Ezra’s grasp and tucking me in close. “So this is the elusive Ryan,” he whispered into my ear. “I thought you’d skip the bad-boy phase.”
    â€œYou knew?” I didn’t whisper. It’s rude.
    Lock continued being rude. “When you didn’t spill, we asked Cade. He was a little surprised that you hadn’t told your friends . Besides, I saw your phone yesterday when you tried to burn down the shack.” Ah, the photo Brittany had sent. Another thing to thank her for. Guess who’s getting a box of angry vipers for her birthday.
    Ezra patted my head in a way that managed to be both affectionate and condescending. “Please. Like you could hide things from us.” He grinned. “We discussed it and decided that you were a big girl and we’d only step in if he broke your cold black heart.”
    â€œHow thoughtful,” I said through gritted teeth.
    Ez looked Ryan up and down. “Lock, pay up.”
    Lock kept his arm around me while fishing money out of his apron. “I was sure he’d be taller.” He shoved a ten into Ezra’s open palm. It was bad enough having one guy manhandle me in front of my date, but to have Lock come in and steal me away with nothing more than a bit of possessive dialogue while money changed hands was worse. Ryan was frowning so hard, I thought his face might shatter. Brittany looked like she was going to combust with sheer glee. Her boyfriend just needed some popcorn for the free show. I leaned away, but Lock squeezed me back in.
    â€œSeriously,” Ezra said, chirpy as usual. He was lapping up all the attention like a cat. “You almost never come to Boston. We always have to visit you.”
    Except that Ryan thought I went to Boston all the time, because that was the lie I’d told him to cover all my Coterie business. Crap.
    Lock at least remebered my cover story and jumped in to save me. “Ez, you know when she comes to town it’s all about visiting her sick grandma. She always puts loved ones first.” I wasn’t sure if that was a dig at me keeping Ryan to myself or not.
    Lock eyed Ryan, aiming the next line at him. “She’s big on charity, but I bet you knew that already.” He grinned, and I shoved his arm off me with a glare.
    Ryan bristled at the insult, his jaw taking on a firm set, but he didn’t say anything.
    Ezra’s raised brow was the only indication that anything was off. “Of course,” he said, “I didn’t mean to imply that Ava is anything other than a saint. A curvy, delicious, foul-mouthed saint.”
    Between the back and forth, the staring from the table, and all the affection, I was officially beet red all the way to my roots. I should have pretended to barf when I had the chance. In fact, I actually did feel like barfing. I smacked Lock’s arm as it moved to snake back around me, but that didn’t take the smug look off his face as he stared at Ryan.
    â€œBy the way, if you’re looking for your black jeans, they’re at my place,” Lock stage-whispered at me. “I put them with your spares and your toothbrush.”
    I glowered at my best friend. The bastard. On the occasions when I had to work close to the city and I was too tired or too weak after a job, I crashed at Lock’s apartment, rather than take a room in one of the Coterie-owned hotels. Can you imagine their mini bar? Candy bars, vials of blood, raw meat, brains, maybe some bottled water … ew. I had a bag full of spare clothes and supplies at Lock’s place, and he had just used that information to take Ryan’s jealousy to code red. It looked like he was ready to shoot flames out of his ears. Which I did once, by the way, just to see if I could. It took