“Did you know public restrooms are one of the filthiest places in the world?” Winter asked. “I read that somewhere.”
Emma was slurping out of Kane’s remaining drink in his hand while the alpha sucked on his mate’s neck. Tonight was weird.
No. As Winter chattered on with the most useless facts on the planet and Beast agreed with everything as he washed his hands, while Kane and Rowan sucked face, and Emma hugged him closer, Dustin thought maybe tonight wasn’t weird, but perfect instead. The perfect follow-up to the fear that his pack would catch up to them and hurt Emma.
Sure, the Blackwing Crew would eventually find him out and probably kill him in some torturous way, but for now, they felt a lot safer than the pack. Safe. He huffed a breath and massaged the back of Emma’s head.
Safe was just a word, and words meant nothing.
But for Emma?
Dustin frowned down at her. She finished off Kane’s drink with a loud slurp. She smiled up at him and looked so proud and so naughty. Yeah, she was safe. She had to be. He would make sure of it. He didn’t know how, but he was going to get her out of the trouble that clung to him like a second skin. He would bring hell to earth to make sure no one hurt his little human. She was his to protect, and this was the moment he accepted it. Accepted that she was his priority, that her breaths were more important than his, that her heartbeat was more vital to him than his own. It was the moment he made a silent oath to go to war for her, no matter what it cost him. Because she had to be okay. If Emma existed on this earth, Dustin could believe in goodness.
She poked both corners of his lips with her forefingers and shoved them up into a smile. When he chuckled, Emma sighed a happy sound.
“Why are we all hanging out in the bathroom?” Winter asked suddenly, looking around like she was confused about how she’d gotten there. Sloppy, sloppy.
“Why wouldn’t the Blackwings hang out in a dirty bathroom for their first celebration?” Kane asked blandly. “Seems fitting enough to me.”
“Agree,” Logan said, lifting his full drink. When the umbrella fell out and fluttered to the ground, he stomped on it like a roach.
Winter’s face went all mushy, and she cuddled up to the lunatic like he was cute.
“Wait, the Blackwings?” Emma asked Kane.
“Yeah, you’ve all been invited now. I mean, you still have to bite this lying asshole to get in.” Kane tossed Dustin a hate-filled look. “But you all got the folders.”
“Didn’t you know we were celebrating as a crew tonight?” Rowan asked from the other side of her mate.
“But Beast hasn’t gotten one,” Emma pointed out.
Beast slammed a pink drink back and gulped. “I got one the other day.”
“What?” Logan asked too loud. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Beast shrugged his massive shoulders. “No one asked.”
Everyone sat frozen in silence, staring at the scar-faced behemoth.
Emma was the first to snort, and Winter and Rowan followed. Their quiet snickers turned to laughter, and even Logan chuckled. Beast looked pissed and crossed his arms as he glared at them. Kane shook his head and sighed the saddest sound, and now Dustin couldn’t help laughing either.
“To the worst crew in the world,” Dustin toasted them. “To the D-Team.”
The others repeated in unison, “To the D-Team.”
And then they downed the rest of the girly drinks.
Chapter Nine
Emma blew on her newly painted nails and carefully turned the page in the celebrity gossip magazine with the pad of her pointer finger. Why were all the lies about celebrities boring this week? Or maybe not boring, but pretty tame compared to the crazy last few days she’d had.
Three days since the bathroom party at Drat’s, and she was falling harder for Dustin every second. Right now, she missed him. He was off on some secret mission he wouldn’t tell her about when he left the motel this morning. That man still had way too many secrets.
Her phone buzzed on the bed beside her, and the screen lit up. Her heart jumped into her throat when Werewolf Megadick came up in the text. He’d programmed the name himself when she wasn’t looking and also added a picture of two flies mating, which now popped up every time he texted or called.
Are you in your room?
Carefully, so she didn’t ding her brand new red nails, she typed in, Yes. Come over. I need help. Send.
There was an immediate knock on the door. “Emma, are you okay?” Dustin yelled, sounding frantic.
“Come in,” Emma called.
“The door’s locked!”
“Use your key!”
“Oh, yeah.” The door lock dinged the entry sound, and he shoved the door open, his eyes glowing. He looked around the room like he was searching for danger.
Emma pointed at her butt. “My nails are wet, and I have a wedgie.”
“Are you fucking serious? I thought you were in trouble, and you want me to pick your wedgie?”
She grinned and nodded.
His gaze dipped to her butt where she was only wearing a pair of bikini cut panties with her tank top. Dustin cleared his throat. “It would be my pleasure.”
But when he approached the bed, he flopped onto his belly beside her and pulled the other side of her panties into the wedgie, creating a make-shift thong.
“Dustin,” she grumbled, turning the page of the magazine.
He bounced her butt-cheeks like basketballs. “So jiggly. This is the best ever.” He gently bit one cheek, and then the other, then went back to wiggling her cheeks even faster.