Battling Troy: Devil's Knights Series (15 page)

“Try to distract him from the punishment he thinks he needs to dole out to me later,” Meg called.

“Maybe you need it, Meg,” I said, walking out the door.

“Traitor!” she yelled as I shut the door.

I climbed on my four wheeler and looked at King. “She’s fucking crazy.”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he gruffed, trying to act like he wasn’t wrapped around her finger.

“It’s about time I saw her happy. You did that to her.” Sappy, but it was the damn truth. No matter how crazy and batty Meg was, she was and always will be one of my best friends. She deserved the happiness that she had found with King.

“I just give her what she deserves, brother. She’s the one who gave me a reason to live. Seeing her smile every day lets me know I’m finally doing something right with my life.” King cleared his throat and turned his head away. At that moment, I knew how much Meg meant to King.

“Alright, enough sappy shit. Follow me and I’ll show you all the trails.” I fired up the four-wheeler and took off down the trails. I glanced back seeing King close behind and gunned it, kicking up dust.

As I was walking out the door, I could see the fear creeping back into her eyes. She had the same look on her face when we had been shot at and told me to leave. I wasn’t going to let her push me away this time. Running away wasn’t going to fix her problems.

She was going to let me help fix them and then her ass wasn’t going anywhere except to my bed.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chapter 20

Marley

“You need another drink?” Meg asked, walking over to the fridge.

“I didn’t even open the first one you gave me.” I glanced at the island where Lo had set the two sodas Meg had given him.

“Me neither. I think,” Meg opened the cabinet above the sink and pulled down three bottles, “you and I need something stronger than soda right now.”

Meg turned back around and grabbed two shot glasses down. “I don’t think you could be more right,” I said, standing up and sat down on a stool by the island.

“You okay with southern comfort?” she asked as she filled both glasses to the top.

I grabbed mine and took a sniff. “I’ve never had Southern Comfort.”

“Well slap me silly and call me Bernice. I’m about to pop your cherry, darlin’.” Meg grabbed hers and clinked it against my glass. “Bottoms up,” she toasted and tossed her’s back.

I quickly tossed mine back and my eyes squinted at the sharp taste. “Not bad,” I whizzed.

Meg threw her head back and laughed, “You’ll get used to it.” She filled up our glasses two more times and I threw them back without hesitation. By the time she filled my glass up for the fourth time, I was starting to relax.

She pushed the glass towards me, but I didn’t grab it right away. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

“Yes. I saw the same look in your eye you had when you proclaimed you were leaving. I needed to distract you. Booze was the fastest way.” She clinked her glass against mine and tossed her shot back like it was water.

I threw mine back and felt it burn down my throat. “I think I need to slow down,” I mumbled as she lined up our glasses again and filled them. “How the hell are you still standing?” I slurred and leaned over to look at her legs.

Meg put her hand on my shoulder and tilted me back upright in my chair. “I forgot you're not from Wisconsin.”

“No. But I like it here.” Wait, was that the answer to the question? Did Meg ask me a question?

“Good. But now we need to sober you up before Troy gets back. He’s going to piss himself when he finds out I got you hammered.” Meg whirled around from the island and started opening up cabinets.

“I’m not hammered,” I said, although I think it might have come out hammmm. I’m not sure.

“Of course you’re not, sweetie, I just think some coffee would be a good idea,” Meg said as she frantically searched the cabinets. “Lo is going to kill me for this. It’s not my fault I’m from Wisconsin and drink most women under the table. It’s what we do in the winter to stay warm; drink. And well, have sex. That’s why there're so many babies born in August and September. Or at least that’s what I like to think,” Meg rambled on as she opened the last cabinet and found the coffeemaker. “Jackpot!”

My head was swimming by the time she had it plugged in and coffee was dripping into the pot. I was still trying to process her ramblings from before. “So this winter I need to drink and have lots of sex?”

“What?” she asked, looking at me like I had grown two heads.

“What you shed before, about this summer, ugh, I mean winter. Yes, winter.” Woo, maybe coffee was a good idea. I was struggling to put two words together.

“Um, well I’m sure Troy will be good with the lots of sex, but if this is how you hold your liquor, honey, you might want to stick to wine coolers.” Meg leaned against the counter and looked at me.

I was still on my stool, but I was now hunched over and sprawled out on the counter. “Don’t judge, my body isss to heapy toooo stay up,” I slurred. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my foggy brain. Sweet Jesus, I needed to lie down.

“Coffees ready!” Meg chirped as she grabbed a cup down and filled it. “Drink this, hun. Lo and Troy could be back any second.”

She slid the cup towards me and the smell of rich coffee swirled around me. I pulled myself up and wrapped my hands around the cup. “Aren’t you going to have some?” I asked as I took a sip.

“No. I’m good, just got a lite buzz. Good thing Lo drove. That pot of coffee is all for you. So you need to drink your ass off.” I took three big gulps and it burned down my throat.

“Put a couple of ice cubes in it. It’s too fooking hot now.”

“Did you just say fooking?” Meg giggled as she walked over to the freezer and grabbed the ice cube tray out.

“I don’t know, it’s a fooking possibility,” I laughed, dropping an ice cube into my cup. Meg threw her head back laughing hysterically.

“Oh my God, you so have to come out with Cyn and I. It would be fooking hilarious,” Meg snorted.

My coffee sloshed over the side of the cup, spilling all over my hand as a fit of laughter bubbled out from me. Meg tossed the towel at me and grabbed the coffee cup.

“Don’t spill anymore. If I know Lo, he’s not going to be gone for much longer. Drink up,” Meg ordered, wiping up the counter.

I dropped another ice cube in my cup and chugged down half. I really did need to sober so Meg didn’t get into trouble with King. I think she was in enough trouble with shoving a plate of pizza rolls in his face. I burst out laughing, spewing coffee everywhere, remembering King’s head smeared with sauce and cheese.

“Oh...my… King...and the pizza...his face…” I wheezed out. I couldn’t stop laughing. King was always so put together and in control that seeing him with food all over his face just cracked me up.

“Ass deserved it,” Meg cackled, wiping up the coffee I had just spat out.

“The look on his-.” A loud knocking on the door made Meg and I jump. We both stared at the door, but neither of us moved.

“Meg! Open the door, I locked it on the way out,” Troy called.

“Shit!” Meg whispered.

“I’m drunk!” I whispered back.

Meg burst out laughing, smothering it with the back of her hand. “I know,” she whispers shouted, “Take this and go to the bathroom. I’ll try to hold them back.” She shoved the coffee pot at me and helped me off the stool.

I stumbled two steps to the bathroom and Meg steadied me. She quickly guided me to the toilet and shut the door behind me. I set the coffee pot on the floor and collapsed onto the closed toilet seat. I heard clanking of bottles and figured Meg was putting away the evidence.

“Meg!” I heard Troy shout again.

Shit, he did not sound happy. I grabbed the coffee pot, thinking I better get to chugging and realized I forgot my coffee cup. Shit on a brick! How the hell was I supposed to drink this?

I frantically looked around, praying a cup would magically appear but no such luck.

“Where’s Marley?” I heard mumbled through the door.

“Shitting,” Meg blurted out. I burst out laughing, sloshing the coffee over the top.
Apparently Meg didn’t do well under pressure. “Ugh, I mean she’s in the bathroom,” I heard her mumble.

I slapped my hand over my mouth, hoping Troy didn’t hear me.

“So, she’s in the bathroom, shitting?” Troy asked. I felt a giggle building up and knew I had to keep it together. I closed my eyes and tried to picture my old English professor giving a lecture to try and calm me down. It worked until Meg opened her mouth again.

“Yes, totally in the bathroom shitting. The best place to shit.” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I burst out laughing, throwing my head back and smashed it against the wall.

“Babe, what the hell is going on?” I heard King’s low, gravelly voice.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

I picked up the coffee pot and pried the little cover doohickey off and tossed it on the floor. Just as I had the pot raised to my lips, the bathroom door swung open and Troy stood on the other side.

“What the fuck?” He asked. I sat there, the coffee pot still raised to my lips, motionless. I had no idea what to say.

“Um, Marley was in the bathroom and she told me she was thirsty and I, ugh, got her something to drink.” Meg chimed in, standing behind Troy.

“So you made her a pot of coffee, brought it to the bathroom, gave it to her without a cup and shut the door?”

“Yes, exactly,” Meg said, nodding her head.

“While she was shitting,” King laughed from the sofa.

“Shut it, Lo,” Meg hissed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What the hell is going on?” Troy demanded.

“They’re drunk, brother,” King laughed.

“How the hell did you know that?” Meg yelled and turned to look at King.

“You left the door open to the liquor cabinet, babe.”

Troy, Meg and I each looked into the kitchen and saw the door wide open. “Son of a bitch!” Meg cursed.

“What the hell were you doing drinking? And how the hell did you get drunk, we were only gone for half an hour,” Troy asked. I couldn’t tell if he was pissed or amazed Meg and I had managed to get drunk so quickly.

“First off, I’m not drunk,” Meg said, resting her hands on her hips. “Second, I was just trying to help you out, Troy.”

King burst out laughing, throwing his arms in the air. “You were only helping. Lord help us if Meg’s way of helping is getting drunk,” King said, laughing his ass off.

Meg gave him the stink eye and flipped him off which only made him laugh even harder. “If you’ll ignore the laughing hyena on the couch, I’ll explain.”

“This ought to be good,” King mumbled under his breath.

Meg ignored King and continued on, “Marley had the deer in the headlights look when you left and I knew she was freaking out. I figured a shot would help relax her.”

“You got wasted off one shot?” Troy’s eye shot to me, shocked.

“No!” Meg yelled. “She’s a definite lightweight but not that bad. I kind of lost count, but I think we did five or so.”

“Of what?” Troy demanded.

“Sormn cmfegt,” Meg said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she talked.

“What?” Troy asked, confused.

“It’s Meg, brother. She gave her shots of Southern Comfort,” King called from the couch as he flipped the TV on.

“Hey, you say that like I’m predictable!” Meg sassed at King. He just shook his head and started flipping channels.

“I still don’t understand how Marley ended up in the bathroom with a pot of coffee,” Troy said, glancing at the pot I still had in my hands.

“Don’t be mad at Meg, please,” I pleaded, shuffling over to the island and set the coffee pot down. “This wasn’t any of her fault. I didn’t know how strong Southern Comfort was. She didn’t force me to take the shots.”

“I’m not mad, I just don’t understand what the hell happened in the thirty minutes I was gone.”

“OK, I’ll explain.” Troy stared at me, waiting. “So, I was ready to run, like get the hell out of dodge. Somehow Meg knew before I even said anything.”

“I know. I saw the look in your eyes before I left.”

“See, I freaking helped!” Meg yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. She stomped over to the couch and collapsed into King’s lap.

“Getting her drunk was your bright idea? I’m sure there was something else you could have done. Maybe
talk
to her?!” Troy shouted at Meg.

“We’re fucked. Anything serious happens, Meg is going to get everyone drunk and Marley is going to get the fuck out of dodge.” King stood up, grabbing Meg and threw his empty beer can in the garbage.

“Hey, at least she didn’t run. Now she’s mellow and complacent, you should be thanking me.” Meg pulled out of Kings arms and grabbed the coffee pot, dumping what was left down the drain.

“Let’s go, babe, we got some talking to do about your coping skills. Opening a bottle is not always the right answer,” King laughed, pulling his sunglasses off the top of his head and pushed them onto his nose.

“It worked. Don’t go all caveman on me, Lo.” Meg wagged her finger at King and set the coffee pot back under the machine.

“You got me there, babe, it definitely worked,” Lo laughed, holding the door open for her.

“We’ll leave your bags by the front door. Let Lo know if you need anything more, Marley, and I’ll see about getting it to you.” Meg waved and walked out the door, slugging King in his gut as she walked by.

King grunted and grabbed her and swung her up into his arms. She squealed and cussed as the door shut behind them.

I looked at Troy who was staring at the shut door and wondered what the hell he was thinking. He didn’t seem terribly upset, although he could have been keeping his cool with Meg and King around.

“Um, I’m sorry about the whole drinking thing. Meg and I were just talking and it sort of happened,” I said, chewing on my lip.

“That seems to happen a lot when Meg is around. Hell, I’ve been involved in half of the things that just happen when she is around,” Troy laughed, running his fingers through his hair.

“Are you mad?” I asked, afraid of the answer.

“Oh, Sunshine. You’ve got a lot to learn about me, just like I have a lot to learn about you. I’m not mad, at least not at you.”