Page 48 of Dreadful

Whatever they’re looking for, it isn’t me.

Which means I still have time.

Once again, I’m forced to be flexible. Plans one through ten no longer fit. The variables threatened the whole plan, and the potential for failure was too high.

Tomorrow, I may be faced with a new problem.

She’s laughing again.

My fingernails dig into my palm, stemming the urge to press my ear against the glass to capture the sound.

There is no sound. Not anymore.

Eventually, Corrine came outside and ruined everything, like she so often does.

The girl left the pool first. Cruz followed thirty-seven seconds later.

And now, it remains empty.

So I stand and watch and wait.

EIGHTEEN

BELLAMY

“Prepared to go all-in?” I peer at Gage over the top of my cards before letting my gaze drop pointedly to the navy-blue boxer briefs currently serving as his last remaining shred of dignity.

Not that they’re doing a particularly good job of it.

The soft cotton leaves very little to the imagination, stretched snug across thick thighs and everything in between. Heat threatens to crawl up my neck as my eyes linger, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of looking away.

Naturally, Gage catches me staring.

His mouth curves into a slow grin, eyebrows waggling. “With you? Always.”

“No, with me, asshole.” Bishop flicks a single black sock into the growing pile of clothes in the middle of the table. “I’m calling.”

Gage’s attention shifts across the table, something dangerous sparking in his gaze.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Rafe mutters beside me.

Gage pushes to his feet and hooks both thumbs beneath the waistband of his boxer briefs.

A pretzel bounces off the center of his chest.

“Sit down, man.” Cruz reaches for another from the snack tray. “No one wants to see your tiny-ass dick while we’re playing cards.”

“I do,” I offer with a shrug.

Gage looks at me, that cocksure smirk of his growing wide. “C’mon, pookie, we both know that you know my dick isn’t tiny.”

“What?” Bishop snaps.

Cruz leans his chair back on two legs. “He’s trying to big-dick you—oh, I mean big-dog you. Keep up, man.”

A laugh tumbles out of me.

Bishop’s gaze snaps to mine. “Keep your damn clothes on, Gage.”