22. Carter

CHAPTER 22

Carter

I have never participated in more fucked up shit in my life…but it was hot. The girls completely dominated Brax and I with no warning. Sexiest shit ever.

We go up to shower one at a time as the rest wait outside to avoid getting blood all over the house. Tristan and his men came and cleaned up the body, making sure the entire house was spotless with absolutely no trace of Clarence Rossi.

Once everyone is showered, we spend time trying to figure out what we want to do with the rest of the night. Dani quit her job so she could start her own business, Brax called to check in on the club, Lei talked to her dad about us potentially going on a trip, and I just sat there taking in each conversation. I guess you could say it's been a pretty eventful day. I'm pulled from my thoughts as my phone rings in my pocket.

"Guess it's my turn, I'll be right back," I say before heading into the house. I look at my phone and see that it's my cousin, Vinny. I hit the accept button and hold the phone to my ear.

"Yo Vin, what's up?" I listen to him speak and he tells me about a party tomorrow night. It's Halloween so it's a costume party. He gives me all of the details and I hang up the phone and head back outside to tell everyone.

"Costume party tomorrow at the warehouse, who's in? Best fucking time of the year!" Excitement rushes through me at the thought.

Immediately they all agree in unison and we start talking about the costumes we'll wear. Dani and Lei go on a long spiel about how they can't wear the same costumes as they did for The Pursuit while Brax and I try to give them every option under the sun. After what felt like hours, they both finally settle on what they will be...And us. Leighton decides we're going to be Harley Quinn and Joker since she has an obsession with Harley. Dani decides the two of them are going as skeletons because she wants to wear cool contacts… whatever that means. We spend the rest of the night drinking and just having an all around good time together. I never thought I'd have more than Brax, but now I'm surrounded by great people.

Waking up in the morning in the spare bedroom, Lei is spread out like starfish with an arm across my throat. Who would've thought such a delicate person could sleep like such a damn maniac. I try to slide out from under her but her being the light sleeper she is, her eyes instantly open. The brown of her tired eyes shines brightly as the sun hits her iris at the perfect angle. She squints and crawls up my body, laying her head on my chest.

"Good morning, Sweet Boy. The sun is way too fucking bright." She tucks her face into the crook of my neck and I rub light circles on her back. "When can we go shopping? I'm going to need a whole new outfit for tonight obviously. Mafia heiress has its perks." She chuckles and sits up, straddling my waist and leaning down to kiss me softly.

"We can go whenever you want, Sunshine. We should probably see if the other shits are awake." Nodding her head in agreement, she climbs off of me and puts her shirt and shorts back on. I roll out of bed and throw her over my shoulder as she giggles. I walk down the stairs to the delightful scent of bacon before I hear the sizzle of it cooking. Walking into the kitchen, I gently place Lei down on the stool at the island and make my way to the fridge, slapping Braxton's ass on the way and giving Dani a quick kiss on the back of her head.

"Morning, fuckers. Lei is already itching for some shopping and you two have no choice but to go with." They both laugh and let out a ‘ yeah, yeah' as they continue making breakfast. Bacon, pancakes, sausage, coffee… What more could I ask for? Grabbing water from the fridge, I hand Lei a bottle then go in the cabinet and grab some plates. Once the cooking is done, Dani loads up the plates for everyone and places them in front of us. I, of course, instantly dive right in. Dani and Brax make a killer breakfast every time.

"So where did you want to go, Lei? Anywhere in particular?" Dani looks at my girl and waits for a response as Lei thinks on it.

"I think the mall will suffice. They always have a good selection in some of the boutiques. I really want to find a Harley-esque shirt. OH. And probably a makeup store of some sort because we're all going to need face paint. I could use something to color my hair too...We might need to go to a few places now that I think of it." She always plans her shopping trips out so she can be sure she gets to everywhere she wants to. She is, by far, the most organized and punctual person I have ever met. The rest of us just follow along for the ride regardless of where it is that we're going.

After everyone is done eating, we all head upstairs to get dressed. Thankfully we brought extra clothes, assuming we would be doing something today. Leighton looks beautiful as usual in her sweatpants and crop top. She paired the ‘fit with high top Nikes and it makes my cock twitch. No matter what she wears or what she does, I can never get enough of this little ray of Sunshine.

An hour later, we're all trailing behind Lei at the mall like lost puppies. None of us care what we wear and we let Leighton decide because it makes her happy. The only thing Dani cared about was getting white contacts. She already scares me enough some days, I don't know why she wants to be more intimidating. Definitely would not recommend fucking with her.

We FINALLY get to the food court so I can get my well deserved cinnamon sugar pretzel with icing. That shit is delicious. Brax gets a burger, Dani gets a chicken sandwich, and Lei gets a salad because when doesn't she. I love my little health nut, she keeps me in check but lets me splurge on occasion.

After what feels like hours, we split up and start getting ready for the night. The process is excruciating. I can't sit this damn long for makeup. The paint is making my face itch but I'm not allowed to touch it. Shit, the things we do for the ones we love!

"There! All done! You look perfect!" Lei pats my head and I get up to go look in the mirror. My face is white – like stark white. And my hair is green...This is a new vibe. Damn, I look good as The Joker. It takes a solid four hours of makeup, hair, and outfit changes before everything is acceptable. As long as it took, I'm happy that she's happy. And she looks fucking adorable with pigtails.

Shooting a text to Brax, I let him know we're ready to go.

Me: We're ready to go. We can come pick you up if you want! XOXO.

Brax: Yeah sure that works. Dani just needs her dagger and we're good to go.

Me: How scary are the contacts? Do I even wanna know?

Brax: Guess you'll just have to find out there tough guy. XD

Fucker. Always messing with me.

Once Lei has everything she needs to go, we head over to Braxton's to pick them up. As soon as they get in the car, I can tell Dani has had a few drinks already based on how happy she is and how touchy she is with Brax. After last night...I'm not sure I mind watching. Leighton giggles and turns up the radio as her and Dani belt out Drunk by Elle King and Miranda Lambert. The bond the two of them have is awesome to watch. We each have our own type of friendship with each other. Dani and Lei are your typical girl besties, Dani and I just fuck shit up together, Lei and Brax basically just bully each other, and Brax and I are just polar opposites that keep each other balanced. We all have our own part in our quad. Ryn and Dallas will be with us tonight and it's just total mayhem when all six of us get together.

When we get to the warehouse, it looks like nobody is there but in typical Vinny fashion, it means there is an awesome party inside. We park on the side of the building and file out of the car. Trudging around the back of the warehouse, there's a door at the bottom of a set of stairs with a bouncer standing in the way. Walking down, he immediately knows who I am from past interactions and opens the door for us. Sauntering through the door is like entering a sauna. It's so fucking hot in here. We make our way through the crowd and head straight towards the makeshift bar. Ordering our drinks, we take a second to look around.

"It's fucking packed in here." Braxton hates crowds. I know he needs another drink so I turn and order some shots to help get him going. We all down the tequila shots together, then one leads to two, so on and so forth. At this point we're all completely hammered and decide it's a good idea to get out on the dance floor. We push through the sea of partiers until we're at the center. The bass is pumping through me and the girls are having so much fun. Ryn and Dallas somehow manage to find us and join in on the fun. After about an hour, Leighton says something but I can't hear over the music and lean in for her to repeat it, but she's already gone.

A few minutes go by and she hasn't come back so I look to the others and ask if they've seen her. Nobody has. Dani and Ryn run to the bathroom and it feels like they're gone for an eternity before they return. They come back out, yelling. No. Please God no.

"She's not in the bathroom. We've walked the perimeter, we've looked everywhere, her location is off and she's not answering the phone. Carter, she never turns her location off," Dani says, and I can see the panic in her eyes.

Fuck fuck fuck. NO!