The Outcasts Book 4

Louisa

I push open the door to the apartment I am living in above Steve’s bar, the Spread Eagle, with a deep sigh.

It has been a long-ass week at college. The lecturers had gone easy on us for the first week, but now we were starting to get into the term properly, they had heaped the homework onto us.

My arms are seriously straining under the weight of my coursework right now. I drop my books onto the kitchen counter with a loud bang, sliding my bag off my shoulders to join the heap.

“Oi oi, lil sis!”

Steve’s broad English accent makes me jump, and I spin around to find him leaning up against the doorframe of the second bedroom, wiping a paintbrush on a dirty rag, his easy grin in place as usual.

“Hey, Steve.” I grin back. “What are you doing up here?”

He ignores my question, eyeing the mountain of books behind me. “Jeez, I’m glad I never subjected myself to the torture of further education. Chris is barely visible most days over his pile of homework too.”

I try to peer over his broad shoulder into the room, but he moves slightly, smirking when I give an exasperated sigh. “I promised I’d wait till Anna got here to show you your surprise.”

“My surprise?!” I take a step forward, and Steve crowds me back with a chuckle, shaking his head.

“What is it with you Forrester girls and wanting to spoil your surprises?”

“It’s because you always make the mistake of telling us we have a surprise in the first place.” My sister’s amused voice comes from the front door, and I turn toward her excitedly.

“Can I see it now?!”

She nods with a laugh, and I dodge around Steve, stopping when I enter the spare bedroom, which has been painted black. All of it. Walls, ceiling, furniture. I look at them over my shoulder with a confused frown. “What…?”

“I figured you were only using the one room anyway, and this way you have your very own darkroom that you can use whenever the feeling takes you rather than having to book time like you do now.” Anna shrugs.

“Plus, it’s goth as fuck, so I personally think it rocks.” Steve chuckles as I launch myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” I gush, dropping out of his grasp and flinging my arms around Anna. The momentum knocks us both onto the sofa, and we dissolve into giggles.

“You’re welcome, Lou-lou.”

“Hey, lil sis?” Steve drops into the battered armchair next to us, playing with his septum piercing. “How do you feel about taking the promotional photos for the Firebird? Be my official photographer for opening night?”

“For real?” I blow my hair out of my eyes and look up at the smirking punk.

“For really real.”

“Fuck yes!”

Anna’s cell phone buzzes between us, making us giggle again, and she rescues it from her tight jean pocket, looking at the screen and cursing.

“Max needs help downstairs. Looks like I need to speak to my staff again.” She rolls her eyes as she pushes herself off the sofa. “You two coming down to drink copious amounts of free alcohol?”

Steve chuckles. “Damn straight, princess. I handed you the reins on the stipulation that I get to sit and perv on my lady whenever I wish while she brings me drinks.”

Anna sticks her tongue out at her boyfriend.

“I’m always up for a free drink or two.” I stretch as I stand up, grabbing my keys.

It’s always a fun night hanging out with my sister and her friends at the bar.

Even though I am a few years younger than everyone else, they had taken me under their wing when I moved here last year. Which is somewhat of a blessing and a curse.

I love having people around—I pretty much know any time I wander downstairs to the bar there will be at least one person there I know—but I feel like I am hiding a part of who I am.

I am much more of a wild child than my big sister thinks I am.

I miss being able to let go completely for fear that she would want to try to rescue me somehow, some kind of misplaced protectiveness, and it definitely has put a stop on my sex life.

My past reputation was firmly drenched in sin—even if I hadn’t been able to find a single guy among the dozens I’d slept with who managed to get me to the big O—and I like having that secret from my sister.

She probably still thinks I am a virgin. I’m pretty sure my mom does.

Even though the guys I’d hooked up with hadn’t given me the all-over body tingles, I still relished the control I could exert over them.

Watching them writhe under the power of my mouth and explode in my hands was nearly as good as the orgasms I was missing out on. Almost.

The Spread Eagle is busy even though it is only Wednesday. Max greets us with a grin and a wink, flicking his long blond hair off his face as he leans over the bar to take an order.

“Well, go claim your throne, your highness,” Anna says, smirking at Steve as he bows at her. “Tell your courtiers I’ll bring your drinks over.”

Christian and his twin brother, Sam, are already sitting at the table all Anna’s friends claim as their own, and I trail behind Steve, flicking through my social media feed.

A hand wraps itself around my bicep and pulls me to a stop, and I look up from my phone with a scowl.

“Woah! Sorry, Louisa.” Kolton’s dimpled smile meets me. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Steve puts a reassuring hand on the base of my spine, asking silently if I’m okay with a slight twitch of his pierced eyebrow, only moving to sit down when I give him a little nod.

“My fault for being glued to my phone.” I shrug, pushing the offending item into my back pocket. “So, what are you up to? I mean, besides the obvious.”

I cringe a little as he chuckles, removing his backward cap to run his fingers through his hair.

“Just pregaming a little before a gig.”

He gestures to his table where I see his photography gear, plus two gorgeous specimens of the male population. I mean, these guys are drool worthy, their defined muscles clear even through their clothes.

“You drink before you go out on a shoot?” I question.

“Not usually, but it’s definitely needed for tonight’s gig,” he rubs the corner of his mouth with his thumb to try and disguise the slight smirk playing on his lips.

Anna bumps her hip against mine as she walks past with our drinks, giving me a conspiratorial wink.

“I didn’t know this place did table service?” Kolton raises his eyebrows.

“They don’t.” It’s my turn to smirk a little. “My sister is the manager, and her boyfriends are the owners.”

Kolton’s eyebrows rise even more at my words, but before he can open his mouth again, one of his Greek god friends calls his name.

“Fuck, well, I guess it’s time to go. I’ll see you in class.” He flashes me another dimple-filled smile, and I can’t help but let my eyes drift down to his ass as he bends to retrieve his equipment from the floor.

“Friend of yours?” Christian questions with a knowing grin.

I roll my eyes as Anna makes kissy noises at me. “He’s my photography professor’s assistant, so you can all stop what you’re thinking right now.”

I take a mouthful of the whiskey Anna had set down for me, enjoying the slow burn of the liquor as it runs down my throat. “So, Steve, tell me more about the opening of the Firebird.”