Pyke

Camila

Kyland allows me to drive his red 2007 Mustang Shelby GT500. I enjoy driving this beautiful beast—it purrs like a kitten. This doesn’t happen so often, so I take the chance to drive around until it runs out of fuel. For sure, I will receive another lecture from him.

I’m fascinated with cars, preferably the sports one, but I’m more of just a look and dream and draw on a piece of paper over them. I know the feeling and understand why men sometimes love cars more than their girlfriends.

I pull over at an empty space in the parking lot of the club. I take a deep breath—shaking off the thought of that overconfident jerk when I push the glass door open. The smell of fresh and clean with a mix of air freshener hit my nostrils.

I immediately hear my cousin laughing.

“Speaking of the devil,” Kyland guffaws.

“Well, hello, dear cousin!” Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I walk like a runway model toward him, but my walk is cut off quickly. I stop halfway when I notice the man that I dislike—the same man that I had just spoken my State of the Union Address this afternoon.

What is he doing in here?

He curses.

“Oh, are you stalking me now, Pyke? It seems that you’re around wherever I am.”

This devil of a man smirks. “Hmm.” He crosses his arms over his chest, rubbing his chin with his fingers.

“Wait, you two have already met?” I forgot my cousin is around and the reason why I’m here is to pick him up, not to bicker with this jerk.

“I should ask the same thing, babe. What are you doing here? My club is already closed. Have you not noticed the signage posted on the door? You can come back tomorrow.” Pyke seems amused.

“Your club?” I snort. “Are you kidding me? I’m not here for your club or whoever owns this place. I’m here to pick up Kill.” I cross my arms over my chest just like he does.

His mouth hangs open—he seems surprised to know that Kyland is my cousin.

“Wait, what?” he asks, facing Kyland. “This cantankerous is your cousin, the Camila? She’s Camila?” Pointing at me in disbelief.

“Well, well, cousin. How did you know this jerk?” I walk closer to the bar, standing beside the counter.

“Cam, watch your mouth.”

I pressed my lips tight when Kyland scolds me in front of this…jerk.

“I can’t believe this hot cantankerous is your cousin,” Pyke says with a laugh, shaking his head, more amused.

Kyland narrows his eyes at him. Anger flashes across his face. “Stop calling her hot cantankerous, Hughes! She hit your ass-face for some reason. She’s harmless and can’t even hurt a fly.”

That last part was a lie. I almost killed his baby Milo when we were kids. He named his hamster baby Milo because it was looked like an ape rather than a hamster.

“Oh, really?” Pyke cocks his brow. “Then you don’t know your cousin pretty well. You don’t have any idea what she’s capable of, Wright,” Pyke says, pointing his finger at me, then continues, “You’ve seen my face, and I still have evidence of what she did to me, see?” Then he shows off his left cheek to Kyland.

“You deserve it!” I retort, giving him a satisfying look.

“Cam, enough!” Kyland grunts. “He’s still my boss.”

I snort at the absurdity. Pyke rakes his eyes on me from head to toe, then smirks again. I see he’s happy to see me annoyed.

I frown, then it suddenly hit me. How did I miss the clue? He banged that woman inside the office. Could that possibly be his office? If what he’s saying is true then he is undoubtedly Kyland’s boss. Oh. My. God! He’s not gonna fire Kyland for my behavior, is he?

“I can’t believe you work with him. I never thought this manwhore is actually your boss,” I say in disgust.

“Camila, I need this job, so stop insulting him before he will fire me.”

I glare at my angry cousin and shut my mouth up.

the polar opposites.” Pyke tries to hide his

the

“Our mothers were cousins,”

nods

get into a fight?” Kyland

after they banged against that office’s door. Remember when I used the bathroom? Before I

on,” Pyke stops me, raising his hands. “You’ve been there listening for a long time?” he asks in disbelief.

evil’s spawn,

then blinks. “I didn’t make her cry. She lied to me, she

name is Brittany,” I cut

“No, her name is

you really believe that her

“Why would she lie?”

she?”

Hughes, and you can’t lie your name to women, but they can,” my cousin talks, then moves his eyes on me. “Why did you hit

I thought twice about telling the truth. I look at them who are waiting for my answer. Should I tell them the truth? Pyke might feel

came out of nowhere, asking me why did I make that woman cry,” Pyke answers.

both of you, and you suggested we could have an

sighs in defeat.

say, “Cam,

“What?” My eyes widen. “Why would I? This is bull! It was his fault why he has

would I apologize to him in the first place? He was being disrespectful. This idiot expects

says, and I can see the amusement on his face.

“Not gonna happen, Hughes-dick!”

“You mean huge

just inflate his already huge ego.

“Douché.”

“Cam,” Kyland

first then I’ll do it after him,” I

you will let me the first one to apologize?”

My head snaps to Kyland.

cousin will give me the longest sermon of all the longest sermon than he did to

“Nothing,” I deadpan.

Pyke insists. This man

not? You’ve been rude,”

“You’re nosy, you shouldn’t have listened.”

“It wasn’t my intention.”

“But you still did.”

“Stop, stop! Let’s go home, Cam. We have a long serious talk,” Kyland groans, clearly not impressed at my behavior

chuckles. Just the way he reacts, he’s saying one thing—he won.

This is not the end, Pyke Hughes. This is just the beginning.

that, Hughes,” Kyland apologizes, and I want to chide him for doing that, but I am sure,

simply nods and smirks, mocking

looking. I am a little bit childish, but I just can’t do something and be disrespectful with my cousin.

mature,” he murmurs.

“Dick!” I retort.

“I said, enough!” Kyland grabs my

anger because my cousin is around, and

take care of cam-tankerous.”

when I hear Pyke says and mouth,

it,” he mouths back.

fill the tank of

“What? How could you ever miss to check if it’s

Can’t this day get any worse

“Stay here, and let me ask Hughes, maybe he has a full