House of Cards: Book 4 of the Wildcard Series

Crocodile Tears

Charlie glares at him, and bats his hand away. "No, no, and no." Her lips start to pucker, as she flops down on the bed.

"Did Reed give you something funny? I told you never to take candy from strangers or idiots."

"I heard that, Asshole!" Ryker snaps from the other side of the door.

"I know." Asher sneers towards the door.

"It's not funny," Charlie buries her face in the blanket, before heavy sobs start echoing through the room.

"What the hell kind of brownies did you make, Reed?" Asher loudly demands, eyeing her warily because he has no idea what to do with her like this.

"My mom made them. They're just regular fucking brownies." Ryker's voice replies on the other side of the door.

"Obviously not, she slips something into them."

Charlie sits up and wipes the tears from her eyes, "I want a milkshake."

"Okay," Asher acknowledges, taking a seat beside her on the bed. "I don't have one of those on me." He reaches up and runs his fingers through her hair as his presence kicks out for her to feel since he knows normally it calms her.

Sniffling, Charlie's eyes run over him, before she scowls. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Went and got trashed in places you don't need to go, little fox."

"Because we fought?" Her eyes start to pool up again.

Asher's expression turns wary. "I feel this is a trap and I'm damned on either response I give to it."

Charlie throws herself back. "Why am I crying?!"

"I don't know," Ryker pipes up from the other side of the door, "but can you do it somewhere else?"

Unsure of how else to handle it Asher captures the back of her neck and kisses her.

Hearing a, "Fuck," from the other side of the door, Ryker soon burst in, knowing what silence between them means. "Not here. Fix this somewhere else. Not my house."

Breaking his kiss with her Asher glares. "How else did you expect me to calm her down?"

"Calm her down, but not here." Ryker gestures out the door.

Charlie bounces off the bed. "I want a milkshake anyways."

Deepening his glare, Asher reluctantly rises off the bed and takes her hand. "Since you're pushing this on me, take the car out front to Jorge." He tosses a set of keys at Ryker.

"You parked a stolen car in front of my house?" Ryker glares down at the keys in hand. "Of course you did."

"No, I parked it down the street." Asher rolls his eyes. "Don't give me an hour next time if you don't want me to."

"Next time, I'll jump to plan 'B'." Pocketing the keys, Ryker grabs his phone to text Calvin to help him drop the car off in LA.

Letting Charlie grab her backpack, Asher takes her hand and walks out. "Any particular place from?"

"Wendy's Frosty." She hums with delight just thinking about it. Her sorrows suddenly gone with just the promise of a milkshake.

Asher frowns. "They don't open till ten-thirty, are you sure you don't want McDonalds, reminding her it's on the other side of the freeway.

Charlie pouts. "Fine."

Taking a set of skateboards from Ryker's garage, they skate the few miles there and get her a damn milkshake and a much needed coffee for him.