“Trash it is,” I chuck back at her while I rip each piece down.

“I’ll make sure I rub one out in front of you,” she tosses back.

Dammit! Fucking. Killing. Me. Shit, these look familiar. I run my fingers over the bright red thong with a small rip in it. She did this on purpose, planting these in here. I have met my sarcastic match, and I love the shit out of it.

“She got you good this time.”

Ah, shit. Smokey.

“She sorta did, but she ain’t gettin’ this shit back,” I reply as I rip the bras and panties down.

Smokey laughs and I stop, turn, and look at him with a frown. “What?”

“If you think that she’ll be missin’ those, you’re wrong. Look at the colors, brother.”

My frown deepens while I turn around and a scowl replaces it. “That bitch hung up her darks!”

It is fucking on now. “Grab the staple gun and a permanent marker, Smokey. We’re gonna have some fun like we used to in high school.”

Shit’s getting started now. She’ll regret damn coming up against me.

***

Piper

I’m going to rip off his testicles and feed them to him, and then I am going to murder his ass. I can’t believe he did this shit.

“Sniper,” I roar, ripping through the clubhouse to find him at the pool table with Smokey and Rap. “For a good time, call Piper Lacy at 555-6329? Are you fucking serious,” I yell, dangling my underwear with my number scrawled onto the fabric. “You wrote my number on them and stapled them around town? Do you realize how many fucking calls I’ve got?”

There are no words for the anger seeping through my veins. I am all about pranks, but giving personal information out to the public when I have a screwed up history unnerves me. Tears spill from my eyes as I fling the underwear at him.

“I can’t believe you put my name and number on them! You could have left the number off and stapled them up without it!”

His eyes widen when he takes in the real tears. He tries to move towards me, and as I step backwards, hurt crosses his face. “Piper…”

I hold my hand up. “You know me, Sniper. You fucking know me! Personal line crossed that you know so damn well!”

Hurt. That is what I am. Downright hurt.

“Darlin’… I didn’t… shit… I didn’t think,” he rebuts.

“You think,” I cry out. “I can take pranks. I can dish and I can take, but you crossed the line, a big damn line with my number. I can’t talk to you.” I finish off with a whisper as I turn and walk out of the clubhouse.

Moments later the door slams behind me, and footsteps pound against the pavement of the parking lot. “Piper, stop. Dammit, stop!”

I shake my head, moving my feet faster. My number with my name on it. I don’t have the luxury of a fake name or a nickname. My real name is Piper, and he scrawled it, along with my number, for god knows whom to see. I was abducted years ago, sold into human trafficking, and healed from it, only to have the fear of someone looking for me thrown right back into my face.

“I’ll go remove the rest,” he yells when he realizes I’m not stopping for him.

The rest of them! I almost laugh. “Damn right you will, and don’t talk to me again until they are all in the burn pile!”

This prank went too far. He knows it, and I know it.

There are certain things you don’t play around with, and my safety is one of them. He would never put me in harm’s way on purpose, if he was thinking with a clear head. My life is important to him, and I will have to figure out a way to get over this. He loves me and would never want anything bad to come my way. He got caught up in the fun, and so did I, and I cannot jeopardize our friendship by not being able to get over it. I walk into the live-in building and stroll up the stairs, my mind set on heading to my bed so I can wallow while he collects my panties.

***

Chapter Four

Sniper

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why the hell I posted her name and number all over the town. I get it was a prank, but I understand about her past. I can’t fathom why it did not cross my mind when I was doing it.

I’m an asshole. Point blank.

I toss the garments I’ve collected in the fire pit and head upstairs. I dread having to tell Piper some of the bras and panties were gone. I don’t know if they were thrown away or if someone took them for personal benefit. All I can do is offer a huge apology and pay to have her number changed.

My feet drag the steps one by one. You never want to disappoint those you are closest to. I’m respectful and knock on her door, and then crack it open when she doesn’t say anything.

She is curled up in a ball, fast asleep on her bed. Her eyes are puffy from the tears I caused, and my heart beat speeds up in anger. I’m angry with myself for taking our playful banter and joking too far. There are limits to everything and I have surpassed them this time around.

“She’ll be fine,” Winter says from behind me.

I turn around and give her the look. “You’re supposed to be in bed. Prez will shit his pants if he finds out you’re roaming the halls.”

A loud sigh escapes her. “She came to talk to me earlier. I came down here to check on her is all. I’m allowed to walk a little bit, but not much.”

I’m not going to pretend that I understand bed rest for pregnant women. I’m thankful I’m a dude. Women have those fucked up hormones and crazy pregnancies that make them immobile and shit. Fuck being a woman. Glad I was born with a dick.