Page 52 of Bombshell

“Canyon,” Pepper said matter-of-factly.

Micah barely nodded as he wadded the card up into his fist. “I’ll take them to the dumpster,” he said, reaching for them.

I liked flowers, and it felt like a waste. They’d been cut, and they should at least be enjoyed. But Canyon had hurt Pepper, and I agreed they had to go.

“Wait. Can I give them to Mrs. Mildred? She’d enjoy them.”

Micah stared at me as if he wanted to argue.

“If the flowers are gonna die, I just hate for their life to have been cut in vain. Let them brighten up someone’s life while they still can,” I explained.

He nodded and then smirked.

“I’ll take them to her,” Pepper offered. “Dolly is right.”

Relieved, I was glad that I didn’t have to fight about that.

“Back to the current situation,” Pepper said. “I need to get back to the bar. Micah, you need to go find Canyon and deal with him. Make him a nonissue.”

“I will. But not right now. I’m not leaving Tink alone.”

Pepper looked at me, then finally seemed to give in. “Fine. Stay with her. I’ll come back tonight.”

I was starting to feel like a child being tossed back and forth between bickering parents.

“You said you couldn’t stay tonight when we talked on the phone earlier,” Micah said pointedly.

She shot him a look I couldn’t see, and he smirked.

“That was when I thought you’d send someone other than yourself to stay with her.” Pepper walked over to me and hugged me. “Be careful,” she whispered and kissed my cheek.

I knew she meant, Don’t get emotionally attached to my brother.

I nodded.

She glared at Micah. “Be good.”

He saluted her, then went and opened the door for her. “Bye.”

Pepper paused and gave him one last warning look before taking the flowers and leaving.

When he closed the door, he turned back to me. “Go brush your hair so it doesn’t look like I just fucked you, and let’s go get some burgers.”

I reached up and felt my hair. It was messy from my nap. “Okay,” I agreed.

Getting out of this apartment was probably a good thing.

25

Micah

“I wish you’d let me drive,” I said, not liking the idea of Dolly walking so much with her thigh sliced the way it was.

“It was just around the corner, and you only have your bike here, and my battery is dead from not being driven. I probably need a new one anyway.”

“Tink, it wasn’t just around the corner. It’s almost a mile there and back. Besides, was your experience on the back of Tex’s ride that bad that you don’t want to try it again?”

She flashed those almond-shaped amber eyes at me, then turned her attention straight ahead again. “Last I heard, you don’t let bitches on the back of your bike. I was unaware it was an option.”

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