Page 26 of Towles

“From then on, my father was on my ass. The more I tried to prove myself to him, the more I realized I’d never be good enough.” He shrugged, and we sat on a bench. We stared at the river for several minutes, holding hands.

“Your words are enough for me,” I said. “You don’t have to prove anything.” I ran my hand along his arm. “Can I ask you something about last night?”

“As long as you’re good with an honest answer.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Damn, was there anything about him imperfect? “You crawled into bed naked. We were both naked. You held me, and that was it. You didn’t try to have sex.”

He turned to face me. “Because something about you made me feel like I wasn’t good enough and that you deserved better.” He stood and walked toward the river bank. “Paul is a dick. I get that. But you’re leaving a way of life you’ll never have with someone like me.” He turned. “Because that’s not the way I want to live.”

“Every day when I came home to that man, it was as if I was going home to an empty house. I never want to feel like that again. Stuff doesn’t replace love. Money makes happiness temporary at best.” I stood by his side, and he put his arm around my shoulders. He looked down at me and smiled.

“I hope you understand the next time we’re in bed naked that I can’t let that go.” He chuckled and kissed me, holding me up as my body gave in to his strength.

“Well, ain’t this fucking cozy.”

9

Towles

Enjoying a redefining moment with a woman without interruption was nearly impossible. Always some asshole stepping from the woods to screw it up. I moved April behind me for the second time in two days. I wouldn’t mention I was rescuing her for a second time.

“Don’t say anything,” I whispered. “Let them fuck up like the guys in the bank.”

Mad-dog Sharp stood in front of two other Punishers, a Glock in his hand pointed at the ground. Brothers of Chaos fired Sharp a year ago from Chaos Mods for stealing equipment used for the mods we sold. Although he was a great mechanic, none of us thought he was good enough to be a Prospect. He knew what this meant if he went any further.

“I’m a little worried about you, Sharp. You step out of the bushes with two other men. You back there getting your dick sucked?” I’d been the one who set up the cameras to catch Sharp. He told me to expect revenge one day. To watch my back.

“No, Towles. We’re going to take that bitch back into the bushes and get our dicks sucked. She looks like she could suck a golf ball through a water hose.” The two men behind him laughed and grabbed their crotches. “Take a hike, bitch.”

I shook my head at April. “So put the gun down and come get her,” I said. I felt April looking around on my left side, her hands hanging onto my triceps. I towered over her and the three men wanting a piece of me.

Sharp shook his head and chuckled. “I know you, Towles. I know what you’re capable of. I think I may just shoot you and then bend that little bitch over.”

“There are three of you, Sharp. Surely you can take little old me.” He watched my hands curl into fists, and he lost the smile.

Sharp wiped his lips, not knowing his next move. Scared men died.

“Let’s fucking take him,” the man on Sharp's right said. The man on his left agreed. “I get her first.”

“There you go, Sharp,” I said. “Let’s make it happen.”

The Glock in my waistband moved and then disappeared. My heart sank. I didn’t want April dealing with my shit. Not this way. Killing a man tore out part of your soul, leaving behind an empty spot that took forever to heal, even if you had no other choice.

“Put it back,” I whispered to April.

“Fuck you,” Sharp said and raised the gun. He never got to pull the trigger and went down in a heap. The two men stared at Sharp and then at me. When April moved around me, holding the gun, they took off for the bushes.

Sharp moaned and reached for his gun. I kicked the gun away while Sharp admired the sky. A red circle on his left shoulder grew wider.

“Quit whining like a little bitch,” I said. “She didn’t kill you. Not yet.”

“Fucking cunt!”

April stepped forward and kicked Sharp’s wound. He cried out and sent birds from the trees.

“Watch your mouth,” April said. “The next one will be in your forehead.”

I took April’s gun and threw it halfway across the river. It would sink into the mud at the bottom and never be found. I had plenty of replacements.

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