Page 49 of No Broken Promises

20

REMY

Stryker shoves at my hands as soon as Parker is out the door and out of earshot. Dom steps between us before I can swing at the man who walked through hell with me, but that doesn’t stop me from pointing at him.

His blue eyes bore into mine, a mix of anger and concern, because regardless of what he says, we are friends. And he has to make this right.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Stryker? She’s finally forgiving me for all the shit I did, and you have to step in like you know what’s going on.” Panic seeps into my heart, and I think about everything I’ve worked so hard to build, all of it slipping away with his careless words.

“I was there, Remy. We all were. Hell, even Dom must remember how heartbroken you were at MOS because of her sleeping with him.”

I sigh, unable to help it. Then I shoot a glance at the exit, wondering if there is any chance that I’ll be able to get to Parker before she leaves. Though I know her, and there is no way she will have waited around. Despite that, I know where she is going. I will see her later and I can make her listen, but I have to finish my shift first.

“Look, Stryker. You don’t know all of it. None of you do. You don’t know everything that happened.”

“Then tell me, man. Because to me, it looks like you’re falling in with the same viper that made you want to kill yourself. I had to help pull you out of that hole.”

Immediately, I bristle at the insinuation. “I wasn’t trying to kill myself, Stryker.” But my defense falls flat. Both men had been there. They’d seen the pit I fell into after Parker…

Parker, who deserves to hear a real apology, one that she’s been denied all these years.

“I told her that I’d never love her.” The words cut me worse than I had ever thought possible. “I found her that night, after the party, when everyone else was asleep, and I destroyed any feelings that she had for me. I said things… things that you wouldn’t say to your worst enemy. How she acted? That’s nothing compared to what I did to her. She went to Danny because I told her to. I gave her to him.”

Stryker opens his mouth to ask me more, but I wave him off. “I did it. Not her. I did. And she went to Danny because he was the only one who might be able to help her pick up the pieces. I was stupid, man. I did it.” I can’t hide the pain and desolation in my voice or the memories that I’ve tried so goddamn hard to push away for years.

“I’m sorry, man.” He looks uncomfortable even saying the words. “But you never said anything… you’re my brother. I’m not going to let someone hurt you. Not after everything you’ve done to find happiness.”

“She’s my happiness.” My nose starts to itch uncontrollably, and I pinch it to gain some clarity. Except my skin starts up, too, and it feel like it is on fire in the next instant. I cough, keeping my eyes closed, and I struggle to figure out exactly what to do or say.

“I’ll fix it,” he says quietly. “I’ll apologize to her and fix what I did.” Stryker’s willingness to try and help is noted, but I know Parker. She won’t just forget what he said, and if she feels like there is even a grain of truth in his words, she’ll carry it with her until her dying day.

Dom speaks up for the first time. “I like her, Remy. I always have. I thought for sure that you told her how you felt, too, and she’s the one who rejected you. I think we all did based on the letter you carried around for weeks, all torn and shit. There are a lot of people in this town who think that she threw you over for Danny, and I’ve heard from my momma that there’s some hard feelings there.” I open my eyes to see him staring at me with uncertainty. “It’s none of my business, but I think maybe you should fix that, if you’re gonna be together.”

Leaning up against the wall, I knock the back of my head against its hard surface over and over.

“I’m gonna need you two to start talking,” I tell them both. “I don’t care how you do it. Start with the other guys, and let them spread it too, I guess. But please, for the love of everything, make sure that people find out the truth.” I scrub a hand down my face, frustrated that I even have to bring it up. “I fuckin’ hate living in a small town.”

Dom shrugs like he doesn’t care, but I see the glint in his eyes. The one that says he’s been thinking the same thing as Stryker, but he hasn’t acted on it.

“Did everyone think Parker was a dick?” The question bursts out of my mouth, and I don’t regret it in the slightest.

“I didn’t,” Linc pipes up from the end of the hallway. “But then again, I knew the whole story from the beginning because Danny didn’t know what to do or how to handle the shitstorm he created.” He shrugs. “You guys are loud AF, man. Seriously, stop bickering like little old ladies and get to work. Or something like that.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Where’s Daisy, anyway?” His very blatant change of subject can’t have come at a better time.

I sigh. “She’s in the kitchen passed out like an asshole.” I point my thumb behind me where I can hear her snoring. “She’s acting like I made her run a marathon this morning, when all I did was have her run a mile with me and Nox. If you even want to call it running. Kid’s still got short legs, so we had to take it slow.”

Linc snorts. “She’s probably pissed that you made her leave him. She loves that kid.”

“What was Parker doing here in the first place?” I scratch my chin, annoyed by the stubble that I haven’t had a chance to shave that morning. “She’s supposed to be resting.”

“Artie Sims gave her some sort of package,” Linc pipes up knowingly. “But she wouldn’t tell me what it was. She gave it to him.” He nods his head at Dom, whose face has transformed into a marble statue.

“Not telling you shit, Linc. She’s your sister-in-law. You’re too close to the case to be helpful as anything other than a witness. You too, Remy. I’m not gonna have all the work we do get thrown out on a technicality. If you want to know what it was, you have to talk to Parker.”

With that, Dom turns and stomps down the hall and away from us.

“He’s taking this harder than you two are, you know.” Stryker muses from his spot opposite me. “I don’t know how either of you are calm.”

“We’re not,” Linc answers for me. “Remy installed security cameras all over her house, both inside and out. I got an electronic security fence put in this week, too. We’re not touching the investigation.”

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