Page 68 of Filthy Liar

Always.

And that is the absolute last thing I should want… ever.

But I do.

Clearing my throat, I look up at him, my eyes focused on his. He smirks, dipping his chin as he watches me for a moment. Then he speaks and somewhat explains his being stabbed, but assuredly not in enough detail to assuage my wandering thoughts.

“It was club shit, but you’re part of that when it comes to the Southern Mafia.”

“What does that mean?” I ask.

He shakes his head in a quick move but doesn’t explain it any further. “It means that I’ll take care of it.”

“And the Southern Mafia?” I ask.

He looks down at his feet, then slowly lifts his gaze to mine. “Never have to worry about them again, baby.”

Gripping the sides of his neck, I hold my breath as I look into his eyes. “And what happens to all of the businesses they are in charge of?”

“Businesses?” Humble asks.

“Businesses,” I repeat, dipping my chin in a single nod. “I don’t have any specifics, but I know the things they did were nefarious. I’m not so naïve that I don’t know they were bad guys, just like I assume you are, too, since you worked with them.”

I cover my mouth. I can’t believe I just said that. I’m not sure why I just said that. And I have no idea how he’s going to reactto what I’ve just said. But he doesn’t do or say what I expect. Instead, he throws back his head and lets out a booming laugh.

As his laughter eventually dies down, he wraps his fingers around my wrists, squeezing them gently before he tugs my arms from around his neck. His fingers slowly dance up my biceps, and then he grips me there.

“We’re bad guys, but not that bad. The shit the Southern Mafia was into was way beyond our moral scope. That sounds stupid because we were in business with them. But it was just to keep the peace. They were starting shit. Your brother was starting shit. Betrayal is really fucking ugly.”

“It is,” I agree, my gaze pointed directly at him. “It’s horrendously ugly.”

He winces. So, at least he feels something about the way he betrayed me. But not enough to actually apologize to me. Because that would be far too much for a man like him.

Instead of responding to me, he dips his chin, and his fingers slide down my arms and around my back, pulling me against his body as his mouth touches mine. His tongue fills me, tastes me, and for whatever stupid reason, I let it go.

But I don’t forget.

And I don’t forgive.

I’m still undecided on what I’m going to do. There isn’t a right answer, but there is an answer that won’t completely break me into a million pieces. Humble still lied to me. At the end of the day, he still played me for a fool, and my house is still up for sale.

So I’ll have to make some serious decisions.

But I don’t have to make them right now.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

CLINK

As much asI want to stay with Dillion all fucking day long, to fuck her all day but also to make sure that her ass stays put, I can’t. I’ve got shit to do for the club, and there’s no way I can bring her with me.

Today, we’re going to deal with Blur and Vixen. I honestly was hoping that by locking them in a room together for the past few days, they would take care of themselves, and we wouldn’t have to do it for them.

But as far as I know, they’re still breathing.

For now.

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