Page 97 of Filthy Liar

Humble closes the distance between us, and his hand wraps around mine before he walks us toward the corner of the bar. I notice he doesn’t take me down the hallway or back to his room.

“When were you going to tell me that you were buying my brother’s house?” I snap the moment we stop walking.

He turns to me, his lips curved up into a smile. Then he chuckles and shakes his head a couple of times, his eyes never leaving mine. “You just figured that out?”

His gaze stays completely focused on me as he watches me. Searching my eyes in silence before he leans forward, his lips still curved up into a smirk before he speaks.

“I didn’t keep it a secret, baby.”

“Well, I just noticed it,” I snap. “What the hell, Humble?”

He shifts closer, and his lips touch mine before he brushes them across my own, then lifts his head. He chuckles softly, then clears his throat again.

“I noticed you were putting it up for sale, and I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Why?” I demand an answer.

Instead of verbally saying anything immediately, he shrugs his shoulder. I open my mouth to demand that he tell me what is happening but then snap it closed when he starts to explain himself.

“I couldn’t let you sell that house. I couldn’t let you move. I get that your brother was a piece of shit. I think he was, too, but he didn’t buy that house because he had any kind of attachment to it. He bought that shit as some kind of disguise. To appear as if he was one of us.”

“But he wasn’t,” I whisper.

“I’m sure it was really so he could do Southern Mafia shit without us overhearing or finding out about it. Doesn’t matter. It’s a good house, be a good starter for us, and I have the cash. We’ll remodel. Take out anything and everything that reminds you of Loner.”

All of the breath has been taken from my body—stolen.

I don’t know what is going to happen next, but for whatever reason, I’m suddenly okay with the fact that he’s buying my house—for us.

“I own it outright, Humble. You don’t have to buy it.”

He tilts his head to the side, his eyes unmoving from mine. “Yeah, I do.” His voice is deep and gravelly. “I need to be the one who owns it. I’m the man, and I pay the bills. I’m also the only one with a job right now, and that’s okay. I want you to figure out what you want out of life.”

“What I want…” My words trail off because I’m not quite sure what to say.

I don’t know what I want. I don’t know if I’ll ever know. I tried college, and it didn’t work for me, and besides the fact that it’s just too damn expensive, I’m not good at school. I’m not good at anything.

“Whatever you want, baby. You want to stay home, have my babies and raise them. You want to go to school and have whatever the fuck career. Whatever it is, baby, you have the time to do whatever the fuck you want.”

I’m sure they shouldn’t, but his words cause my eyes to water. I cup his cheek and gaze into his beautiful eyes.

“I don’t deserve you, Humble.”

He snorts. “No, baby. It’s me who doesn’t deserve you. I’m a complete fucking piece of shit. I have done nothing to earn your love, your devotion. In fact, I’ve been a dick. And I’ll probably continue being a dick. And yet here you are, being fucking perfection.”

His lips touch mine, and then his tongue slides inside me. My knees go weak, my entire body melts, and I realize that this man could probably do and say just about anything to me, and it wouldn’t change the way I feel about him.

I love him.

Stupidly.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-SEVEN

CLINK

After sendingDillion back up to bed, I move toward Fate and Piston. Their eyes are dancing as I approach. I know they heard that whole fucking conversation, and I’m sure they’re going to give me shit over it.