Page 35 of The Final Beat

“Wow, the mean one. See, I told you that you weren’t weak. Personally, I’d have gone for the fan girl one. She’d be more than happy to hear from you.”

Joey smirked and gave a little shake of his head. “I’ll stick to the mean one. I’m used to unpleasant women.” The look he gave me left no doubt that he was talking about me. “Anyhow, how did Amber and Ronnie settle in?” It seemed the subject of his dad was closed.

“They were good. Left them with a fully stocked fridge and they seemed happy enough.”

Joey blew out a relieved breath. “Good. They don’t need the shit that Jimmy’s death has brought. I just hope that the press don’t find them and give them crap because of it.”

“They’ll be okay.” I patted his hand. “I don’t think anyone will think to look for them at my place. It’s such a quiet road, I don’t think even my neighbours know thatIlive there.”

Joey frowned. “You have no one looking out for you? What if you need help urgently?”

I glared at him. “I never need help from anyone.”

His lips twitched with a smile. “Of course, you don’t.”

“I don’t.” I was offended that he obviously felt differently. “I can do anything a man can do.” An arched brow and a smirk made my blood boil. “I fucking can. I don’t need anyone, least of all someone with a dick.”

“I never mentioned a man,” Joey protested. “I just commented that no one had your back in an emergency at home.”

“What emergency would there be that I couldn’t deal with?” It was with confidence that I said it because I truly believed that I could deal with anything. Things had happened in my life that had made me stronger.

“All sorts of things,” he said, moving in his seat to sit closer to the table. “What if someone broke in. Say a man got into the house uninvited, do you think you could fight him off?”

My spine stiffened. No man would ever hurt me again. I’d made sure that since those dark days, I could handle myself. Never again would I suffer pain and bruising because of another human being, least of all a man.

“I know how to fight anyone off,” I finally replied. “And if you don’t believe me I could get you in a choke hold right now, if you’d like?”

Awful memories reared up and sent anger pulsing through my veins, making my hands shake and my knees tremble. It wasn’t fear any longer but pure, unadulterated rage that drove me, which made me the person that I’d become.

“Why are you always so fucking defensive?” Joey asked. “I care. That’s why I’m saying these things. It isn’t that I don’t think you can handle yourself, but I don’t think you should have to. I want anyone that I care about to have support if they need it. No one wants anyone to feel alone.”

If he thought I was defensive before, that was nothing compared to how his last statement had made me feel.

“I’m not alone.” I fisted my hands against my thighs. “I have plenty of people in my life.”

“Yeah, but when it’s important, do you?”

“You know fuck all about me, Joseppi. Shagging me a few times doesn’t mean you do.”

Joey shook his head. “You know we are much more than that.”

“Are we? Really?” I shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable.” He sighed. “You like everyone to think you’re so strong yet it’s just a barrier that you put up. A big fucking barrier that you’ve erected to make us all think you’re this strong, independent woman who doesn’t need anyone.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Joey stuck his fucking hand up, amping my anger. “How dar?—”

“Let me finish,” he said, all cool and collected like nothing ever affected him. “I know that you’re strong and independent. That’s what is so amazing about you, but you do need people, Daisy. We all need someone. No one can ever survive alone.”

“Want to see me try?” My jaw ached from the tension I was putting into it, and it only got worse when Joey gave that brilliant, sexy smile of his. “I can’t deal with you when you’re being a dick.”

“I’m not being a dick,” he cried. “I’m telling you how I see it. And the way that I see it is that you put on a front that you’re happy being on your own and dealing with life alone. And no matter what you say, Daisy, Idoknow you.”

“No, you don’t.” I inhaled sharply. “Being inside me a few times doesn’t mean that’s the truth.” I leaned over the table and pointed at him, trying hard to stop my hand from shaking. “You have no fucking idea what I’ve been through in my life and how it’s shaped me.”

Joey leaned closer, too, and our faces were inches apart. “So, tell me. Let me in,” he said in a low, measured tone.

Shaking my head slowly, I dropped my hand back to my thigh. “You don’t need to know because we are nothing to each other.”

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