Page 88 of Ruthless

Jace laughed and sat back in his chair. "I'll take that. I don't care for blonds, but my dick is just horny enough not to care."

"I remember the days when I just fucked and moved on."

He snorted. "It hasn't been that long, man, unless you're trying to convince me that you remained celibate the last four years."

"Hell, no. There's been women." Too many. Nameless, faceless women who had been used strictly to satisfy my needs. There'd never been any indication that Ginger and I would cross paths again, and I was a man, after all. I had needs just like the next person.

The waitress came back and placed Jace's drink in front of him. "See you in an hour, doll," he reminded her.

"You weren't kidding?" she teased in a seductive tone.

"I never kid about fucking." He reached for his glass. The waitress walked off, but not before giving him an air kiss. He waited until she was out of ear shot before saying, "You need to get your head out of your ass and make up your mind about Ginger. Either make a commitment or turn her loose. Skipper said she walks around like a sad, little mouse when she thinks no one is looking."

Shit. "I've answered her texts," I said defensively.

Jace's brow shot up. "Oh, well, then I don’t know what the fucking problem is, brother. That should be enough for her. What a bitch."

I knew that he was being sarcastic, and he looked angry. Why was a brother getting involved in another brother's shit? It was none of his fucking business. I finished my whisky, while Jace drank his slowly, as if he hadn't just called me out on ignoring Ginger. I scowled. I felt like hitting him.

"Look, I know it's not my place, brother. But I've never seen you like this. That tells me that Ginger means something to you, a lot more than just a warm place to stick your dick. It's obvious you love the girl."

I glared at him. "Yeah, so?"

"So you do love her."

I clenched my jaw, wishing that it were that simple. "Loving her isn't the problem, Jace. Look what almost happened to her because of being with me. I don't want to hurt her. What if someone else who's looking for revenge on me gets to her?"

The sound he made was a poor imitation of the buzzer sound you'd hear on a TV game show. "Already happened, brother. And guess what? She didn't go running, did she? You're the one running. And I'm telling you, man, this could be the biggest mistake of your life. Men like us don't often get as lucky as you. I think you should count your blessings, tell her how you feel, and find out how she feels and go from there."

"What are you all of a sudden, a fucking shrink?" I groused, looking everywhere but at him.

Jace smirked and finished his drink. "Fucking good, huh? And I won't even charge you," he joked.

"Asshole," I grinned, shaking my head.

I thought about the last time that I'd texted Ginger. It had been the day before, after she'd texted just to say hi and to ask if I was okay. She hadn't asked when she would see me again, or if she would see me again, she'd just wanted to make sure that I was good. She’d given me an update on how well Della was doing. She told me that it seemed that having Skipper around had been good for Della. She spent time on her appearance when she knew that he was coming over, and he managed to get her up and moving about the apartment.

The fact was that my woman wasn't whining about me not being around, that she wasn't complaining or crying about the shit that I'd brought down on her. She'd been more concerned about how I was doing, while nursing her best friend back to health. She'd shown nothing but patience, and maybe an understanding that I couldn't comprehend. She was strong and fearless, she'd shown me that. She was a fighter.

And I was a bastard for not fighting for her.

For us.

"I love her," I blurted out, surprising us both. "Jesus, fuck, I love her."

Other than a quirk on his lips, Jace didn't say anything. He relaxed back in his chair, as if his job was done. Something off to the side snagged our attention, and we both turned to see the waitress standing nearby, crooking her little finger at Jace to go to her. He didn't waste any time scooting back his chair and getting up to go join her.

I realized that I needed to go see Ginger before it was too late. The talk with Jace had made me see the truth in his words. I was suddenly glad that I'd returned to town two days before. I'd had to make a quick run up north to take care of a low-life piece of shit who was about to testify against a brother who'd been set up for murder by a rival MC. Supposedly, he was the only witness. That he wasn't under police protection was a mystery in itself, but who was I to question it?

Since my brother, Don, and his club were under close police surveillance, they'd wanted someone from the outside to take the bastard out so that they would have a solid alibi. It had been an easy hit. Scum hung out with scum, and a little money went a long way when it came to getting information. It hadn't taken me long to locate the man in a bar in the seedier side of town, bragging about the money he was going to receive for lying. I'd waited for him to exit the bar, shot him once between the fucking eyes, and then got on my bike and rode back here.

I had no reason to stay away from Ginger now. It was time to grow a pair and confront the woman that I loved. If what Jace had said was true, I'd been a fool. I left some money on the table for my tab and left the bar out the back where I'd left my bike. It was now or never.

It was time to see my woman.

But first, I had to see about a house.

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