Page 60 of Outcast

Each word pelted me, and I couldn't stop the flinches. As grim as he was, satisfaction slithered through his expression.

"I'm not letting her go. I won't. And I'm not explaining myself to you." I started to turn, but an ugly part of my soul had me twisting back. "And you? What about you, Esteban? The guy who can't be taken seriously because he's such a flirt? The guy I didn't even have on my radar because you didn't fucking matter. The only reason you made it to Rita's bed was because I had to step back–for her safety." He tensed and that same sick satisfaction that he probably felt settled in my stomach like hot acid. "Whatever you think this is between you two, it's not real. She's using you to get back at me, or hell, maybe to get over me. If that wasn't the case, she wouldn't have fucked me the other night."

There was no change in his expression. None.

He knew it. Or suspected it, and it didn't make one bit of fucking difference to him.

I wasn't lying to him. I had always known who he was since he joined the club. I liked him in a distant sort of way. Yet, as long as he stood in my way to Rita, I had no pity for him. He was the obstacle to my happiness, and Rita's.

I hope Rita's. I swallowed.

But if Rita truly didn't want me, I would leave. For her.

That wasn't true for the same exact reason I explained to him. We would not have fucked if she felt nothing. She would not have begged me to take her.

It was on me to make this right, and that was what I was going to do.

When I left this time, he let me go, staying on my heels every step of the way.

My brothers hadn’t had this building before I left. Am and Rita hadn’t been in business together. But when Andre brought me here, I knew how valuable this building was. Since coming back for Rita, I'd learned this place like the back of my hand.

Not only to have a better chance of catching Rita, but because I didn't have anything else better to do. Part of me also liked seeing where Rita spent most of her time.

The first place I looked for her was her office. It was locked. Not surprising.

I headed to the garage next. Esteban stayed with me the entire time. Instead of starting a fight, I let him follow me. It was more important to find Rita than it was to trade verbal jabs with him.

Parker was right, we couldn't fight here. Rita would hate that more than me tracking her down. She cared about these girls and she wouldn't want them to see us scrapping on the ground like scum.

"Damn it." I pulled my hair on the sides of my head. Her car was gone.

I pulled the keys out of my pocket and got in the car I'd taken over since I came home. My brothers didn't seem to mind. They had plenty to go around.

Esteban jumped on his bike and followed me.

What? Did he expect me to try and hurt her? Or did he want to play hero in front of her?

Grinding my teeth, I watched him stay on my ass in the rearview mirror as I drove to her house. She was close to Dirty Dogs territory. Between the few apartment buildings they owned. It gave her a sense of privacy while still protecting her.

Her garage was closed, but there was movement through the front window. She was home.

I parked on the sidewalk right in front of her house. Slamming my door shut, I jogged up the steps. Esteban stopped behind my car but he had to take off his helmet and get off his bike. I had at least ten seconds before he tackled me.

Fuck, he was already coming for me.

Turning around, I picked up the pace but skidded to a halt.

Rita opened her door. She hadn't been here long since she was still dressed in the tight sleeveless dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was still down in thick glossy curls. Even her lips still had that vibrant red she loved.

That was the thing with Rita. She loved dressing up. But she loved being comfortable more. Whenever she was home more than five minutes, her armor all came off. Did Esteban know that?

I didn't dare look away. She was too much of a vision. I couldn't take my eyes off her if I tried.

But it was the pain that got me. Rita watched me with so much pain and hate twisting on her face it stole my breath. This wasn't what I wanted.

"What are you doing here?" she seethed.

"You've been avoiding me," I said, my voice thin and raspy as I carefully moved closer.

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