Page 31 of Chasing Sparks

There is no love lost between my brother and my former lover, but can you blame him?

Braden had a front-row seat to the nuclear meltdown of my one and only romance.

In the beginning, he loved Lucille, too. She was wild with a devil-may-care attitude that made her fun as hell.

She’d do anything on a dare—including riding topless down the streets of Sparkwood on the back of my bike. Per Lucille, she was in love with all the richness life offered.

Turns out, she was also in love with another man, and that man was her husband.

I learned this valuable piece of informationafterI blew my savings on a diamond ring for the two-timing bitch.

My family and friends rallied around me, but they don’t know the whole story.

Everyone thinks Lucille and I ended that night.

We didn’t.

A stupid move? You fucking bet. But I was in love with Lucille for a long time—and in hate with her for even longer.

So, when she approached me at a tattoo convention, desperate to talk, I played it to my full advantage.

She wanted a second chance, but I had no intention of giving her my heart.

Not again.

I’d done that one time too many.

I wanted revenge.

And so it played out over the next several years. We’d hook up occasionally, but it never went beyond the cheap motel room. She was my dirty little secret, always on the down-low, and no one but us was the wiser.

But even that lost its appeal.

When my ex cornered me last week at the Vegas convention, desperate for a little side action, I flat-out refused.

This time, I wasn’t interested.

This time, I had Ori waiting for me at home—a fact which really piqued Lucille’s curiosity. She asked about my new woman, but I ignored every inquiry.

Ori is none of her business.

A realization settles over me as I acknowledge I don’t want to speak to Lucille—not about anything. I don’t care if I ever see her again.

Lucille is no longer a part of my life, and that’s exactly how it’s going to stay.

Braden is right. Any further contact with her is asking for trouble, and Lucille has already brought enough of that to last a lifetime.

“Are you ready to go?” I ask, poking my head in my brother’s office. “My headache is back, and I’m ready to call it a night.”

Braden meets my gaze, but he doesn’t smile. He’s still fuming over Lucille’s attempt to worm her way back into my world. “Sure. We can go.”

“Hey, you’re right about Lucille. She’s not my problem anymore.”

His eyes widen, suspicious of my one-eighty. “You mean that, or are you blowing smoke up my ass?”

As soon as he asks, I know the answer. “I mean it, Braden. She’s my past and she’s fucking staying there.”

“I’m glad. You’ve got a good woman next door. Don’t mess that up.”

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