Page 19 of Sunshine & Sinful

Till grips her steering wheel and stares straight ahead, eyes on the road. “Those fucking bastards,” she seethes. “Those stupid, fucking bastards. I’m gonna kill ‘em.” She jerks the steering wheel like she’s trying to rip it from the car.

“Well…You asked, and you’vebeenasking. You can’t kill them. That’s my job.”

“Kali.”

“What?”

“Dark legit played you.”

Duh.

I throw my hands in the air. “I know.”

“Sunshine knew.”

“Yep.”

“Todd’s a dumb fucking tool.”

“Till,” I scold. Not this again. She needs to leave Toddout of this. He’s the least of my problems.

“What?” Her shoulders touch her ears before she drops them dramatically. “He is. Instead of making some dick-measuring, chest-pounding scene…” She scoffs, unimpressed. “He could have done the right thing and taken the win, left with you, his goddamn trophy, and had free dessert naked in bed with your smokin’ hot body. Butnooo…” Till slams her palm against the top of her steering wheel. “Men are idiots.”

That they are.

I reach into my purse and extract the first crystal I find swimming in the bottom. Rubbing the smooth bloodstone for comfort, I force a half-assed smile. “Thanks, Till.”For being a good friend, for picking me up, for listening, for giving a crap.I leave the emotional bits out because sappy feelings make her uncomfortable. But I am grateful for her. Who knows how long I’d have harbored all this on my own had she not dropped everything to rescue me.

Shifting anxiously in her seat, Till rubs her temple with her middle finger, directed at me. I roll my eyes and snicker at her inability to accept praise. “Now, what do you wanna do?” she asks, side-eyeing me.

“I dunno yet, but I’m afraid to go home.”

“Sunshine won’t break into your house again if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“You don’t know that,” I reply, because she can’t know that.

“Yeah, I do. So doyou. He learns quick. You’re his favorite person in the world. From the sounds of it, he’s tryin’ to make shit right.”

I’m not so sure about that.

“If he learns so well, why was he at the restaurant tonight?Hmmm?”

“I don’t know. But I’m willin’ to bet it’s not just to cause a scene.”

“No matter the reason, that was uncalled for.”

“Ask him,” Till suggests.

“No.” Not a chance. I’d rather stab myself in the foot with an ice pick.

“Kali, you and I both know you gotta talk to him sometime. Maybe not to Dark. Dark is dead to us.” To prove her point, Till rips a thumb across her throat like she’s planning my ex’s bloody demise. “Sunshine’s a good man. You need to remember that.”

I don’t have to remember shit.

“He lied, Till. Lied for years,” I remind her, in case she already forgot.

“To protect you from his son.”

“No. To protect the club and his son.”

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