Page 134 of Down & Dirty

“A model?” Billy asked, glancing apprehensively between the two of us. “I mean, she has the look for it, butwhat?”

I closed my eyes, his shock confirming exactly why it had been a terrible idea.

“I know. My folks were asking me about it after you left. I told them to talk to her. This has got to be a cry for help, right?” He laughed, but when I opened my eyes to look at him, I saw the same concern on his face that I felt.

“I don’t know,” I admitted with a shrug.

She was my wife, but clearly, we weren’t working as well together as we once had. And I wasn’t sure when that had started. I thought we’d recovered from my lie, but if she’d started this thingwith Cass after the first race, then whatever was going on, it began long before she knew about my medical records.

“She’s going to hate it,” Ronnie sighed, setting his coffee down and scratching the day-old scruff on his jaw. He looked more pensive than I’d ever seen him. Knowing his sister better than anyone, this must have been just as confusing for him.

“Well, at least she’ll have you two to help her—” Billy froze, his eyes going wide before he swallowed and turned back to the bike. “Incoming,” he said in a rush.

Ronnie and I turned to the entrance, spotting Skylar as she strode toward us. Her face was twisted up in a scowl so fierce Ronnie took a step back.

He didn’t know what was about to happen, but I had a pretty good idea.

Skylar pushed past her brother, her eyes locked on me. “How fuckingdareyou!” she yelled, stopping in front of me and bending to my eye level. “How could you do that?”

“Do what?” Ronnie asked, his voice low, hesitant but curious.

Sky whirled at him, her silky blond hair fanning out as she spun. “He killed my contract.”

“The modeling one?”

“Yes,” she snapped impatiently. When she turned back to me, about to say more, Ronnie cut her off.

“Good.”

Her mouth dropped open, her glare sliding over to her brother. “What?”

He held her gaze, shaking his head as he pulled his shoulders back. “Good. You would have hated that shit.”

“So what!? Then I would have hated it. But it was my choice!”

Ronnie’s apathetic expression screwed up into a scowl. “If I’m about to do something stupid, you stop me, right? How is this any different?”

Sky’s head tipped back, her eyes searching the air above her. Then she looked back at the two of us, a rueful, sad grin on her face. “You two. You both get to fuck around and mess up. You get to trythings and fail at things. You get to practically ruin your career, and,” she turned to me, bitterness in her eyes, “risk your life. And I can’t even pose for some fucking pictures.”

I could see it again, that same pain was in her eyes from the other day. This was because of the shit with my back.

“It’s not who you are, Sky,” Ronnie said, his voice soft.

She shook her head. “How the hell would you know?”

Ronnie’s expression fell. “Hey, come on.”

“No. You both think you know me so well, you know what’s right for me. And neither of you will listen to anything I say. So, here,” she turned to Ronnie. “I quit.” And then she spun to me, “And I want a divorce.”

My heart dropped into my stomach, a pain reaching through me like acid on a raw nerve. “Skylar...”

She shook her head, tears brimming her eyes. “No. I’m done.”

I shoved out of my chair, desperation clawing at me. This couldn’t be happening. But when I went for her, she held up her hand. Silently warning me as she took one step back and then another.

With a long glare at her brother, she turned and left. And my whole life left with her.

CHAPTER 44

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