Page 16 of Dark Horse

“I know who I’m talking to—the one who thinks he’s better than everyone in this town with his fancy fucking suits and his expensive liquor, when in reality, he’s the person in this town everyone tries to avoid like the plague because they all hate him.”

He’s quiet again. A long minute passes before his lips form their way into a wry smirk.

“They don’t hate me, Hartfield. Theyfearme.” His eyes lock with mine, and I can’t seem to tear them away no matter how much I want to. “But you’re right. It’s high time I stopped treating you differently just because I loved yourbrother like one of my own. You want to learn the hard way? We can make that happen.”

“Sounds good to me.” I know I sound petulant, but I can’t bring myself to care.

“Perfect. You owe me all the back rent in full—tomorrow.”

I let out a stuttered laugh. “You’re insane. I don’t have it.”

“You seem to have plenty from giving keyboard warriors blue balls in your spare time.”

“I told you—that money gets paid in arrears. I won’t even have the first installment until a week from now.”

“Not my problem.”

“Well, there’s no way you’re getting the money tomorrow.”

“Then expect an eviction notice.”

I scoff. “Be serious.”

“I’m the most serious I’ve ever been in my life. And your little side hustle? It’s mine now. Every ounce of income you have coming from it goes toward the back rent plus interest and late fees.”

I laugh. “I’d like to see you try.”

“I don’t have to try.” He shoves the computer toward me. “Hit refresh.”

I do, and in a blink, the page is gone. The pictures, the messages, the subscribers. All of it is poof—gone. My heart bottoms out into my stomach.

“What did you do?”

“Deleted it. But not before I had the money forwarded to my account.”

“You can’t be serious, Grant. I need that money. I need at least another month of that work. I have things I have to pay for!” I protest.

“Then you’ll have to pay it from the money you make at the bar.”

“It’s not enough!” Tears start to well in my eyes, and mystomach churns. It was barely going to be enough with what I was earning with the subscribers. It would take forever to build back a subscriber base, if I even could. I’d never do it in time to pay all the bills I have coming due.

His jaw ticks, and he studies my face. I try to bite back the burn of the tears down my throat, holding his gaze, but it’s a useless fight. They crest over the edge and stream down my cheeks. Humiliation burning a trail down my skin in their wake. I can add this to the list of things I didn’t need him to witness today.

“Not enough for what? What could you possibly need all this money for? Do you have an addiction or something you haven’t told me about?” His brow furrows, and his tone changes. A hint of the brotherly concern I’ve known before seeps through the coarse impatience of the gangster who’s sitting in front of me now.

“Hazel’s wedding. The pre-wedding party. The bachelorette. The dress and shoes. The hair. Do you have any fucking idea how much it costs to be a maid of honor when the bride’s marrying a pro football player and everyone but you has money?” I glare at him bitterly.

“That’s what this was for?”

I nod, looking away and swiping at the tears running down my cheeks.

“I just started it recently when the bar started to go downhill thanks to the extra competition in town.” I pause to give him a pointed look. “Bristol was worried about paying for everything too, and she joked about selling pictures of her feet. I don’t have cute feet, but I do have other things men can’t stop staring at. So I thought, what the hell… if it gets the bills paid, and I can do it without showing my face, who does it really hurt?” I shrug and shake my head, barely able to make eye contact with him.

“You. It hurtsyouif one of these men turns out to be a fucking creep.” He sounds genuinely concerned in this moment but still unable to grasp that I’m an adult fully in charge of my own life. One who gets to decide whether something is worth the gamble or not.

“Then it’s a risk I’m willing to take. I need the money, Grant. I can’t let her down. I can’t. It’s humiliating enough as it is telling you.”

He closes his eyes and scrubs a hand over his face. A rough sigh escapes from his chest while he lets the silence stretch on.

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