Page 10 of Burning Bridges

I light up a smoke while I wait to talk to her. I should just leave, but I'm compelled to know how she is. I need to see her. I suck in deep draws as I watch her talk to guests. Her eyes find mine, and she stares back at me with knowing. Something passed through us the other night in that bathroom, something strange. We weren't us anymore, two enemies trying to win this fight at any cost; we were just people—a man and a woman who between them shared so much hurt and loss. In that moment, it felt like things could have been different, like they should have been. She nuzzled her body into mine, and I let her, smelling the sweet scent of her hair. It made me wish things hadn’t turned out the way they did. I haven't spoken to her since. And I’m sure that's for the best.

Axel Stone approaches me, his face cold, just like him. I stub my butt out on the tree I've been standing behind. "Piper said you were with her when she found Rosemary."

"I was," I admit, wondering where he's going with this.

"We appreciate you trying to help," he says with a cold detachment that makes it sound like he is anything but thankful I was with Piper in the first place, and I wonder what she told him about our meeting.

"It's what anyone would do in the same situation," I say, giving him nothing.

He runs a hand through his hair, looking back at the woman he's here with. "We would also appreciate your discretion as to how she passed."

"People don't know it was a suicide?"

"It wasn't suicide. We have a problem," he says quietly.

I give him my full attention.

"Euphoria was found in Rosemary's system, which, mixed with the amount of alcohol she consumed, was the reason she died. She wouldn't have done that to herself."

Anger boils in my veins. That drug killed my mother and now hers. I fucking knew Gator was up to no good, talking to Piper. This must be why he called her mother; he was her dealer. We should have fucking dealt with him when we had the chance. He was right under our noses. "Does Piper know?"

"Yes. She was with me when they read out the toxicology report. She was shocked; she had no idea her mother was taking anything other than sleeping pills." Axel glares at me. "What do you know?" he demands.

"We believe that someone is supplying some of the old Acevedo members to sell it in Palm Springs."

"Why is this the first I'm hearing about it?" he snips angrily, like he's the one in charge.

"As I said, nothing is confirmed. We had a little chat with Gator last week after I caught him talking to Piper. We now think he's connected."

"Why the fuck was he talking to Piper?" he growls.

"That, I don't know. He said she was after a loan, but now it looks even more suspicious."

Axel's eyes are murderous. "Why is he still alive?"

He's looking at me like I'm somehow to blame for this mess. He better loosen the fuck up because I'm just as furious about this new development as he is. "Jett went to pick him up, but he's gone into hiding. We haven't been able to track him down yet," I seethe, not enjoying the judgment from a Stone. He knows how this shit works, and this is the first he's hearing of it, so we were one step ahead of him.

"I'll get word out on our side to keep a lookout for him and any sign of Euphoria at After Dark or in any of the gyms." He assesses me. We've been working together because it's convenient for both parties, but there is no friendliness between us. "What were you doing at Piper's place last Wednesday, anyway?" I'm not sure if I detect a hint of jealousy or if he is just looking out for the mother of his child, but either way, I can tell he hates the idea of me and Piper spending any time together.

I raise a brow, showing him my surprise at his interest in the situation. "You should ask the princess herself," I say, brushing him off.

I haven't taken my eyes off his face, but I can hear him crack his knuckles. "I did. But I wanted to hear your take on the situation."

I smirk at him, enjoying having just a little something over him for once. He married her, gave her a child, and even played house with her, while I had to stand back and watch it all play out, knowing there was nothing I could do about it, knowing how I felt about her. "You jealous, Stone? Your pretty fiancée's not enough for you?" I huff, knowing I'm asking for a fight, but if he wants to start it here, I'm happy to end it.

He straightens his shoulders and glares at me like one of his opponents in the octagon. "I'm not jealous. She's my ex-wife for a reason. I'm looking out for her. She's vulnerable at the moment, and the last thing she needs is you messing with her."

"You don’t give her enough credit. Piper can take care of herself." I smirk, catching her line of sight and watching her sway her hips as she comes toward me.

"Rivera, thank you for coming," she says, her voice monotone. "I think Jasmine’s looking for you," she tells Axel, bringing a hand to his back with familiarity.

He glares at me harder and knocks me with his shoulder as he passes. "Stay away from her," he warns, as though she's not standing right here. He knows as well as I do that there is nothing he can do about me. I don’t bother paying him another thought; I'm too busy taking in the stunning woman in front of me. Her appearance has more of an effect on me than it should at a time like this.

"I wanted to thank you for the other day. I know you have your issues with my family, but I appreciate you helping me when I was... when I couldn’t deal with the situation." She pushes the words out like they're hard for her to say, and I'm sure they are.

"Okay." I nod, about to walk away from her. I wanted to check on her, and I have. I can also feel that being in this kind of proximity to each other is a bad idea.

But she reaches for my shoulder. "Leo, stop," she pleads.

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