Page 19 of Magic or Madness

I filled her in on what I do, and how I make a living, and she barely flinched, but of course, I didn’t explain everything. She has enough information to understand the gist of it, and that’s further than I’ve ever gone with anyone.

Of course, I’m no fool, and that time will come eventually, but I don’t think I could possibly keep a single thing from her. Last night, our very first night together, I shared so many pieces of my past with her that I even surprised myself. She might just be everything I never realized I needed, and then some.

I was blown away by howgoodshe was in bed, responding to my roughness with no hesitation, and I held back for her, knowing her inexperience might be a soft spot.

One glaring problem cast a shadow over our night, and if there’s one thing Iwilldo, it’s find out who hurt her. I will rip them apart, limb by limb, until she’s gotten her pound of flesh. No girl cries about consent unless that option has been taken from her previously, and it broke my heart of stone into pieces, dying to exact the revenge that she deserves.

I will make it a point to ensure she’s comfortable with me every single time we’re together, just to show her how a real man treats a woman, and that she shouldn’t settle for anything less.

Fallon is the center of my universe already, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her, including meeting her friends.

If I want to spend time with her, I have to make a good impression on her friends. I fully intend to turn up the charm and get them to accept the fact that I will be stealing their friend, often.

Overprotective friends aren’t new to me, Oliver and Lex take on that role, but I have a feeling those girls will give me a tough time.

Instead of waiting for them to decide if they hate me, I find the closest floral shop, opting to send flowers while Fallon’s at work. It’s risky, coming back to the scene of our job twice, andlikely a third time later tonight, but it seems that everything is normal in the building. I’m let in by an older gentleman leaving, and he barely bats an eye at me as I carry a large vase full of flowers.

I’m hoping that the coast is clear, and I can slip in and out without being seen, but luck isn’t on my side.

One of the girls I recognize from the coffee shop is coming down the stairs, and her eyes meet mine for a split second before she looks away. Just when I think she doesn't remember me, I hear her footsteps stop, and she calls out to me.

“Hey. You’re Ozzy, aren’t you?” The blonde asks, looking me up and down.

“I am, are you Mick or Rae?” I counter, and she freezes as if she’s contemplating answering me.

“Mick. What are you doing here?” She crosses her arms defensively with a look of disgust on her face.

“Delivering flowers for Fallon.” I smile, but she isn’t having it, a scowl forming on her face faster than I can blink.

“You’re a stranger, chasing us down on the street, and then what, bringing Fallon back to your house for a one-night stand? Now, you’re stalking her while she’s at work, and planning to spend another night with her? I don’t trust you one bit,” she says, the anger ever-present in her voice.

I understand her concern. Fallon warned me how close they are, but her friends don’t realize that I’m ten times more protective, and would never let a single bad thing happen to Fallon, nor would I hurt her in the slightest. This girl doesn’t believe me, and it’d be a waste of time if I try to explain myself now, so this is just something that will have to be proven over time.

“I’ll just leave these upstairs,” I say, turning my back to the aggressive blonde, continuing my mission.

I find the third apartment on the third floor, and of course, it’s directly across the hall from the one we trashed last night.

What a coincidence.

In a rush to get away from the scene of the crime –literally– I drop the vase in front of the door, squeezing by Mick as I start down the stairs.

“When you open the card for Fallon tell her to text me. I left my number on the bottom,” I call out, and I hear her yelling at the other roommate in the distance.

I hop back into my truck and head back to the dealership, knowing the guys are going to be pissed that I missed the morning briefing. We just finished a job last night, so this is just a way for Max to feel powerful. Just as I suspected, they're all waiting on the couch, whiteboard perched at the front of the room, and all eyes glaring at me.

“Nice of you to join us, Oz. We have a job.” Journey is the first to scold me, but I roll my eyes at the sudden sense of punctuality.

We’ve never had rules before, so what’s different now?

They’re jealous, that’s what.

I’ve never brought a girl like Fallon around before, and I think they can tell how much I care about her, already. It was a far-fetched story to begin with, but when they saw how fucking stunning she is, and she hit them with her smart mouth, they realized what a diamond I found. Jealousy is an ugly color, that’s for certain.

“We just closed one yesterday, the ink on the invoice is probably still wet.” I shrug, not believing them, but when Oliver points at the board, there’s new writing on it.

“It’s discreet, more details after we accept, but has a huge payday,” Max details, showing off his bullet point notes on the board.

“Fill me in.” I flop onto the couch, turning my attention to the job and cutting off everything else in my mind.

---