Page 248 of On a Fault Line

“You’re a clown.”

“And you are beautiful.” I blow her a kiss. “And all mine.”

“You made me close a chapter in my life that I wasn’t willing or wanting to close! You did that. You are no longer entitled to be sulky and jealous when I move on to another book.”

“You are my plot twist, Princess.”

“Quit being”—she struggles for her next word—“awkward.”

“I settled for being the villain in the past. But the future has me striving to be the hero.”

“Penny, it’s good to see you,” Moreno says, looking my girl over.

She most definitely looks good, but I don’t need his nasty eyes roaming over her and tainting her with his grossness.

The kid better be careful if he doesn’t want to be watching her through two forks sticking out of his pupils.

This outing is about the charity fundraiser, and I guess tonight he’s decided to cash in on his prize.

“Good to see you too,” Penny says, leaning forward and giving him a hug.

My eyes narrow as she embraces him a tad bit too long for my liking.

I’m keeping score, Princess…

* * *

It’s not often that I impress myself with my own patience, but enduring this supposed date that Penny and Ivan are on is testing every limit of mine.

If it wasn’t for the fact that going to prison would severely put a wrench in my plan to win Penny back, then I’d have carried Moreno’s body out to the dumpsters in back and poured hot grease all over him.

He has to be loving the fact that I’m here dining alone, and he has my girl.

But I’m being the good Boy Scout that I’ve been labeled to be.

The fact is, Penny isn’t going home with him when she belongs to me.

Leaning back in my chair, I angle it so I can look directly at her while she tries her damnedest to avoid eye contact with me.

And the more she tries to ignore me, the more I enjoy the experience.

“Can I get you anything?” the waitress asks, doing her rounds at her assigned tables.

I’m sure asking her to add poison to Ivan’s drink is frowned upon, so I settle for something more subtle. “Can you bring me a piece of paper and a pen?”

She doesn’t even act like my request is unusual. “Of course.”

When she returns with my supplies, I go to work making my goal list.

Goals for the Next 24 Hours:

1. Shut down the stupid date with “the kid”

2. Kiss the fuck out of my princess

3. Help said princess to be reasonable

If All Else Fails:Kidnap my girl

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