Page 9 of Brutal Days

“You don’t bash one of the Elite.” The color ebbed from her face as panic tinged her voice. She was worked up over it, and not just about the athletic director calling her.

Huh.“Are you scared of them?”

“Like you’re not.”

“I’m not.” It was a partial truth. I feared how Damon made me feel. It wasn’t always hate between us. Sometimes, it felt like pure, undeniable lust.

CHAPTER SEVEN

DAMON

#Miscreant

Of all the days I had to come down early before school…The last thing I wanted was a conversation with my dad’s wife.

“Good morning.” Raelyn leaned a hip against the counter, holding a steaming cup of coffee. “Do you want some breakfast?”

“No.”Am I an asshole?Sure, but I hadn’t asked for my situation.

“Damon.” Dad’s voice boomed through the kitchen as he entered behind me. “Try again.”

Anger licked up my spine, and I narrowed my gaze. “Thanks, Raelyn, but no.”

“Have a great day today, Damon.” Pink colored her cheeks, and she eased away from the island to the kitchen table, where she smiled at my dad. I knew what she was doing, trying to defuse the situation by getting him to focus away from me and on where she’d moved.

It wouldn’t work, and my skin prickled from his proximity as he followed me into the garage. Once the door shut, I turned to face him. Eye to eye, we both stood a few inches over six feet, which annoyed me. His jaw clenched. Power and focused intensity crackled around him, and I knew he had put his lawyer hat on for our conversation.

“What?” I had to poke him.

I didn’t know why I couldn’t accept what I’d learned about him and let it go, as Cole had over time. Well, I did know. Finding out my idol had cheated on my mom with Raelyn, who he’d married after Mom had taken her life, was a total mindfuck.

He shook his head, disappointment as clear as day in his green eyes, similar to Cole’s. “You can stop the pissed-off-at-the-world attitude and grow up. Raelyn has done nothing to you and doesn’t deserve how you treat her.”

“Except she’s the other woman.” I was so close to my car. I just wanted to get in and drive away. Everything about him pissed me off.

“Stop blaming her for something that wasn’t her fault.”

“What are you talking about? Mom’s death? Or that you’re a cheater? Hell, she is, too, since she knew you were married.”

“Enough. I won’t tolerate your behavior any longer. You’re smarter than this. Taking out your anger for me on Raelyn is wrong.” A hard gleam entered his eyes. “How do you think Riley would feel knowing you’re treating her mom poorly?”

Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. “She would understand. She wasn’t all that happy with the two of you either.”

“Before she knew what we meant to one another.”

Fucker.“Again, at the cost of Mom’s life.”

“I see myself in you more and more lately.” He shook his head. “The drive, but so much anger simmers beneath that. It’s not good for you. Trust me. I know.”

“The last thing I want is to be like you.” It was my worst fucking nightmare. “To destroy my wife’s world so the only option she sees is to kill herself? No thanks. I’m trying to do whatever I can not to be like you.” I backed toward my SUV, avoiding the knowing look on his face.

“You’re intelligent enough to know what really happened in our family. Especially after I sat down with you and Cole and told you everything.”

“Whatever.” I got it. I did. But that didn’t mean I had to be okay with what had gone down or with how in the dark I’d been. Our conversation needed to end.

“Are you sure you want to go into the NFL? You would excel as a lawyer.”

I snorted. Even if I did want that, I would never tell him. “I have school. I’ll be nicer to Raelyn, but that’s it. You and I aren’t okay.”

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