Page 5 of Ignite

“Good.”

“My car is fucked though.”

I’d just had it wrapped matte black, too.

“Wait till I get my hands on the dickheads that did this. I’ll beat their heads through the hood of their own car.”

“I’ll get Rowan to tow it to your garage later. You’re fine, that’s all that matters.”

“Aww. Big brother’s getting soft in his old age.”

They worry. I know they do. I make reckless choices—it’s what I do. Make a mess, then fix it. Or let them fix it for me.

That’s family. That’s how we were raised.

“Shut the fuck up, or I’ll tell Hallie to make sure it hurts.”

I chuckle, already planning my next move.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll win her over with my charm, brother. Don’t you worry.”

Chapter 2

HALLIE

“Come give Momma a cuddle,” I coo to Bertie, my golden retriever.

His head flicks up, and he bounds toward me on the couch, launching his fluffy and extremely heavy body onto my lap.

“Awww. Can’t resist, can you?” I scratch behind his ears as he snuggles against me.

Since Dad died, Bertie and I have been inseparable. He was his best friend, and now he’s mine.

“Hal. What time are you going to work today?” Ben calls out from upstairs.

“Shift starts in two hours,” I shout back, rolling my eyes.

He already asked me this over breakfast.

It’s starting to piss me off—his constant need to know my whereabouts.

I’m either at home, at work, or at the gym. I’m hardly interesting enough to keep tabs on.

His heavy footsteps echo down the stairs, and as I turn to look at him, he’s finishing styling his black hair in the mirror.

I mean, he’s hot. He’s got a decent job running the finances for his cousins.

And the accent. That’s what won me over on our first date. Deep and British. Delicious.

He spins to face me with a smile and walks over.

“Get that lump of a dog off you and give me a hug.”

I frown and keep stroking Bertie.

“Don’t be mean to my dog,” I snap back.

“I’m only playing. I just want to snuggle with my girl before I go to work.”

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