Page 123 of Rear View
I hated that I couldn’t give her more but every second I avoidedhimwould be read as fear. Never again. “Please, darlin’.” My stare met hers.Trust me. Please, just trust me.
She nodded and uttered, “Okay.”
Stroking my key chain, I shoved it in my pocket, then threw my door open, jumped out and stalked his way. “You got a lotta balls showin’ up here.”
“Oh, come on,” he said, a shit-disturbing grin on his face. “Our call was so short last time. I figured you’d want to catch up.”
“I wanna do a hell of a lot more than that.” And I did. My body itched for violence. The brutal kind that’d put him in a pine box. But I wasn’t him. I had control. My life’d been built around it. Still, I had my limits.
His head angled Ryah’s way and he gave her a taunting wave. “Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your friend?”
“Look at her again and I’ll cut your goddamn eyes out. You feel me?”
His lip tipped up in a sneer. He crossed his feet at the ankles as if he settled in. “Nice spot you got here.”
“If you came for money, it ain’t happenin’.”
“You’ve got more than you need.”
My laugh was dark. “That’s rich, comin’ from you.”
“So, what? This is payback?”
“Nah. This is karma, old man.”
A flash of rage contorted his face before he rolled his head on his neck. He hadn’t changed. That void was still there, deep in those blue, lifeless eyes. He didn’t give a shit about anything but himself. Whathewanted. Something he proved when he opened his mouth again. “Where’s Lorelei?”
I folded my arms over my chest and glared at him through my brow. “You’ll never know.”
His nostrils flared. “You’re going to tell me, boy.”
I forced a dark smile. “We ain’t playin’ your game anymore, old man.” Angling closer, I glared down at him. “You don’t bring your shit to my doorstep. So, fly the hell outta here. Now. Or, I promise, I’ll make you.”
He sized me up like he considered calling that bluff. He was in good shape. Tall, thick, solid. Difference was, I knew what his fists could do. No doubt he remembered mine too. But I’d filled out since he’d last seen me. A lot. I was stronger and faster in every damn way. And the rapid thump of the pulse in his neck told me he knew it too.
He laughed, the sound closer to a grunt, pivoted on his heel and stalked away. Opening the passenger door of Derek’s car, he stopped and eyed me. “You took everything from me, son. I’ll be sure to return the favor.” Dropping down, he climbed inside, and they left.
The hair on the back of my neck lifted. My father was a grade-A, world-class prick who only picked fights he knew he could win. The guy was relentless and made good on his threats.
There were only a handful of things he could takethat’d bring me to my knees. One that sat less than twenty feet away. But if he was dumb enough to move on my girl, then all bets were off.
Ryah turned in her seat and watched him go. When he was outta sight, she slipped from the Jeep and hurried to me, her copper gaze wide. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, darlin’.”
She pressed closer and set those warm palms of hers against my chest. And, shit, if it didn’t get my rigid lungs working again.
I wrapped a hand over both of hers, then angled forward. I’d held back long enough. She needed to know…but Christ, if I wasn’t terrified to say it. “There’s some things I gotta tell you.”
She bit her lip, her eyes narrowing as she studied me. She nodded slowly. “But you don’twantto tell me,” she said, her voice soft.
“No. I don’t want to.”
Her body stilled. “Why?”
My exhale was rough. All gravel. “’Cause I’m scared it’ll change how you look at me.”
Her gaze held mine. And held. And held. “I want everything, Xavier. Everything then. Everything now. And everything to come. I want it all.”
