Page 48 of Star Crossed
Chapter Nine
Early February
“I’m sexy and I know it.”
Romeo looked to Tino, who was currently enjoying the benefits of satellite radio, and arched an eyebrow at his youngest brother. “You’re officially banned from energy drinks and convenience-store doughnuts.”
Tino bounced his head, giving Romeo a wide smile, showing off even white teeth as he sang off-key. “I work out.”
“Jesus,” Romeo groaned, looking toward the signs on the interstate, frowning. “Wasn’t that our exit?”
“I dunno.” Tino shrugged. “You’re driving.”
“Motherfucker, you’re supposed to be watching the GPS.” Romeo growled and then reached over to shove Tino’s head for good measure. “I let you blare the radio ’cause you said you’d be watching the GPS. Now we missed the exit.”
“So get off here and turn around.”
Romeo turned on his blinker and looked behind him as he worked on getting over. Once he got off the exit, he pushed the button on his steering wheel, turning off the radio.
“What the hell?” Tino complained when they were blanketed in silence.
“I can’t listen to one more minute of this club shit,” Romeo said as he breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized how loud the music really was or how deeply it was grating on his nerves until it was gone. “How long is this exit?”
Tino looked to the GPS on the dashboard. “If you go left, it should actually take you back to where we’re supposed to be. You don’t gotta get back on the interstate.”
“There’s nowhere to go left.” Romeo looked out the window at the sea of snow-covered trees. “It’s the off-ramp that won’t end. It’s like a friggin’ horror movie.”
“I definitely hear dueling banjos.”
“How long until we actually get to Garnet? Look at that thing and tell me how many miles until we get to where we’re supposed to be.”
Tino studied the GPS, frowning at it. “Fifty-seven miles.”
“Fifty-seven miles?” Romeo repeated incredulously. “They can’t be over fifty miles from the nearest interstate. You’re looking at it wrong.”
“No, I’m not,” Tino argued, pointing to the screen. “It says fifty-seven miles to our destination. Well, now it’s fifty-six.”
Romeo stopped when they finally reached the end of the off-ramp and leaned over to look at the GPS himself. “We gotta find a McDonald’s or something. I can’t wait another hour to eat.”
“I don’t think there’s a McDonald’s around here,” Tino said as he looked down the long stretch of road to his right. “Did you get gas? I don’t see a gas station. I don’t seeanything. Where the fuck are the grocery stores? How do these people eat?”
“There are houses. That means there are gas stations and grocery stores,” Romeo said as he spied one lone house across the street from the off-ramp. “And there’s definitely gotta be a McDonald’s.”
They didn’t find a McDonald’s, and Romeo was grouchy and hungry an hour later. It didn’t help that the blaring club music was somehow back on and a stop at the only gas station they’d passed had put another energy drink in Tino’s hand.
“You’ve gotta lay off that crap.” Romeo made a swipe for the can, but Tino dodged him, turning away and splashing some of the horrid drink on the seat. “Madonn’, Tino, my upholstery! I’m gonna fucking kill you when we get outta this car.”
“Whatever.” Tino sounded unconcerned.
“Do you know how many calories are in those drinks?” Romeo decided to change tactics as he turned off the music once more. He officially had a headache because of it. “You gotta start watching your weight, man. You’re already too heavy for your weight class.”
Tino snorted. “Screw dieting. I’m gonna fight light heavyweight.”
“No. You go on a fucking diet and lose five pounds. You’re not getting in the cage with guys fifteen pounds heavier than you just ’cause of an addiction to terrible shit like energy drinks!”
“I got five percent body fat. If I go on a diet, I’m gonna lose muscle.Fuck that.I’d rather beef up.”
“You wanna know the sorta guys who fight light heavyweight?” Romeo went on. “That was Conner’s weight class when he was in the cage. All those guys who are just two or three pounds away from heavyweight. Those are the motherfuckers you’d end up fighting, and if you think I’m gonna let you in the cage with some big, mean asshole like Conner, you’re delusional.”
