Page 104 of Play Fast (Brooklyn Dawn 2)

I exhaled. “Close enough.”

“Did you drive her to the ER?”

“It wasn’t that bad.”

“Then why are we talking about it?”

“She had a bruise. She still has it. I see it every time I look at her even though she tries to hide it with makeup. It kills me, man.”

“You hurt her accidentally. You didn’t mean it, right?”

I shook my head.

“Dude, you need more therapy than you paid for tonight. But I won’t hang up on your calls. Probably.” He tossed aside his cigarette stub and ground it into the pavement with his boot. “Look, apologize. Talk about all the crazy crap floating through your head that you think passes for logic. Fuck her silly. Whatever her flavor of catnip, sprinkle that shit all over and let her roll in it.”

An image of Daisy tied to my bed and whimpering flashed through my brain. It was a damn miracle I didn’t spring a semi. I was actually too fucking depressed to get hard.

Who knew such a thing could even exist?

“If all fails, grovel.”

That one I understood. “I’ve never groveled in my life.”

“Welcome to the jungle, son.” He patted my back as he passed me on his way to the side door. “You’re about to become an expert at it.”

“What about that cig?”

“Still haven’t earned it yet,” he said before the door slammed shut behind him.

My cell phone buzzed. I pulled it out and scanned the readout. Sean. “Where is she?”

“Hello to you, mate. I’m well. And yourself?”

I hissed out a breath. “Have you found her or not?”

“She’s home with her onerous sister. I suspect they’ll share a pint of Rocky Road and watch The Vagina Monologues and discuss why men are so ghastly.”

Thank fuck she was home. That they both were, for that matter. I didn’t need anything else on my conscience.

“Thanks for making sure they got home safely.”

“For the younger one, making sure she’s locked away is my civic duty. She threatened to mow me down. I’m not sure she should be on the loose.”

Somehow I laughed. “Everleigh has always been a pit bull when it comes to her sister. Which is a good thing. Daisy deserves someone like that in her corner.”

“Everyone does. Including you. Someday you’ll grasp that. My invoice will arrive soon. Goodnight.”

He ended the call before I could reply. Not that I had a damn thing to say.

Twenty

One lock of hair over the other. Again and again.

I built the fishtail braid into Teagan’s curls. She liked to do wild braids along the crown of her head but keep the rest of her hair free flowing. And I didn’t mind keeping my braiding skills sharp. I never knew when a job would end.

Or when I couldn’t take it anymore.

The pang of sadness was getting harder and harder to slog through. Seeing him in the hallways and the afterparties was painful. Not that he came near me. Nope. He didn’t dare get too close.

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