Page 61 of Dangerous Love

Michael gave me a tender smile and grabbed my hand. He flicked his thumb up and down over my palm. “And what if I have?”

At least he chose to be here for you without being asked.“Thank you,” I choked out before gripping his hand tighter. “I’ll try to find somewhere else to go soon. I promise. I didn’t mean to crash here like this.”

“Listen,” he said. “Look around you. I think it’s a complete waste of space having this room empty if you ask me.” He cleared his throat, his hand still over mine. “And I like having you around. I’d love the company if you’d take up the available roommate agreement, Sienna Curtis.”

Goosebumps crawled over my arms as his low baritone murmured my name. I studied the man in front of me. Dark, short blond hair. Light-blue eyes. A chiselled jaw, and a straight nose that screamed confidence and authority. A couple of fine lines traced his forehead. I’d never asked his age before today, but based on how organised and sorted he was, even without him telling me, I would have guessed about right anyway.

Relief filled me. Despite the guilt still floating in my heart, and the part of me that missed Riley like a crazy stalker, this was the perfect way to start over as a woman. With Michael, I wasn’t the problem child, the girl everyone worried about, the teenager no one trusted. Here, I was able to make my own decisions. And soon, I’d prove to everyone I could live a happy, healthy, normal life.

“I insist on paying rent, though. No handouts. And we share the chores equally.” I grinned.

Michael slapped his forehead in an exaggerated fashion. “Damn it. Here I was, thinking you’d do all the cleaning.”

A giggle erupted from my stomach, filling the room with a lightheartedness. I smacked his thigh with my palm. “Not a chance, champ.”

The stress that’d been building up over the last few weeks eased off. Hope brewed inside me until my heart beat faster, and my mind soothed all the battling in my soul. I loved Riley. Probably always would. But he was tormented. Unavailable. He’d never get away from his father’s claws while he was ladened with vengeance and rage, and he’d always see me as weaker than him. Something to rescue.

Being alongside Michael could be as freeing as beingme. All of me, even the parts that scared me. Two equals, enjoying the simple things without having to run away from life, or prove to everyone that I wasn’t a broken little doll.

And Michael would never be Avery’s bitch.Renewed with energy, I brought the juice back to my lips and took a sip of the fruity liquid. “It’s as good as the first time,” I murmured.

He chuckled. “Glad to hear, roomie.” Then, he popped a strawberry in his mouth and shuffled to his feet, his back muscles tensing as he pulled himself up. “Meet you downstairs in thirty.” Right as his palm landed on the door handle, he winked on his way out. “And I control the music in the car.”

CHAPTER30

Riley

My hand caressed the Glock waiting at the back of my pants like it would a first-time lover. The cold metal dug into my flesh, and all I could do was hope that it would stay right there the whole night. Next to me, Trey put the car in park before turning the ignition off.

“Are we ready?”

I rolled my eyes. “Explain to me why you’ve got a sick smile on your face as we’re about to walk into another one of Hal Cooper’s fuck fests? Must be the excitement of meeting our new Kingscliff counterparts, right?” Like a bunch of corrupt cops was what Hal was missing from his repertoire…

My brother clapped his hands. “Sure is. If Dad thinks I’ve not learnt a thing or two watching him these last thirty years, he’s in for a treat.”

“If it’s all the same to you, can we stick to the plan? Show our face, shut him up for now while we work out what he’s up to.”

When Trey got out of the car, I followed, rearranging my pants for the thousandth time tonight. Not that I’d turned into a choir boy, but unlike my big brother, I’d been out of the lifestyle for some years, and walking around with multiple weapons on my body screameddangerousto me.

“Can you stop fiddling with yourself? It’s unnerving,” Trey teased as he buttoned up his vest.

“Sorry, dude. I’ve swapped guns for counselling strategies these days,” I sneered. “No part of you thinks they’ll search us? Jeez, perhaps realise we’re loaded before we’ve even walked past the threshold?”

Trey smirked like a teenager let into a frat party. “We’re Hal fucking Cooper’s sons, Riley. If we didn’t go in there with weapons, they’d think we were wired or something. Now stop with the change of heart and start acting like a Cooper.”

“Yay. Like a Cooper. Can’t wait,” I deadpanned.

Trey slapped me on the shoulder, a snort jolting him. “Who knows? You might even get your balls back once we strip off all the gooey emotions Williams’s been softening you with.”

“Fuck off, bro.” I marched in front of him. “I’m proud to be a Williams. We use our brains; you should try it sometime.”

He moved ahead of me again, his palm on the door handle. The grin on his face died as he pressed on the lever. “Showtime. Are you ready?”

I nodded.

“We get the lay of the land, get as much intel as we can, and we’re out of there.”

“That’s the plan.” I exhaled, my eyes studying the new security behind the thick glass. Right before he pulled the door open, I added, “Hey, Trey?”

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