Page 145 of Dirty Dylan: Dirty Dusters

“You sound like you don’t like her.”

I shrug. “It’s not that. It’s just Molly’s priority is Molly, and to head our organization as Ma Duster, the company needs to be the priority.”

“But surely Eoin must realize that.”

“He does.”

“But…”

I interject. “He thinks she saved his life, Jessie, and that changes everything.”

We leave it there, both of us dressing quietly. We’ve shared a temporary respite from a permanent situation inflicted on us by others. Nothing more.

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close to my chest and breathing her in. She smells of sex. She smells of me. I’ve never felt so possessive over anything or anyone in my life as I do right now.

But, in the absence of a miracle, this is the end of the road for us, and we both know it.

“Thank you,” I mutter against her hair, my eyes closed.

“For?”

“For saving my life. And…”

“And?”

“For just being you, Jessie O’Brien.”

CHAPTERSIXTY

JAINE

Jaine’s House, Rising, California

I’m home alone.

Ace is at the clubhouse and Duke and Darla have taken the kids out. I needed time to come to terms with what I suspect has been going on. With what I know has been going on.

How fucking long have I been played for a fool?

How could I not see what was staring me in the face? All the signs were there.

The familiarity. The flirting.

Did I not see them, or did I choose not to? Did my subconscious know? Did that fucker let me down and betray me too?

All because it didn’t want to let him go.

Because all those signs? Well, they’re clear as day now.

Dylan.

I stare at the name as it lights up the screen on my phone for the first time since yesterday. It’s a call, not a message.

It’s my guess I won’t receive any more messages from this number. Because I suspect the message sender now realizes how badly they dropped the goddamn ball. I suspect the caller now realizes the same.

Because they are not one in the same person. I know that now.

I ignore it. I’m not ready to face it.

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