Page 42 of Pieces of Heaven

“There aren’t many rental opportunities in town,” Eagle says, appearing from the hallway. “I remember how Yazmin and Selene only had a few options.”

“You know that how?”

“When Ruin speaks, everyone must stop their lives and listen.”

We chuckle at our president’s arrogance. Of course, his big fucking ego is why Eagle has this fancy house now. We were making decent cash with the Jordan family in charge, but nothing like the money we pulled in after we overthrew our masters.

“I want Xenia,” I say and let the words settle. “I know she wants me. That’s right now, though. In a few weeks, she might be gone. Or I might realize I’d rather suffer alone than get trapped in her tiny house.”

“It’s just a rental, man,” Eagle says and settles next to Irina.

I notice how my friend can’t get enough of his woman. He needs to be next to her. If she’s away from him during a party, he’s always glancing in her direction to get himself settled.

That’s quite the turnaround for a guy who could sometimes go days without saying more than a few words to our friends at the Pigsty. Eagle was always in his head. He doesn’t like most people. Though he and I are tight, we don’t need to be together all the time.

With Irina, he’s addicted. Rather than getting weighed down by all that need, he seems plenty happy.

“What did you think of Xenia when you went over there?” Eagle asks Irina.

“She seems nervous.”

“She doesn’t know what to do with herself,” I mutter and rest my head back on the chair. “That’s the reason she’s here. Saw this town one time and decided it was her paradise. Except she doesn’t know what she’s doing. That’s also why she’s gone on those dates with men who don’t interest her.”

“Why don’t you ask her out and see what happens?” Eagle pushes. “Give her life some direction.”

“Let’s say I take your advice,” I ask even while I close my eyes and admire Xenia in my mind. “What’s the best-case scenario for that path?”

“Since when are you this careful?”

“I’m plenty careful. It’s how I’ve stayed alive.”

“Okay, let me rephrase, since when are you this scared?”

Opening my eyes, I frown at him and prepare to offer a piece of my mind. Except I hesitate when I notice Irina watching me.

Finally, I shrug. “You’re lucky your woman and kid are around.”

Eagle smirks. “Plenty of women want to ride you, Hobo. A few of them wouldn’t mind keeping you around. But I’ve never seen any woman that you’d stick around for.”

“I don’t want to feel trapped,” I grumble as my worries rise hot and painful inside me. “I don’t want to feel like I owe someone. Like I can’t just leave when I want. I refuse to get swallowed up by their needs.”

“Cutting off your parents saved you,” Eagle says, understanding in a way few people would.

“Saved Kourtney, too. If I’d stayed loyal to my parents, she’d likely be dead or ruined in some way that no schooling could fix. I locked my heart up tight against my parents and wouldn’t let them back in. That’s why Kourtney has her fancy degrees and gets to go skiing. I needed to be selfish to survive.”

“But this chick isn’t your parents, right? Honestly, I don’t know. I barely talked to her. She didn’t seem crazy.”

“No, but she wants something to fill the hole inside her. My parents used their wacky faith to feel special. The rest of us were just collateral damage.”

“You’re not a child, Hobo,” Irina says, startling me since I’d nearly forgotten her sitting next to Eagle. “If that woman asks for too much, you say no. If you want more, you ask for it. With parents, you’re a slave to their wants. This woman is lucky to have your attention. If she wants to keep it, she’ll need to do some work, too. It’s not all about you sacrificing.”

Eagle grins at his woman, all proud of her speaking up. I consider how simple Irina makes the situation sound. She isn’t altogether wrong, yet I’m not sold on the idea.

“I don’t know how to do all that formal stuff in dating.”

“Don’t do them, then,” Irina replies. “Just be sweet to her and do the informal stuff you like.”

“She did get all goofy when I mentioned a picnic at Turtle Cove.”

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