Page 110 of Tapped

But fuck me, I haven’t once wished for it to be quiet.

And I really like the quiet.

What the hell am I doing?

“Whatever you do, remember there’s a child involved.”

I don’t look at him and stare into the fire. “Trust me, I know.”

“That boy is oblivious so far, but I can tell he’s smart. Figure it out fast, Micah, yeah?”

“Yeah,” I agree, knowing that all too well. This isn’t the one night we started with because we couldn’t resist the pull.

This is more.

Hell, I knew she was more from her first phone call that came through on the taps. When I look back on it, I became obsessed with a woman married to a drug runner.

Every conversation she had with that asshole made me want to pummel his face. The way he put her off, refused to help with his own son, and the way he talked about her to his friends.

Listening to phone calls between her and her sister about how she needed out of her marriage stuck with me. And the endless discussions with her brother who drew up her divorce papers fucking elated me.

Dad stands up and slaps me on the shoulder. “I don’t give a shit about the reason, it’s damn good to have you home.”

I look over at him and tell him the truth. “For the first time in a long time, it feels good to be back.”

He gives my shoulder a squeeze and gets back to regular programming. “Make sure that fire’s out so you don’t burn the house down.”

“Got it.”

I watch him walk inside and do everything I can to cling to what little patience I’ve got left from being with Evie all day but not really being with her.

And it has nothing to do with fucking her.

It has everything to do with months of listening to her on the taps distressed about her marriage and preparing for her divorce. But even more, listening to the man who was willing to kill her and Chase as a work around to the prenup he signed to get his dirty hands on her money.

I knew she was good before I pounded her door down to deliver the news about a hit on her life. That was when my obsession started. Pretending anything else would be a lie. To myself and to her.

But bringing her home…

Anywhere else in the world, I’m level headed and have my shit together more than the general population. But not here.

This is the one place that drains me.

Leaves me bare.

Fuck.

I can’t reconcile my head with my fucking heart.

I barely have the patience to let the fire burn out on its own. It’s down to embers and smoldering ashes.

Not unlike my nerves as this day goes on.

There’s no way I can go into the house I grew up in and pretend it’ll be easy to sleep across the hall from her.

I stuff my hands in my pockets as the cool summer night creeps in without the heat of the flames. Hell, if I have to sit out here and freeze for hours to avoid what’s waiting for me inside, I might.

I look up at the stars. They’re bigger and brighter here, just like everything else at home.

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