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  “Where’s your car now?”

  “At a garage. I junked it for a grand, and guess who owns the place? Big. Remember Big? He lived down from me for a while.”

  “Oh, yeah,” she said. “How’s he doing?”

  “Not bad. He’s a giant piece of man-meat now. Seriously, I didn’t think he could get any bigger, but he did. Rock solid now.”

  “Well, it sucks that your car died, but at least you got something out of it.”

  “That’s not the only thing I got for my troubles,” I said, smirking and glancing away from her.

  Sophie leaned forward, her mouth curling up into a grin. “Tell me what happened. Did you get it on with Big in his garage? Is that how you know he’s a hot piece of man-meat now? You got an up close and personal view?”

  “Not even close… but I did end up getting a nice meal out of the whole thing.”

  “That’s nice of Big, though I would rather hear the details of a fling, but dinner is good, too.”

  “Not Big.”

  “Then who?” she asked. I could tell by her tone that she was starting to get impatient.

  “Jet Flanagan, of all people.”

  “What the actual fuck?” she asked. Her voice rose to almost a screech as she dropped the brush onto the table. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Who’s Jet Flanagan?” Alex asked.

  “Only the love of Evie’s life who dumped her to go get engaged to someone else. Please tell me you kicked him in the balls after he paid for dinner.”

  “I didn’t. I wanted to, but I didn’t,” I said. The butterflies started fluttering again as I thought of him and the way his gorgeous eyes looked at me just like he used to. I tried to remind myself of the bad deeds he’d committed against me, but they seemed to fade away by the second.

  “Oh, God. You’re making those googly eyes. You’ve got it bad again, don’t you?”

  “No… Maybe. What’s wrong with me? How could I see him and practically forget everything that happened? Why does he still make me feel the way he used to?”

  “Nostalgia, maybe?” she offered.

  “Could be. I swear it was like no time passed since the last time I saw him. You know, before he ran off into the sunset with some other girl without even so much as a Dear John letter.”

  “I’m no expert, and maybe it’s not even my place to speculate,” Alex said with a nervous giggle, “but you probably love him. We never shake the ones we truly care about.”

  “She does love him. Always has. I’ve known it all along,” Sophie said, her tone matter of fact as she brushed powder onto her face.

  “Oh, really? Care to enlighten me on that one?”

  “You married Preston. Jet hated Preston. They were practically mortal enemies,” she said as she stood. Taking a couple of steps toward the suitcase she’d brought, she knelt down to unzip it. “You did it to spite Jet.” She pulled out a slinky, silvery dress and brought it over to me. Holding it up to my body, she nodded to herself. “If you didn’t love him, you wouldn’t have wanted to hurt him so badly. The part of your plan that failed was that Jet probably never knew you married Preston, and, therefore, was never in the position to swoop back into your life and reclaim you.”

  “That’s not why I married Preston, and you know it,” I said, snatching the dress from her.

  “Okay, so it might not be why you married him, but it’s why you said yes when he asked you out senior year.”

  She had me there. I’d had this scenario dreamt up that Jet would somehow find out I was dating Preston Payne—the same guy he’d defended my honor to. I didn’t know what I wanted to happen next, but I was pretty sure it involved Jet heartbroken and feeling the way he’d made me feel.

  Preston turned out to be a much nicer guy than I ever thought he could be. He approached me one day after school while I was sitting outside reading a book. My instinct was to flip him the middle finger and tell him to be on his way, but then I noticed the genuine look he had on his face, not like the sneer he’d worn the day Jet had taken up for me.

  He apologized for the things he said to me, claiming he didn’t really mean any of it, and that he was only showing off for his friend. He wanted to make the whole incident up to me by taking me out to a movie. Of course, I was skeptical, but I agreed to go. That’s when I got to know how sweet he could be.

  Unfortunately, that didn’t last long after we married. Once we said ‘I do’, I became his property instead of his partner, and the marriage was doomed from the start. We were together a total of three years, married for one, and I often thought we might still be together had we never gotten married, but his true colors would’ve come out eventually, regardless. Coincidentally, he started drinking heavily around the time we got married. That’s what changed him, I believe.

  “So, will Jet be joining us tonight?” Sophie slid out of her shirt and pulled on a black halter top.

  “I don’t know. I thought about asking him, but I wanted to run it by you first.”

  “Go and get to it then. Who am I to stand in the way of true love?” Sophie asked, obnoxiously batting her eyes.

  “I hardly think that’s what will come out of it. This is more of a catching up with an old friend kind of thing, not a rekindling of romance.”

  “Well, either way, we’re going to get you all dolled up, babe. Make him regret the day he let you go. Who knows? Maybe you can take a ride on his dick and leave him hanging afterward. Then you get the upper hand back, and get to crush him in the process.”

  “Yeah, because I’m so sure he’s still madly in love with me, and if he doesn’t get to spend the rest of his life with me, it’ll just destroy him,” I said sarcastically.

  If he’d ever truly felt anything for me at all.

  I don’t know what I expected to happen that night, whether we would end up sleeping together or just parting ways or if he’d even show up at all. But my gut told me I’d never be the same again.

  CHAPTER 11 – JET

  “You’re sure he’s in there alone?” I asked while looking at the small, blue house from across the street.

  There were neighbors on either side with barely enough room between the houses for a walkway. If he put up much of a fight, they might hear and call the police. This would have to be a quick one, though I hoped I wouldn’t have to knock him out to keep him quiet. That’d take way too much time and draw too much attention trying to get him in the van. My best bet was to convince him to go willingly.

  “Yeah,” Flint said. “What the fuck are you doing here anyway? I told you I had it.”

  “I didn’t want Niall to bust my balls if he found out you did it instead of me.”

  “So how’s this gonna go?”

  “I’m gonna go ring the goddamn bell,” I said like the arrogant prick I was prone to be when I had a job to do. It was part of my style. Act cool on the surface, all the while calculating all the ways it could all go to fuck so I’d have a plan in place to deal with it when it did. I walked right up to the house like I owned the fucking place.

  I stood tall, squaring my shoulders, and approached the door. My finger settled on the button as I drew in a deep breath. The distinct chimes of the doorbell rang out. A few seconds later, the door swung open.

  The eyes of the man from the picture I’d seen earlier met mine. In a split second, recognition registered in them, and he immediately tried to slam the door in my face. Too bad for him, I anticipated the move and prevented him from shutting me out. I pushed my way in. As I did, he fell to the ground, pleading for me to leave him alone.

  “You know who I am?” I asked. Of course, he did. Anyone who had any affiliation with Niall knew who I was and what would happen if they stepped out of line. I don’t think I’ve ever come face to face with someone in that situation that they didn’t know exactly who I was.

  “Yes,” he stammered. “You’re Jet Flanagan.”

  “I am, and you know what I know about you, my friend?” I asked, kneeling next to him
, lightly slapping my hand against his cheek. “I know you’re a sick fuck who likes to violate women, but I wonder how you feel about facing a man? I mean, women are easy to dominate, right? What about someone like me? What do you think your chances are against me?”

  The guy was a grease ball, but he wasn’t exactly out of shape. He probably could’ve had a good go at me if he truly wanted to, but he cowered from me anyway.

  “Please don’t kill me,” he exclaimed, as he scooted away from me.

  I stood and took a few steps around the room, looking at pictures on the wall, the shabby furniture, and a collection of knives sitting on the mantel that looked like they cost more than anything else in the whole neighborhood. I wondered which one he’d used to slice Jerney up. “I’m not gonna kill you, not right now anyway. We’ll see how things play out tomorrow night at the warehouse.”

  “No,” he yelled. “I paid her two grand to do what I did.”

  I crouched down beside him again. Sweat beaded on his forehead and threatened to drip into his eyes at any second. He might’ve been a sick fuck, but there was no sign of deceit that I could find right then. I could use it to my advantage.

  “You talked to her about what you planned to do first and she agreed to it?”

  “Yes, I swear. I’ve got these urges that I can’t seem to shake. I’ve been seeing Jerney off and on for months now. I really like her. She understands me. But once she started slinging leg for Niall, she upped her price, and I either had to pay or give it up. I wanted her to stop whoring herself out and move in here with me, but once the money from being one of Niall’s girls started rolling in, she refused.”

  I wasn’t surprised to hear that. Niall had a minimum fee the girls had to collect for their services, and it was much higher than they usually found elsewhere. This also meant they took home a hell of a lot more, too.

  “Hmm,” I said. “How could she ever refuse to be assaulted every time you fucked her? Crazy, isn’t it? I don’t know why she wouldn’t go for it.”

  “I know how it sounds. The thing is, I don’t want to hurt anyone, so I thought if I found someone I could love who would indulge me now and then I could maybe work past it. My wife is gone because of this. It’s ruining my life.”

  “I don’t need your life history… You’re still disgusting, but you can talk to Niall about it. Maybe he’ll hear you out. Come with me now, and if it comes to us meeting in the warehouse, I’ll take it easy on you.” I so wouldn’t, but if the lie got him to come with me without any complications, then so be it.

  “Okay,” he said and stood up.

  He turned the lock on the doorknob and pulled it closed behind us as we left the house. A buzz came from my pocket, alerting me to an incoming text. I pulled out my phone and read the message.

  We’re headed to a club called Passion if you want to meet us there. If not, it was good seeing you today. Maybe we can meet up again some other time.

  No way was I letting her out of my town without seeing her again. I tapped out my reply.

  I’ll be there soon.

  “Take him to Niall and tell him he needs to hear this one out before he sets everything up.”

  “Will do. You hurrying back to that piece of ass now?”

  “Something like that,” I said. There was no use in arguing with Flint. Once he got something in his head, that was it. It was a done deal to him. She was more than a piece of ass to me, and I was going to do my damnedest to get back to her.

  Speeding down the highway, the thick, summer air beat against my face. I weaved in and out of traffic until I got to Passion. The thumping of the music coming from inside vibrated the air around me as I walked closer to the entrance. The neon sign above the door spelling out the name of the place illuminated the night, casting an eerie glow on the crowd outside. People clustered together in groups, smoking, laughing, and talking. A line of men—dressed in button-down shirts and jeans—and women—wearing barely anything at all—snaked around the side of the building, but I didn’t have to wait to get in. I nodded once to the bouncer at the front door, and he let me pass with no issues. I should’ve stopped to see if Evie and her friends had even made it inside, but I was confident they had. Evie alone was hot enough to get them in, but Sophie was attractive, too, or at least she had been in high school. She always seemed preoccupied with how she looked, and I doubted much had changed.

  A mass of bodies—packed tightly together—undulated across the dance floor. The air was thick and coated with the smell of alcohol and raw sex. I made my way to the bar, and though there was a crowd gathered around waiting for the bartender to take their orders, I didn’t have to do anything but make eye contact to get my drink. My reputation preceded me, and most people wanted to stay on my good side lest they end up being my next opponent at the warehouse. Little did they know, I didn’t actually have any say in who ended up there. However, the rumor worked in my favor, so I never saw the need to set anyone straight.

  Less than a minute later, I had a glass of Jack in my hand and was ready to find Evie. After pushing my way through the crowd and not finding her, I texted to find out where the fuck she was hiding.

  Where are you?

  Her response came quickly.

  Still outside the club, couldn’t get in. We’re thinking about going somewhere else.

  Did the bouncer have eyes in his goddamn head? How in the hell could he look at Evie and not let her in? She was the hottest girl in the whole fucking place. I shook my head subtly to myself and responded.

  Stay put.

  My drink burned as the last of it traveled down my throat. Setting the glass down on a nearby table, I headed for the front door.

  An obnoxious laugh burst out from somewhere to the left that caused me to look in that direction as I walked through the door. From behind a group of about ten people in line, I could barely make out the silhouette of Evie’s face. She smiled at someone as her face tilted toward me, causing my heart to race. I hadn’t seen her smile like that since we were teenagers. Even during our time together earlier in the evening, her smile hadn’t completely reached her eyes like it did now.

  “What’s up, J?” a voice from in front of me asked.

  I could barely tear my eyes away from her, but when I recognized the voice of the bouncer, Vito, my mission snapped me back to reality. Bodies moved closer to me. I wasn’t unaware of the small group of women who had been laughing loudly making their way over to me, and I’d seen the familiar figure better known as Jerney amongst them, though how she’d managed to go out after the injuries she sustained was beyond me. I was beginning to think some of her injuries weren’t fresh and were only put on display for whatever game she’d been playing. Or she was jacked up on opiates of some kind and wasn’t feeling any pain at all. She might have thought I didn’t notice her trying to eavesdrop, but I did. I was much more alert to my surroundings than most people were. I had to be. It was a skill that I couldn’t afford to not have.

  I stepped closer to Vito and shook his hand as I spoke close to his ear to avoid being overheard.

  “I need you to let someone and her friends in.”

  “No problem,” he said and took a step back to look at the line. “Who?”

  “I’ll show you.” I turned and headed straight for Evie.

  When her eyes met mine, something in them sparked to life from the darkness that had been clouding them earlier. She seemed happy to see me coming toward her, but she quickly glanced away to say something to her friend. When she looked at me again, it was like she was looking at a complete stranger. The darkness had returned. She’d been hot and cold like that during our dinner, but who could really blame her? I hurt her in the worst possible way. I gave her my love and then took it away. I was lucky she was even speaking to me at all.

  I’d have to do something to tear down the wall she was trying to build between us if I ever hoped to see her again after that night, but was that what I really wanted for her? I was more inclined to believe I
deserved someone closer to the likes of Jerney. Evie deserved a man who could offer her stability, love and affection, provide for her financially, and protect her from harm. Most of those things I could do. Stability? Not as easy considering I could end up on the wrong end of a fight and become a vegetable or end up dead. Protection? I could definitely do that. Trouble was, the harm I’d be protecting her from would come directly from me and the kind of life I lived. Still, she was the ultimate fantasy for me—to be with the woman I love, the woman no others could even dream to be. If I had a chance to make that come true, now was the time to try.

  Vito looked at me as I tipped my chin toward Evie. He motioned for her and her friends to come closer just before he unhooked the purple rope and let them step through. The silver dress she wore clung to her body and left very little to the imagination. Those observation skills I had kicked in again as I noticed the men around her drinking in her curves. She’d slicked back her hair into a tight ponytail that hung in a straight line down the center of her back. Her red lips curved up into a kissable grin as her smoky eyes peered at me. It took every ounce of restraint I had to not pick her up like a caveman, take her around to the back of the building, rip that fucking dress off, and fuck her silly.

  “Oh, friends in high places, I see,” she said. The side-eye she gave Vito didn’t go unnoticed. “I’m sure you remember Sophie, and this is Alex.”

  “Good to see you, Sophie,” I said.

  “Jet,” Sophie said coolly. Her lips pursed together, and she cocked her eyebrow at me. I was quite familiar with the look of disdain. I’d seen it many times from people who weren’t scared shitless of me.

  Alex looked at me like I had two heads growing out of my neck. Her brows drew together as her mouth hung slightly agape.

  “Hi, Alex,” I said, holding out my hand to shake hers.

  “Hi… Jet?” she asked.

  “That’s me.” The way she looked at me made me feel uneasy, like she knew me and all my bad deeds, but that couldn’t be because as far as I knew, I’d never seen her before in my life. “Let’s head inside and get a drink, ladies.”