She wasn’this best friend’severything.
“Let’s just say,” Billy murmurs, swirling the amber liquid in his glass, “I won’t be shedding any tears when that man stops breathing. Same reason I pointed you toward the harbor. Some people don’t deserve to keep walking this earth.”He downs the drink in one smooth motion, then sets the glass down with a quiet clink. “That said… I’m still not sure I can trust you with what comes next.”
My brother doesn’t blink. “Let’s just say,” he echoes, “that if we have anything to say about it, he’s already living on borrowed time. This disagreement we’ve got?” He spreads his hands. “It’s not small.”
“How not small?” Billy’s voice cuts, his stare drilling into Pax like a blade.
With a dramatic sigh, Paxton leans back against the wall, pouting like he’s bored already. “If I had to guess? I’d say about ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent of the Atlantic Ocean big. Want me to spell it out with flashcards, or are we good?” He lifts his eyes just enough to meet Billy’s gaze, calm and deadly.
“Crystal,” Billy mutters. “But if he walks away from this, there’ll be consequences.” He lifts a finger and points it squarely at Pax.
That’s my cue. “With all due respect, man,” I say, finally speaking up, “you’re not hiring us. So don’t act like this is a goddamn contract negotiation.”
He huffs a sigh and motions to one of his guys. The man steps forward, pulls a folded paper from his pocket, and slides it across the table to Paxton.
“Don’t fuck this up.”
When we get back to the compound, I park my motorcycle, and say, “Send Dad a message that we need to go to chapel first thing tomorrow.” I nod toward his jacket pocket where the info sits. “We need to discuss this and come up with a plan.”
"Fine. Half past eight? Norah’s taking Brooks’ kid to school, right?"
I’m amazed that he would even contemplate that. Maybe those punches did help. “Yeah, half past eight’s fine. See ya tomorrow.”
Paxton turns the wheel and lifts his feet. Then he drives down the path that leads to his cabin. I climb the stairs to the landing and quietly step inside. Next to the door, I take off my shoes and stare at my bare feet, thinking back to the argument I had with Layne earlier. I shuffle past the couch where Rebel’s sleeping, her deep breathing now a familiar sound. Her dark-blond hair’s spread across the pillow.
I kiss her on the forehead. “Sleep tight, Shorts.”
I slide open the bedroom door and catch sight of Layne. She’s curled up on her side in my bed, a book resting in her hands. When she looks up at me, her eyes meet mine over the top of the pages.
“Hey,” she says softly.
God, this is exactly the kind of moment I want waiting for me every night.
“Hey. I thought you were already asleep.” I glance at my watch—half past midnight.
She shrugs the shoulder that’s barely visible beneath the duvet. “Couldn’t sleep after that fight.” She sets the book down with a quiet sigh. “I think we need to talk.”
Thirty-Nine
“CanIundressmyselffirst and lie down?”
“Of course.” A sad smile crosses my face. I roll onto my back, staring at the ceiling. Listening to the rustling of his pants and the sound his shirt makes as he pulls it over his head. The soft thud of his belt hitting the floor.
He climbs into bed beside me and faces me. Almost immediately, his finger traces the lines of the sleeve tattoo on my arm.
“I don’t think I ever told you I really like this one. Somehow, it suits you,” he breathes.
“No, you didn’t.” His lips press against my shoulder. “Connor hated it.”
“What?” He looks up at me from under his eyelashes and meets my eyes. “The tat?”
I nod. “He said it stood for everything I tried to leave behind.” The way he emphasized “tried” that night hurt. His words had a spiteful ring to it.
“Was he right? Is that what it stands for?”
A stray tear slides down my cheek as I shrug my shoulders. “I guess so, but that wasn’t his point.”
“It’s your body, so you can do whatever you want with it. He can think he preferred you without it, but he should’ve kept his mouth shut.” Kyler places his arm under his head and rests his temple against his fist while his other hand still wanders over my arm. His eyes follow its movements.
