“Vaughn!” he hisses. “Come the fuck on, man! Just let the guy fucking talk for three minutes without being a prick! He’s trying!”
“I don’t give a single shit if?—”
“Hey…”
I stiffen at the touch of her hand on my arm and the soft sound of her voice. Evelina’s biting her lip, looking up at me.
“If you think conning me into coming to this bullshit was cute, you’reveryfucking wrong,” I spit, moving closer to her as my furious gaze burns into her.
“Cool it,” Val snarls, trying to shove between us. “Don’t talk to her like?—”
“Val.”
Evelina puts her hand on his shoulder and eases him to the side.
“I don’t need a knight in shining armor,” she says softly.
Val scowls.
“Yeah, away you go,Lancelot,” I mutter as he turns to walk back over to the table, giving me the finger over his shoulder.
Evelina sighs. When she takes my hand in hers, my mind short-circuits. Like the memory chip forgets I’m supposed to be fuckingfuriouswith her.
“I didn’t mean for this to be an ambush,” she says quietly, looking at me with those big, innocent, gorgeous gray eyes. “I just…look, Igetfathers being complicated, okay? You know that.”
I frown.
“But I also know that people can change. They can be more than their addictions.” She shrugs. “I was sitting over there for maybe four minutes before you walked in, and he really seems to be trying hard.” She gives me a wry smile. “I also think it would mean a lot to Val if you came and sat for a few minutes.”
“That’s because he doesn’t…” I bite back the rest, shaking my head.
“Please?” she says gently. “For me?” She sucks her lower lip between her teeth and cranes up on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear. “I’ll let you hurt me if you do.”
I smirk at the hot flush on her cheeks as she drops back down. “You’d let me do that anyway,” I murmur.
She shrugs. “Really? How’s the last few days been for you?”
“Careful, princess,” I growl, grinning a little when she blushes even deeper. “This feels like bribery.”
“Maybe because it is,” she smiles.
I exhale and look past her to my brother and Morgan, chatting away.
“Five minutes,” I growl. “He getsfive minutes.”
I freeze when she stretches back up on her toes, a big grin on her face, andkisses my cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispers, taking my hand and leading me back to the table.
“Vaughn,” Morgan beams, standing and moving toward me, his arms wide.
Yeah, he can fuckright offwith that.
Luckily, he seems to pick up that I’m in the fucking opposite of a hugging mood, and just sticks out his hand instead.
“It’s good to see you, Vaughn,” he says with a warm smile.
A small elbow digs into my side. I glance down to see Evelina giving me a look and then raising her eyebrows significantly at the outstretched hand.
