“That’s exactly my point,” I muttered. “We’re rivals. Our families have history. Bad blood. It’s… complicated.”
Raine’s mouth curved into a slow smirk. “What makes a better love story than two rivals falling in love? That’s literally half the great romances in history.”
“I’m being serious.”
“You’re always serious,” he countered, shaking his head. “It’s your default setting. Does this self-sabotage have anything to do with you wanting to walk away from the crew eventually?”
I stared at the fire again. “Maybe. I don’t know. Probably.” My hand threaded through my hair. “Everything feels… fucked. I can’t think straight.”
Raine tilted his head, studying me. “You’re afraid she won’t likethe guy you’ll be without all the danger and violence. That she’ll lose interest.”
“It’s who she fell for in the first place.”
“You’ll still be the same brooding asshole,” he said dryly. “Just with fewer felonies.”
I snorted. “What if that’s exactly what she likes? The danger. The adrenaline. The chaos. What if I’m boring without it?”
“Would it actually bother you if she did like that part of you?” he asked, one brow lifting.
I thought of her, my girl, sleeping curled against my side, her breath warm against my chest, her hand clutching my sweatshirt like, even unconscious, she wasn’t letting go. My stomach clenched. “Most girls run the other way when they learn what we do,” I muttered.
“I think we’ve firmly established that Kaylor isn’t like most girls,” Raine said dryly. “She’s proven that repeatedly.”
I glanced down at her, soft features relaxed in the firelight, lips parted slightly, lashes fanned across her cheeks. She murmured in her sleep and shifted closer to me.
God, she didn’t even know what she did to me. “How can I keep someone like that safe? Someone who always goes looking for trouble or who attracts it?”
“You don’t,” he stated simply. “You can’t protect her from everything, and you’ll drive yourself insane trying. Bad shit happens regardless of the precautions we take. She could get into a car accident, die in childbirth, or have a terminal illness. There are a hundred different horrible circumstances that could arise completely out of your control. That’s what loving someone actually means—giving up the illusion of control. And that’s your fundamental problem, Kreed. You don’t know how to let go of anything.”
I met his eyes, and for once, I didn’t have a single comeback. Nothing smart. Nothing sarcastic. Just… truth staring me in the face.
Raine relaxed back into the couch. “Let go. Let yourself actually love her without the walls and defenses. Trust me. The reward is worth the risk. Always has been, always will be.”
I dragged my hands down my face, exhaling slowly.
Enough.
I needed ground under my feet again. “Let’s get back to something I can actually control,” I muttered. “Rusty. I want him fully exposed, every name, every buyer, every bastard connected to that trafficking ring.”
Raine slipped off his shoes, getting comfortable. “You just want to expose him and hand the whole thing to the police?”
“Fuck no,” I scoffed. “When do we ever do that? The police can handle the minions. I want Rusty and whoever he is working for. I want the guys calling the shots.”
My brother grinned. “Finally, something I can sink my teeth into.” He stretched his arms along the back of the couch, eyes lighting. “When do we move?”
“The shit that gets you excited is disturbing,” I muttered. “Oh, and we need to move fast.”
Raine lifted a questioning brow.
“Dad’s ordering us home,” I said, glancing down at Kaylor again. “Her too. You’re welcome to come. We’ll need extra support.”
He made a face. “Thanks, but hell no. I’ll stay at the club.”
I nodded. I got it. We both vowed never to return home once we were out. “I’m sorry you had to drop out this semester,” I said quietly.
He shrugged. “You guys needed me. Family is more important. And college will be there at the end of summer.”
“Or,” I deadpanned, “you could take summer classes. I sure as hell will probably have to.”
