Icarried Jolie outside and headed toward my bike. Iheard footsteps following me and Ialready knew that one set of those footsteps belonged to Dom, but there was no time for explanations; she wanted to go home and that was where I’dtake her. Icarried Jolie to my bike and carefully set her down before climbing on and starting the engine. She climbed on behind me, automatically wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her cheek against my back.
Iwas wearing only my jeans, boots, and my cut. Iwas bloody and bruised, my head throbbing with pain, my various injuries still bleeding, but for the first time in along time Ifelt at peace. Ihad killed the man responsible for my brother’smurder, and that felt good.
“Have you done that before?” Jolie asked, catching me by surprise.
“What?”
She gestured back to the house. “That…torture?”
Ialmost smiled but thought better of it. “Yeah,” Ireplied bluntly. “Does it bother you?”
“Does torture bother me?” she scoffed, like Iwas the dumbest man ever. And maybe Iwas, because this thing between us, it couldn’tlast. It was already doomed. And God only knew what damage Ihad done to my friendship with Dom.
“No, doesmetorturing people bother you?” Iclarified. For some reason Ineeded her to be okay with that side of me. Because I’ddo it again. It was who Iwas.
She huffed out abreath. “Idon’tknow yet.”
“This can’twork. You know that, right?”
Her grip on me tightened. “Who said Iwanted it to work?”
Ichuckled. That woman with her goddamn smart-ass mouth. “You should know, I’mgonna be agrandad.”
“That’sokay,” she replied. “I’man exotic dancer with no qualifications.”
“It’sthat simple?” Iasked.
“It’sthat simple,” she agreed. “Seems Ihave athing for older men.”
Ilooked over at my brothers, who had gathered in the doorway. Dom was standing at the front, glaring at me. His jaw was set tight, his gun still in his grip as he watched us.
“We need words,” he said as Istarted my bike. “And soon.”
“Agreed, brother,” Ireplied, “but Ineed to see Belle first before Ibleed out.”
He nodded and looked away, alook of fury and disgust on his face, and Ialmost felt guilty. But then Jolie’sfingers stroked along my stomach muscles and Irealized that Ididn’tgive ashit what he thought of me. Ihated that Ididn’tcare, but Ididn’tcare all the same.
“There’ssomething else Ineed to tell you,” she said.
Casa came from around the back of the house, another man in his grip. He was laughing as he dragged him along the ground, his gaze fixed on the man, but he looked up as he rounded the corner. Casa stopped in his tracks, his gaze going over the scene in front of him: Jolie clinging on to me, and Dom looking like he was ready to kill me where Istood.
“Ohhhh shit, Itold you! Ifuckin’ told you he wanted to fuck her!” he laughed, letting go of the man so he could point at us. The man fell face first in the dirt before slowly trying to climb up to his knees. Casa slammed his boot into his back and stood on him like atrophy.
“Shut your mouth,” Dom snapped at him. “That’smy little sister you’re talking about.”
Casa went on laughing manically. “Ifuckin’ knew it, ya dirty old man.”
“Casa!” Shooter yelled. “This is bad enough as it is, brother. Can you reel it in?”
“Itold you though. Didn’tIfuckin’ tell you all!” He laughed louder.
“You’re not adirty old man,” Jolie insisted, but Iwasn’tso sure Iagreed with her on that.
“Let’sget you back home,” Isaid, not knowing how to respond. Itook off down the long, sweeping driveway and toward the road beyond.
Iwasn’tsure what she was going to say, what other thing she needed to tell me, but Ialready knew that whatever it was, Iwouldn'tlike it. So far she’dtold me that I’dtaken her virginity and I’dgiven her first orgasm. What else could there be to say?
Iwasn’tsure what this thing was between us, but Iknew how it made me feel. When Jolie was around, Ifelt challenged. Ifelt important. Ifelt like aprotector, like Iwas someone'ssafety net. It felt good to be needed, to be wanted. We’dhave an uphill battle, no doubt. We clashed and we fought, we had nothing in common, and Ihad no desire to settle down, never mind having one woman for the rest of my life. But Ialso knew that Iowed it to her, and to myself, to see where this thing went. To see if it meant anything at all.
Ihad four rules that Ilived by, and rule number two was to never settle down, but suddenly the thought of breaking that rule didn’tseem like the worst thing in the world.
