My throat starts to ache, like I need to swallow a lump, but I hold my breath and look over at Remy. It actually hurts to see them. Remy’s short dark hair is messy, not the artfully styled mess either. It’s theI might not have brushed my hair in days, and I don’t give a fucklook,and it’s sexy as hell, the bastard. His blue eyes are narrowed on me like I’m a stranger. It makes my stomach clench.
My fingers twitch, and Remy tilts his head a millimeter to the side, proving he noticed. “I’m only in town for a few days,” I murmur, finally finding the courage to speak while facing down the firing squad.
“Doesn’t matter. You knew you’d have to deal with us when you chose to come back here.” Remy’s reply comes quickly, as if he was anticipating my argument.
“I’m here for work,” I counter, trying again. Why did I ever think I could come here and not get caught?
“I don’t give a fuck if you’re here because the rest of the world has frozen over.” Remy’s trying to sound unaffected, but his vocabulary would suggest otherwise.
“You really would have dipped out without letting us know you were here?” Felix is frowning and looking at my bags on the stairs behind me.
“Look, I don’t want to cause trouble. We all have lives now, so there’s no point in dredging up the past.”
“The past?” Gray speaks for the first time. “What fucking lives?” He swivels his head as if he’s looking for someone else. Remy tips up one brow that says,Now you’ve done it. “You see anyone with a life here? Because all I see is the person that stole mine!” Grayson booms.
“I knew it. I knew you would be trouble,” Mickey says from right next to the stairs, where she must have been eavesdropping. She takes two steps and shoos me with her hands as if I’m the one hollering. “Get your stuff, go on. I can’t have you here disrupting my night.” The front door flies open, and I feel a whoosh of air pushing me from behind me.
I grab the banister as my bags bump down the step and skids across the floor. “I paid for two nights,” I snarl at the old broad, refusing to give in so easily.
She nods once. “We’ll call it even for my troubles.” My left leg starts to lift into the air. I can’t believe she’s going to send me flying and all the guys are just standing here watching.
I hold the banister tighter. Damnit, I should have put my protection charms back on. “You ratted me out,” I growl with clenched teeth. “You knew exactly what was going to happen when you told them I’d be here.”
“Precisely, and you knew what would happen when you returned, little miss. Now get out!” Her shout puts more power behind the spell, and I lose my grip. I snap my eyes shut when my body goes flying toward the door. Landing is going to suck.
Instead of feeling the hard, wooden front porch or the stairs like I expected, I hit a cushion of air and bounce off right before dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes. “Oh shit.” Felix winces, but it’s Remy’s dark chuckle that hurts more than the touchdown.
“As graceful as ever.” Gray shoves his hands under my arms and hauls me upright like I weigh nothing, and then he steps back the moment I’m on my feet. I’m not going to lie, it stings a little that he wanted to get away from me so quickly. I scowl to hide my hurt and brush off my shirt and pants.
“Thanks for getting me kicked out.” I snag my overnight bag and laptop, which landed next to me. I’ll be lucky if it’s not broken.
“Let’s be honest, you did this to yourself.” Remy hoists my bag right off my shoulder and gives me a look, daring me to take it back.
“Me? What did I do?”
“You came back!” Grayson is yelling again, except this time, he’s only inches from my face. I want to recoil, but the honey color of his eyes pulls me in. I see my agony mirrored in the depths of his gaze, and my heart aches.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “Pop needed me.”
“What about what we need? Does that ever matter to you?” Felix asks softly. I look at him, but all I can see is his back as he walks away from me. Ouch, everything hurts, but the ache in my chest is way worse than my slightly bruised body.
Chapter 4
F CK
all I need is U.
“Stop being so damn stubborn, Frances, and get in the stupid car.” I drop my arms from over my chest and look over at Felix. He’s never called me Frances.
“Where are you taking me?”
Hands wrap around me from behind, and I try to fight, but it’s no use. “What about her car?”
Over my shoulder, I hear Remy say, “If I didn’t think Mickey would have it towed, I’d say leave it here.”
“Hey,” I snap, still struggling to get out of his death grip.
“Better yet, leave the keys. I’ll call the junkyard myself.” I feel Remy’s dark chuckle rumble against my back. I know I threatened the same thing earlier, but I wasn’t serious.
