“Master bedroom’s big and there’s a brand new roof deck. Two zones on the AC, which is a big plus, and a little garage with enough room for a single car. An absolute luxury, if you ask me. Price isn’t bad either.”
“Riles!”
She spins around, frowning like I’m the one being absurd. “What?!”
“Why are you showing me a house?”
“Because right now you live in the most horrific bachelor pad I’ve ever seen. Your current place looks like Ikea and American Psycho had a baby. You can’t bring your wife back there.”
“My apartment isfine.”
“Maybe for the two of you, but for kids?” She wags a finger in the air and gestures for me to follow. “Come on, let’s look at the nursery.”
“There aren’t any kids!” But she’s already gone. I lean against the refrigerator, a high-end model, and close my eyes. A headache threatens the back of my eyes. I wonder if this is how Tallie felt a few days ago at the party when she smacked her skull on the doorframe.
How the hell am I here right now? An airy, three bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom house? With space to build a family?What the hell is a half bathroom anyway?!
This isn’t me. None of this makes sense. I rub my temple, trying to work out the stress. Screams echo through my mind. The smell of smoke and pain, so much fucking pain. I shake my head to dispel the memories, but they’re always lurking. My failures.
I wasn’t supposed to take that job in Vegas. I was warned against it, but I went ahead anyway. Unsanctioned, they called it, and therefore on me if shit went south.
Which it absolutely did.
Deep fucking south.
I drag myself up the steps after Riley. Listening to her play realtor is better than stewing on my past and replaying events I can’t change. She shows me the bathroom, the bedrooms, even pretends like she’s holding a crying baby. I do my best not to blow my brains out.
“I already sent an offer to the seller,” she says casually when we’re finished and she’s locking up. “It’s ten percent under asking and I think you’ll get it. The market’s not as hot anymore?—“
“Wait, hold on. You can’t buy a house in my name without talking to me first.”
“—and we know plenty of people at Baltimore First National so you’ll definitely get a loan with a very good rate. Unless you want to use cash? I’m pretty sure you can do cash if you want?”
“Riley!”
She turns on me, her playful smile gone, hands on her hips. I swear, the girl’s younger than me, but she’s turning into a massive pain in my ass in ways I never envisioned. I remember when she was little, begging me to teach her thieving skills, and how she took to them like a fish in water. She had grit and potential, this wild sister of mine.
But look at her now. Tamed by love and marriage.
Is that going to happen to me too?
Only if I let it. Only if I open myself enough for that to open.
Which I won’t.
And besides?—
I’m not sticking around forever to find out.
“Talin Sarkissian is a nice girl, Brenden. She grew up in the Sarkissian family house, and do you know what that looks like?”
“I assume not the mansion.” I don’t bother mentioning that I’m intimately familiar with her home life.
“Close enough.” Riley juts a finger in my face. “You will get your shit together. No more wallowing. What happened in Vegas wasn’t your fault. Those people?—“
“Died, Riley.” I say it softly and push her finger down. “The job blew up. Then Los Sambras came after me.”
“And you’d be in the ground if not for my husband.”
