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“I think you’re wrong.” I have to clear my throat when my voice breaks, and I stretch my neck from side to side to release the tension there. “It’s possible to love different people for different reasons, even if they’re imperfect.”

“Yes, but Noor doesn’t have anyone in her life to keep you in line the way that Rachelle does!” she screams, making me flinch when she raises her hammer.

Fuck, I have a feeling this is about way more then just our situation with Noor.

“Arran can do it,” Ci says, his fingers digging into the back of my shirt as he keeps himself grounded. “He kicked us out tonight to take Noor on a motorcycle ride. He doesn’t have a problem putting her first, even above himself. If someone has to be our North Star to make this okay for you, it can be him. He’s strong enough to handle it.”

Liliana’s chest heaves as she glares at us and I wait to see what she decides. Her phone rings and she ignores it as she takes a step toward us. I throw my hands out as I stand in front of my best friends, and the men I love. We’ve been through so much, and are still going through it as we navigate through our mistakes.

The phone call cuts off and begins again, pulling Liliana’s footsteps to a stop as she pulls it from her pocket and looks at the screen before answering it on speaker.

“Dime.”

“Come back to me, baby,” Ignacio growls. “Those shits aren’t worth it. Not there, and not today. It’s too fucking public.”

Liliana lets the hammer drop to the ground and she mumbles something as she blows past me and out the door. Everyone’s demons have a way of coming back to haunt them, and it appears that hers have done just that.

“Oh my god,” Draven breathes.

“How’s your sphincter doing?” I ask. Ci and I watch as he races for the bathroom, and I have to say that I don’t blame him, bubble guts, or not.

“That was like something out of that movie where the dad loses his mind and kills everyone at the hotel,” Ci mumbles.

“The Shining?” I ask, wearily gazing at the hammer on the ground. Should I take it with us? What if it’s involved in a murder? Fuck me. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

“Yeah.”

“It’s certainly the right season for it,” I grumble. “Fuck it, I’m leaving the fucking hammer. We’ll leave and go to the airport and chill there. At least no one will murder us there.”

“Knock on wood or something,” Ci says, disgusted as he falls onto the bed. “Why does everything involving the Dentons involve giving me another fucking nightmare?”

“Speaking of which, I wanted to book an appointment with Dr. Storm,” I sigh, texting him. “At this rate, we’re going to help him retire.”

“Nah, he has clients that are way more fucked up than us,” Ci says, staring up at the ceiling. “His underground hospital is more than enough evidence to warrant me saying this.”

“I’m going to be a bit,” Draven groans from the half shut door.

“Poor, Dray, and his bubble guts,” Ciaran chuckles.

Indeed. Hey, at least we didn’t die.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-THREE

NOOR

Sitting behind Arran on his motorcycle, I keep my arms wrapped tightly around his waist. I’m fully geared up with a leather jacket and a helmet, my purse is put away, and I have nothing to worry about as Arran drives the bike through the winding roads. The wind whips around us, but Arran is a furnace, keeping me warm, and the views are beautiful.

I feel the tension in my body slowly begin to evaporate, and I have to admit there’s nothing like the freedom of riding. I can see why he loves it. He’s taken me out on his bike before, and I love that he knew this is what I needed. I’m unreachable out here, there are no responsibilities, and I can leave the decisions I’ll inevitably need to make in a box marked For Later.

Arran finally pulls off the road and drives toward the beach, while I wait for the questions he probably has. A part of me doesn’t want to stop riding, because I’m dreading this part. In a way, an omission is a lie, and that’s what I’ve been doing.

The growling motor has been running against my clit over and over, slowly driving me wild over the course of our trip, and I squirm slightly, wincing.

“Don’t…move.” I bite my lip as I force myself to remain still, seeing that the world around me is deserted outside of the two of us. The moon is high in the sky, shining brightly, and I can see the ocean glittering ahead of me.

I wait for Arran to drop the kickstand and watch as he stands. He’s silent as he takes his helmet off, his blonde hair perfectly in place, despite the bike ride. We’ve been riding for a couple of hours, and my butt is a little sore, but I’ve loved every second of it.