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“You too,” I say, smiling back.

A comfortable silence passes before curiosity gets the better of me.

“Jim,” I say, “do you know anything about a bar fight that supposedly happened here?”

Jim’s eyes flick quickly to Levi.

Levi’s expression doesn’t change.

“Urban legend,” Levi says smoothly.

Jim nods once. “Just an old story.”

“Right,” I say.

Neither of them sound remotely convincing. I glance again at the damaged snooker table.

Then Jim claps Levi on the shoulder. “Well, since you lost, you owe me a drink. I’ll take a whiskey. Neat.”

“Yeah, yeah. Coming right up.”

They head to the bar together, and I sit there watching them.

I’m starting to think there’s more to Levi than I thought. Under all that sarcasm and gruffness, he’s surprisingly kind. He’s patient with Theo, patient with me, and gentle in his own quiet way—even with Jim, letting the old man have the win without making a show of it.

I’m not sure what to do with it.

20

LEVI

Ray: Update?

Istare at the message for a long time before tossing the phone onto the kitchen counter.

“Fuck.”

It’s Saturday afternoon. The kitchen is quiet except for the steady scrape of steel against whetstone. Sharpening knives has always settled me. Gives my hands something to do when my head won’t shut up.

But nothing is helping today.

Theo’s over at Carmen’s again. I should be there—playing the helpful neighbor, the reliable brother, the community-minded whatever-the-fuck. I should be doing what I came here to do.

Instead, I’m sitting here trying to get my head straight.

Taking her to the club today was a mistake. The way the guys looked at her, then at me, like I had something worth showing off. The way she smiled when Jim shook her hand. The way she handled my car—god, that was sexy.

I drag a hand down my face.

I need to finish this job and get out of here. I’m losing my goddamn mind. But I’m not getting pushy. It’s one thing for her to willingly climb on my cock and ruin her life. It’s another for me to pressure her into it. Don’t get me wrong—both options are fucked, but I can’t do the second. I won’t.

Still, I need to stop being so weak. That’s why this is taking so long. I keep giving her space. Letting her think. Letting her smile at me and fuck with my head.

I grab my phone and type before I can talk myself out of it.

Levi: Tonight.

Then I stand up and head next door before I can take it back.