to have. When it was all over, when it was all done with, then he could tell everything.
The drive to Ricky's was short. Damon waited outside, leaning against the car door, as Tricia vanished inside. He wondered if she would have second thoughts. He half hoped she would. He had spent the past hour tuning out the better, bigger part of him. But now it was starting to seep in. When the door opened and she reappeared, he felt his heart slowing to a crawl as his stomach sank down, pre-emptive regret flooding his senses.
Why am I dragging her into this, he thought, watching her haul a duffel bag into the trunk. What the hell am I doing? She doesn’t need to get involved in this shit after everything she’s been through…
But then she smiled at him, slamming the trunk closed, and he knew why he was dragging her into it.
Because he was selfish, and he wanted her near him.
He wasn’t being his best self, and he wasn’t sure how it would all end if he was alone.
Then bring Kennick, or Cristov, or Mina, or someone who wasn’t just thrown into one of the worst shit shows a human can endure, he thought.
But for all the strength and steadiness he drew from his family, Tricia offered him something different. Something more.
Damon had always been the sort who could read a person quickly. And he’d only met Tricia once before he knew she was one of those women. The sort who could silence his demons with one glance, who could draw the best out of him like water being drawn from a well. Around her, he felt like putting his life on the line to protect her. Hell, he had put his life on the line to protect her.
And when you found a woman like that, you didn’t let her go easily.
The night they’d met, she’d been about as broken down as a woman could be, and she was about to suffer even more. But through all the pain and confusion in her eyes, he’d seen her truer self, and he’d made up his mind to try and know it intimately.
How could you get any more intimate than a road trip?
And she’d said yes.
She was either as crazy as she’d claimed he was, willing to go off with a near-stranger (albeit, one who’d killed a man for her) for an indefinite amount of time, or she felt the same thing he did, and was wise enough to take a chance on it.
But you shouldn’t even be thinking about a woman, that voice spoke up again. Are you forgetting what this is all about? Are you forgetting about the man in Miami? Are you forgetting about everything that brought you to this – everything you need to put to rest? This is no time to let your heart loose. This is not the season where a young man’s fancy should turn to thoughts of love.
But it was too late now. She was there, at the passenger side, watching him watch her. He realized an inappropriate amount of time had passed since they’d been standing there.
“Having second thoughts?” she asked, eyebrows raised, half a smile on her face. “I promise, I’m a really good DJ. No girly songs.”
Yes, I’m having second thoughts, I’m sorry, you need to stay here, get your shit out of the trunk and I’ll drive you back to Ricky’s apartment, he thought.
“No,” he said, unlocking the car doors with a beep. “Let’s make some miles. Did you tell Ricky where we were going, in your note?”
“Oh,” Tricia said, backing away from the door. “No, I’m so stupid, I forgot. I’ll just…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Damon said, relieved. “She’ll figure it out. Let’s go.”
8
J enner’s stomach coiled , on instinct, as the door shook. Heavy fists banging from the other side. One hell of an alarm clock.
“Wakey wakey fuckface,” the voice came, sardonic and cruel. “Time to lick the bowls clean.”
Jenner groaned, his immediate fear replaced by a sense of drudgery. How many months had it been now, since he’d become the Steel Dragons’ bitch? He didn’t care to even try to remember. For all he knew, it would go on like this for the rest of his
The drive to Ricky's was short. Damon waited outside, leaning against the car door, as Tricia vanished inside. He wondered if she would have second thoughts. He half hoped she would. He had spent the past hour tuning out the better, bigger part of him. But now it was starting to seep in. When the door opened and she reappeared, he felt his heart slowing to a crawl as his stomach sank down, pre-emptive regret flooding his senses.
Why am I dragging her into this, he thought, watching her haul a duffel bag into the trunk. What the hell am I doing? She doesn’t need to get involved in this shit after everything she’s been through…
But then she smiled at him, slamming the trunk closed, and he knew why he was dragging her into it.
Because he was selfish, and he wanted her near him.
He wasn’t being his best self, and he wasn’t sure how it would all end if he was alone.
Then bring Kennick, or Cristov, or Mina, or someone who wasn’t just thrown into one of the worst shit shows a human can endure, he thought.
But for all the strength and steadiness he drew from his family, Tricia offered him something different. Something more.
Damon had always been the sort who could read a person quickly. And he’d only met Tricia once before he knew she was one of those women. The sort who could silence his demons with one glance, who could draw the best out of him like water being drawn from a well. Around her, he felt like putting his life on the line to protect her. Hell, he had put his life on the line to protect her.
And when you found a woman like that, you didn’t let her go easily.
The night they’d met, she’d been about as broken down as a woman could be, and she was about to suffer even more. But through all the pain and confusion in her eyes, he’d seen her truer self, and he’d made up his mind to try and know it intimately.
How could you get any more intimate than a road trip?
And she’d said yes.
She was either as crazy as she’d claimed he was, willing to go off with a near-stranger (albeit, one who’d killed a man for her) for an indefinite amount of time, or she felt the same thing he did, and was wise enough to take a chance on it.
But you shouldn’t even be thinking about a woman, that voice spoke up again. Are you forgetting what this is all about? Are you forgetting about the man in Miami? Are you forgetting about everything that brought you to this – everything you need to put to rest? This is no time to let your heart loose. This is not the season where a young man’s fancy should turn to thoughts of love.
But it was too late now. She was there, at the passenger side, watching him watch her. He realized an inappropriate amount of time had passed since they’d been standing there.
“Having second thoughts?” she asked, eyebrows raised, half a smile on her face. “I promise, I’m a really good DJ. No girly songs.”
Yes, I’m having second thoughts, I’m sorry, you need to stay here, get your shit out of the trunk and I’ll drive you back to Ricky’s apartment, he thought.
“No,” he said, unlocking the car doors with a beep. “Let’s make some miles. Did you tell Ricky where we were going, in your note?”
“Oh,” Tricia said, backing away from the door. “No, I’m so stupid, I forgot. I’ll just…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Damon said, relieved. “She’ll figure it out. Let’s go.”
8
J enner’s stomach coiled , on instinct, as the door shook. Heavy fists banging from the other side. One hell of an alarm clock.
“Wakey wakey fuckface,” the voice came, sardonic and cruel. “Time to lick the bowls clean.”
Jenner groaned, his immediate fear replaced by a sense of drudgery. How many months had it been now, since he’d become the Steel Dragons’ bitch? He didn’t care to even try to remember. For all he knew, it would go on like this for the rest of his
Similar Books
