overdrive.
She pulled away and stood up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She began picking up her clothes. “I thought you raced cars. I didn’t know you were a thief.”
“I’m fucking helping people,” I shouted, defensively.
She stepped back into her dress. “And you really think that’s the best way?”
“What?” I sprang to my feet, exasperated.
She shook her head. “You think you’re such a hot shot, huh? Rich daddy won’t give you any money, so you run around pulling off heists.” Her eyes narrowed. “There’s a reason I stayed away from guys like you all my life. Any way you try to rationalize it, you’re a damn crook.”
“Winter, it’s not like that, I—”
Her hand went up. “Save it. I’ve heard enough.” She paused at the door, looking right into my eyes. “The worst part it, I wouldn’t have minded if this was just a fling. But you had me thinking about giving up my whole life and staying here… God damn it, Rev. You broke my heart.”
And then the door slammed and she was gone.
Chapter Thirteen
Winter
Thoughts of my father flashed through my mind as I stormed off. Maybe my mother was wrong about a lot of things. But she had first hand experience having her heart torn to shreds by a bad man. She endured the devastating and inevitable end of a relationship with a man who kept going down the wrong road. She had Dylan. I had Rev.
It was inevitable. If someone was so indifferent about breaking the law, they wouldn’t think much of breaking your heart. Everything and anything could be rationalized.
I brushed a tear off the side of my face as the elevator closed.
No. Not this time. Not again.
I wasn’t going to break down crying twice in a week. I wasn’t going to be the naïve little girl left in anguish by one man and then another. I’d pull myself together.
I stepped out of the elevator with my head held high and strolled into the lobby.
So what? It was just one more confirmation that this wouldn’t work out. I’d known that all along. This wasn’t a sudden realization. It was an obvious reality. All I’d done is forget myself in the moment. That’s all.
I plunked down at the hotel bar and ordered a glass of wine. Then I changed my mind.
“Actually, make it a whisky. A double.”
I slumped against the counter propped on my elbows, my head resting between my palms. I must have looked pathetic. I was in such a sorry state that no one bothered me. Not one drunk guy out of the dozens trolling the bar at 2 am.
“Hey, you’re the girl seeing my brother.”
I turned around. One tattooed arm carried a glass of dark brown liquid and the other held, of all things, a tattered book. I recognized his warm blue-green eyes.
“Ink…Sorry, it was Julian, right?”
He slid his glass onto the counter and took a seat. “I’m assuming you’re here with my brother.”
I hesitated. “Oh. Yes, I was. Kind of a coincidence.”
“I’m here for Mayhem’s fight. Rev too.”
“Oh, right.” I thanked the bartender as he handed me my double shot. “What’re you doing down here so late?”
Ink tilted his head to the side, pausing for a long moment as if in a world of his own. “I don’t sleep too well.”
“Yeah, well tonight me neither.” I tossed back the whisky. It burned all the way down.
“You know, I can tell he really likes you. He’s never kept seeing a girl like this, one weekend after another.”
“Well, I guess everything can go back to normal now.” The last of the whisky hit the back of my throat and comforting warmth washed over me. “I’m thinking of heading back to New York tomorrow.”
“What happened?”
I hesitated. “Do you know anything about Rev’s extracurricular activities?”
Ink raised his eyebrow. “I’m surprised he told you.”
“He basically started bragging about it.”
“Ah,” Ink acknowledged. The corners of his mouth rose slightly. “Well, that does sound like him.”
“And you’re okay with all of
She pulled away and stood up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She began picking up her clothes. “I thought you raced cars. I didn’t know you were a thief.”
“I’m fucking helping people,” I shouted, defensively.
She stepped back into her dress. “And you really think that’s the best way?”
“What?” I sprang to my feet, exasperated.
She shook her head. “You think you’re such a hot shot, huh? Rich daddy won’t give you any money, so you run around pulling off heists.” Her eyes narrowed. “There’s a reason I stayed away from guys like you all my life. Any way you try to rationalize it, you’re a damn crook.”
“Winter, it’s not like that, I—”
Her hand went up. “Save it. I’ve heard enough.” She paused at the door, looking right into my eyes. “The worst part it, I wouldn’t have minded if this was just a fling. But you had me thinking about giving up my whole life and staying here… God damn it, Rev. You broke my heart.”
And then the door slammed and she was gone.
Chapter Thirteen
Winter
Thoughts of my father flashed through my mind as I stormed off. Maybe my mother was wrong about a lot of things. But she had first hand experience having her heart torn to shreds by a bad man. She endured the devastating and inevitable end of a relationship with a man who kept going down the wrong road. She had Dylan. I had Rev.
It was inevitable. If someone was so indifferent about breaking the law, they wouldn’t think much of breaking your heart. Everything and anything could be rationalized.
I brushed a tear off the side of my face as the elevator closed.
No. Not this time. Not again.
I wasn’t going to break down crying twice in a week. I wasn’t going to be the naïve little girl left in anguish by one man and then another. I’d pull myself together.
I stepped out of the elevator with my head held high and strolled into the lobby.
So what? It was just one more confirmation that this wouldn’t work out. I’d known that all along. This wasn’t a sudden realization. It was an obvious reality. All I’d done is forget myself in the moment. That’s all.
I plunked down at the hotel bar and ordered a glass of wine. Then I changed my mind.
“Actually, make it a whisky. A double.”
I slumped against the counter propped on my elbows, my head resting between my palms. I must have looked pathetic. I was in such a sorry state that no one bothered me. Not one drunk guy out of the dozens trolling the bar at 2 am.
“Hey, you’re the girl seeing my brother.”
I turned around. One tattooed arm carried a glass of dark brown liquid and the other held, of all things, a tattered book. I recognized his warm blue-green eyes.
“Ink…Sorry, it was Julian, right?”
He slid his glass onto the counter and took a seat. “I’m assuming you’re here with my brother.”
I hesitated. “Oh. Yes, I was. Kind of a coincidence.”
“I’m here for Mayhem’s fight. Rev too.”
“Oh, right.” I thanked the bartender as he handed me my double shot. “What’re you doing down here so late?”
Ink tilted his head to the side, pausing for a long moment as if in a world of his own. “I don’t sleep too well.”
“Yeah, well tonight me neither.” I tossed back the whisky. It burned all the way down.
“You know, I can tell he really likes you. He’s never kept seeing a girl like this, one weekend after another.”
“Well, I guess everything can go back to normal now.” The last of the whisky hit the back of my throat and comforting warmth washed over me. “I’m thinking of heading back to New York tomorrow.”
“What happened?”
I hesitated. “Do you know anything about Rev’s extracurricular activities?”
Ink raised his eyebrow. “I’m surprised he told you.”
“He basically started bragging about it.”
“Ah,” Ink acknowledged. The corners of his mouth rose slightly. “Well, that does sound like him.”
“And you’re okay with all of
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