the first bitch who looked down her nose at him or me. So don’t expect me to kiss your ass because you don’t like my attitude or the way I live my life. It pisses me the fuck off to see you disapproving of the way my best friend spends his free time. He’s walked through fire to be what he is today and doesn’t owe you shit.”
He started to walk away. Kate lunged after him and hooked his arm. He jumped and turned around to snarl at her.
“You’ve had your say, now it’s my turn,” she informed him.
“Is that right?”
“It is,” Kate snapped. “For the record, I didn’t say Syon wasn’t good enough for me.”
Ramsey snorted.
“What I question is how healthy this environment is for a relationship.” She pointed in the direction of the hallway. “Do you even remember the names of the girls passed out in your bed or wherever you left them?”
Ramsey shook his head without a shred of remorse. “Most of them don’t want me to. They want a buzz and a mind-blowing experience, and they sure as shit don’t want it to follow them back to their nice, respectable lives. You know what I’ve got down the hall? One’s a school teacher. She’s getting married next summer.”
“She told you that?” Kate asked incredulously.
“No.” Ramsey reached for his jacket and pulled three cell phones out of the inside pocket. “I found that little tidbit right…here.” He dangled a smartphone from his fingers. “I was trained to disarm complex programs. These little civilian devices are a piece of cake for me.”
“You hacked their phones? What’s wrong with you?” She paused as his words sank in. “You should tell her fiancé.”
Ramsey only shrugged and slid the phone back into the jacket pocket. “It’s not my shit-pile life. She might even make a good wife, now that she can enjoy her memory of fucking a rock star when hubby can’t go down on her worth crap.”
“That is so messed up, Ramsey. She’s got no right to use you like that.”
“I used her too.”
He was trying to blow it off, but Kate wasn’t buying it. She could see the pain in his eyes. He changed the subject.
“Syon hasn’t touched another woman since he saw you.”
She failed to hide just how much she appreciated hearing that. A little bubble of happiness just rose in her chest and sat there, glowing. Even the knowledge that the time frame under discussion was a whole two days didn’t dampen her joy. Ramsey bit something back after reading her emotions off her face.
“Just…understand this. We spent years playing together before our parents decided to ship us off to the military so we would grow up and lose our adolescent dreams of playing in a band. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us, but this is what we are.” He opened his arms wide. “It’s the fire that’s been in our bellies since we were eight years old. I’m sick of seeing Syon torn between what he loves and his damned desire to please the rest of the world.”
“You’re sick of being judged,” she said as understanding dawned. It was a painfully clear sunrise too. Success didn’t promise happiness, even on the level Toxsin was experiencing it.
Ramsey’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t about me.”
“Yes it is.”
He shook his head, but Kate reached up and cupped his cheek to stop him.
“It’s about you because of the connection you share with Syon.”
Ramsey lifted his chin to sever the contact. “He’s the only family I have, since my blood thinks I’m infecting the youth of America with Satan’s plots…or some shit like that.”
He turned and started stalking toward the door.
“I’ve worked my ass off for what I have too, Ramsey.”
He froze. She watched him fight the urge to turn around and fail. He faced her with a grudging expression.
“Professionalism is the foundation of my business.” She spoke quietly. “Jumping my clients doesn’t fit that image. My reputation is all I have. If you guys trash my
He started to walk away. Kate lunged after him and hooked his arm. He jumped and turned around to snarl at her.
“You’ve had your say, now it’s my turn,” she informed him.
“Is that right?”
“It is,” Kate snapped. “For the record, I didn’t say Syon wasn’t good enough for me.”
Ramsey snorted.
“What I question is how healthy this environment is for a relationship.” She pointed in the direction of the hallway. “Do you even remember the names of the girls passed out in your bed or wherever you left them?”
Ramsey shook his head without a shred of remorse. “Most of them don’t want me to. They want a buzz and a mind-blowing experience, and they sure as shit don’t want it to follow them back to their nice, respectable lives. You know what I’ve got down the hall? One’s a school teacher. She’s getting married next summer.”
“She told you that?” Kate asked incredulously.
“No.” Ramsey reached for his jacket and pulled three cell phones out of the inside pocket. “I found that little tidbit right…here.” He dangled a smartphone from his fingers. “I was trained to disarm complex programs. These little civilian devices are a piece of cake for me.”
“You hacked their phones? What’s wrong with you?” She paused as his words sank in. “You should tell her fiancé.”
Ramsey only shrugged and slid the phone back into the jacket pocket. “It’s not my shit-pile life. She might even make a good wife, now that she can enjoy her memory of fucking a rock star when hubby can’t go down on her worth crap.”
“That is so messed up, Ramsey. She’s got no right to use you like that.”
“I used her too.”
He was trying to blow it off, but Kate wasn’t buying it. She could see the pain in his eyes. He changed the subject.
“Syon hasn’t touched another woman since he saw you.”
She failed to hide just how much she appreciated hearing that. A little bubble of happiness just rose in her chest and sat there, glowing. Even the knowledge that the time frame under discussion was a whole two days didn’t dampen her joy. Ramsey bit something back after reading her emotions off her face.
“Just…understand this. We spent years playing together before our parents decided to ship us off to the military so we would grow up and lose our adolescent dreams of playing in a band. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us, but this is what we are.” He opened his arms wide. “It’s the fire that’s been in our bellies since we were eight years old. I’m sick of seeing Syon torn between what he loves and his damned desire to please the rest of the world.”
“You’re sick of being judged,” she said as understanding dawned. It was a painfully clear sunrise too. Success didn’t promise happiness, even on the level Toxsin was experiencing it.
Ramsey’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t about me.”
“Yes it is.”
He shook his head, but Kate reached up and cupped his cheek to stop him.
“It’s about you because of the connection you share with Syon.”
Ramsey lifted his chin to sever the contact. “He’s the only family I have, since my blood thinks I’m infecting the youth of America with Satan’s plots…or some shit like that.”
He turned and started stalking toward the door.
“I’ve worked my ass off for what I have too, Ramsey.”
He froze. She watched him fight the urge to turn around and fail. He faced her with a grudging expression.
“Professionalism is the foundation of my business.” She spoke quietly. “Jumping my clients doesn’t fit that image. My reputation is all I have. If you guys trash my
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