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I thought Anna was the same way, but I knew she was different the second I saw her get upset over the destruction of Zeni’s picture in her apartment. Anna and Dani are nothing alike, and I honestly don’t know what to do about that.
I step to the side, so my ex can see that her best friend is here as well, and only at the sight of Anna stepping out from around me does Dani’s demeanor change. She isn’t exactly happy to see her friend, but the irritation only lasts for a second. It’s so brief I don’t know if Anna caught it or not.
“Is this some sort of family reunion?” Dani asks as she looks at her oldest friend.
“We were worried about you,” Anna says through clenched teeth. “Imagine our surprise to find you here.”
Dani doesn’t acknowledge the sweep of Anna’s hand as she indicates the sunny beach and muscled hunk rubbing on her. She simply takes another sip of her cocktail before setting it aside on the table near her lounger.
“Imagine my surprise to see my two favorite people standing here,” Dani says, her eyes darting between Anna and me.
Yep, she’s definitely drunk. Dani wouldn’t spit on me if I were on fire, much less be caught dead calling me one of her favorite people.
“You just disappeared. I was worried about you.” Anna looks over her shoulder at me, and her emotions are hard to read. “I thought you were hurt, and I reached out to Deacon for help.”
“Help?” Dani scoffs, but it’s Anna’s reaction to the dismissal that makes my muscles tense. Anna’s arms cross over her chest and her hip kicks out a few inches.
With a wave of Dani’s hand, the guy with the lotion stands, leaning in close to run his nose up the column of Dani’s neck.
“You know where to find me,” he whispers loud enough before walking away. His eyes skate over every guy in my crew like he’s sizing them up and placing bets on whether Dani will come to him or end up with one of my men.
I ignore him completely, but when Flynn mutters wanker under his breath, it’s hard to fight the grin.
“I’m fine,” Dani says, her eyes darting suspiciously between her friend and me. “Is that all you came for?”
“Wow,” Finnegan mutters from behind me, and it’s then I realize I’ve had enough. I can’t stand here a second longer without bitching my ex out, and I’m not that guy. I gave up on trying to reason with Dani years ago, and it’s no longer my place to make her see the error in her ways. She was never good at doing anything other than pleasing herself as it was.
Without another word, I turn and walk away. Flynn trails closer behind as the other guys give the women some space without going too far.
“That one’s a piece of work,” my old friend says as we cross back inside the hotel.
The cool air should bring some relief from the blazing sun, but I feel like I’m on fire from the inside out. This problem could’ve been solved from a simple damn phone call. There was no real reason to load everyone on a damn plane and fly over here to confront Dani. It’s not like she’d change a damn thing. She isn’t remorseful for hauling ass out of St. Louis, and I don’t know why I thought things would be different.
I used a favor with the Cerberus MC to make sure she’d be safe. I kept her best friend close to my side for weeks to make sure that the fallout from her bad decisions didn’t hurt someone she supposedly cared for, and it was all for nothing. Dani doesn’t worry about anyone but Dani, and I knew that from the jump. So why was I in such a hurry to help out?
“Fucking Anna,” I mutter to myself.
She’s the reason.
That damn phone call and the fear in her voice.
The way she reacted at her apartment.
The crying I heard from outside of the hotel room that first night.
The legitimate fear in her eyes when she saw that guy dead at my feet.
The sobs wracking her perfect body when she climbed in bed with me.
The way the sun sparkled in her honey-colored eyes when she woke up in my arms and I discovered I couldn’t resist her any longer.
The soft, silken glide into her body.
All of it was the reason I kept going.
And none of that had to do with Dani.
Not one single thing.
I’m not here for Dani.
I’m here because it was more time I got to spend with Anna.
I’ve spent weeks and tens of thousands of dollars for just a little more time with a woman I haven’t given a single thought to in the better part of a decade.
