Page 6 of Code Violation

Her eyes grow wide, and I feel bad for never telling her that Kane had been to the apartment. She might not live there any longer, but she has a right to know who steps foot on the property. She owns it after all.

“Kane only visited a couple of times, and he never saw beyond the living space. We only ever talked when he was there and⁠—”

“I’m not bothered about him being inside the apartment,” Drew gently cuts me off. “I’m concerned about my friend and wondering what the hell happened last night for you to finally decide it’s over after all this time has passed.”

I shake my head, not wanting to revisit it or the way I cried all the way home in an Uber past midnight. “The details don’t matter. But I promise you I’ve woken up, and I’m sorry for lying to you when I said that I was over him before. At one time, I really did love him. Now … now I think I actually hate his guts.”

Drew looks almost proud, sitting up straight on her stool.

“You blocked his number?”

“Forever.”

She smiles, and I go to continue my shift, relieved that I’m not carrying the last twelve months alone anymore.

“Wait up.” Drew stops me before I can slip my hand from hers. “Don’t think you’re getting out of the final wish that easily.” She leans forward, smirking. “Think of me as the genie in this scenario. If you could place an order for the perfect guy to sweep you off your feet, what would he look like?”

I fall silent. This whole conversation just took a wholly inappropriate turn.

Drew looks almost devilish. There’s nothing innocent about the woman sitting in front of me, and there’s definitely a darker side to the good-girl persona she likes to portray.

“Would he be, say, six-five with light-brown hair and blue eyes and wear the number two on his jersey?”

I know I’m blushing. My inability to hide the physical attraction I feel toward Silas Stanton hasn’t gone unnoticed by my friend since the day she first uttered the Rogues captain’s name to me.

“No,” I answer firmly. “He wouldn’t be my ideal man because he is, in fact, my ex-boyfriend’s brother and the biggest pain in my ass since I once accidentally sat down on my phone charger.”

She snorts a laugh. “He’s only a pain because he cares about you and could probably see the shit way Kane treated you when you were together.”

True.

“He isn’t my ideal man,” I repeat.

“Hmm …” Drew sits back in her stool, studying me. “He likes you—you know that, right?”

I flush harder this time.

“Silas is a complex man, and he hates his brother. I think you’re confusing his misplaced sense of duty to keep me safe from Kane with a crush.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t think I am. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and the way you look at him too.”

I clear my throat, standing up straight and grabbing the towel. Not a chance in hell would I ever go there with Kane’s brother. I’ve made my quota of mistakes with that family to last me a lifetime.

“At least six feet tall, dark hair, brown eyes, and with a job in IT.”

“That’s your final wish?” Drew inquires, crossing her arms over her chest. “The exact opposite of Silas?”

I nod once. “Yes, it is.”

Drew closes her eyes like she’s working on granting me the wish.

She snaps them open, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. “Sorry, Ves, but no can do. Apparently, wishes don’t come true when you say them out loud.”

2

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Silas