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He chuckles, the laugh so caustic, I flinch. “Are you fucking kidding me, Bane? I'm not some punk kid anymore, yeah? You and me—we're equals. In so many more ways than you even realize. And I'm not going to be cockblocked by anyone, least of all you. And whether you like it or not, she”—he jabs a finger toward the house—”chose both of us. So let me in her fucking house.”
I shrug, projecting the very essence of unaffected. “Maybe next time you'll think twice about fucking my girl in my house.”
This time when he laughs, it's more genuine, even if it's dipped in notes of hysteria. “Oh my god, man. That's what this is about? You're fucking jealous so you're going to pull this shit?”
I don't say anything, because yeah, I know it's childish, and I also don't fucking care. I told him I'd pay him back one day, and it's on him if he took it as I'd fuck around with her in his house.
Which I'mdefinitelygoing to do.
But I'm also doing this too.
“Consider it payback.”
“She's gonna be pissed tomorrow when she realizes that you refused to let me come in,” he says, his eyes lighting up a little too much with his revelation.
“Nah, she won't even know you were here.”
“The fuck she won't. I'm not about to lie to cover your ass.”
I take a step forward, letting my arms fall to my sides. He doesn't move, and I didn't expect him to. “Then tell her the truth, Nova. Tell her you fucked up and tried to take something that didn't belong to you.”
His face hardens and he squares his shoulders. On any other guy, I'd be readying for a fight. But I know Nova, and I know when he's gearing up to throw down, and this isn't it. He's fucking pissed, but he's not about to throw punches. Not yet at least.
“You don't get it, do you? You're not going to win her over. She's not going to wake up tomorrow and suddenly forget she has feelings—real feelings for me. All you're gonna do is push her away if you make her feel like shit for wanting both of us—”
“All of us,” I interrupt.
He narrows his eyes on me before reluctantly nodding. “Yeah, sure, all of us.”
I exhale, hating him a little bit in this moment. He's not wrong, and I'm fucking annoyed about that. “And I'm not going to make her choose. But we need fucking boundaries, bro. And tonight, I'm in her house and in her bed, so you can fuck off.”
He nods, rolling his bottom lip inward for a moment. “The detective gonna be a problem?”
My lips twitch because, yeah, I already started looking into the detective and the mom. She doesn't deserve the possessive pronoun of being Evangeline's.
“Not sure yet. Seems like he's some cop-for-hire, which makes him difficult to disappear.”
“Difficult but not impossible,” Nova says, a glimmer of something dangerous lurking in his gaze. “And the mom? Because if she puts her hands on our girl like that again, we're gonna have problems.”
“Don't worry so much, cousin.” I grin at him, pretending not to notice the grimace that flashes across his face. “I made that quite clear earlier today.”
Nova dips his head in agreement. “Good.” He walks backward down the step, holding my gaze the whole time. “Don't forget, man. She'll be staying at my house all weekend. So I'm gonna apply the same rules, yeah?”
My jaw hardens as I stare at him, annoyed that he's turning my own game against me. “We won't even be there, asshole.”
He lifts his shoulders as a smile spreads across his face. “We'll see about that.”
I'm already shaking my head. “You can't bail or we'll lose our alliance with the Knights.”
He throws his leg over his bike. “Who said I'm bailing? I'd never do that to you guys.”
His engine roars to life, and he leaves me on her porch, wondering what the hell he's planning now.
31
SILAS
Another beadof sweat rolls down my back, the sun a relentless beast in the sky. I take another drink from my water bottle, setting it on the seat of my bike, looking across the horizon. Sandy dirt hills stretch as far as the eye can see on either side; sparse green shrubbery scattered randomly.
