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Digger sighs, spreading his arms wide, his palms resting on the table. He lifts one and looks at it with a curled upper lip. "You'd think wet rags cost a pretty penny with how little the fucker uses them around here."
"No respect from the patrons either." I eye the two frat boys left at the bar.
"I'm not walkin’ out of here until we agree what's happening with Rae, Tyke." Dig presses his hands together, focusing on his fingertips as he pushes them tight one by one until the ends all turn white from the pressure. "Who gets her?"
"Whoever she picks."
He huffs a laugh. "You goin' to pit us up against each other like that?" His eyes meet mine, full of mirth. "You sure that's a good idea? To have two bickering brothers at the head of the table?"
He has a point. "What do you propose then?" Because he won't back down, and neither will I.
"We put it to her." He slams both palms on the table, tapping twice. "Explain she has to pick, but we're not allowed to influence that decision unfairly."
"No presents for her. No special treatment."
He nods. "And if she wants to leave, we let her go."
I sigh, closing my eyes briefly.What the fuck are we doing?"You realize our dicks may fuck up the best chance we ever had at besting Terry?"
"You want to cut yours off, go for it," he teases. "But I know it wouldn't change how I feel.”
"And how do you feel?" My back stiffens, chest rising while I wait for him to relay exactly howIfeel about the woman. Possession surges beneath my flesh in a fiery wash.I want her more.It's been a fucking age since somebody turned my head like Rae has. Since a woman got under my skin, in my thoughts, and behind my ribcage to swirl around my heart.
"She makes me feel at ease," Digger confesses. "I feel as though she doesn't judge me. That she genuinely wants to hear what I have to say."
"And what if we're two fools playin’ into her hands?" I share my biggest fear surrounding Maddie's friend. "What if she's already in control, usin’ us for her own gain?"
He smirks. "Then I guess we look back on the mistake and say we enjoyed the ride anyway."
"We're fucking idiots."
"Ain't any man in love?"
32
RAE
"The old mansaid you needed help with something."
I look up from where I've reclined in the corner of a sofa, a biography about one-percenter life in the eighties that I found in the wardrobe upstairs in my hands. I left the office after Tyke did, searching out Maddie, only to find her in her room midway through a game with Harvey. After ten minutes of watching them banter and battle, the colors on the screen started to merge as I disassociated.
Away to a dangerous place that I’m not sure I have the energy to battle right now.
So, I arranged my clothes in the wardrobe. Lined my two pairs of shoes up perfectly center. And boxed up the loose ends leftover from previous occupants of the room. One of which is the book that I’m strangely engrossed in.
It was either that or start re-arranging the furniture.
Tyke's oldest son stares down at me, his dark eyes piercing as they rove the length of me, waiting for my reply.
“When do you want to do it?”
"I don't even know what'it'is, sugar." His nose crinkles, black hair haphazardly covering one eye where it's slipped freeof the choppy style that he wears it in. "This a quick fix, or some shit I need to prepare for?” His lips roll as he regards me with nothing short of disgust.
I slip my legs off the seat, slowly straightening under his scrutiny. "Your dad had me organizing files on his computer, and he said you could help me understand what some of them are."
All I get in response is one raised eyebrow. "His computer?"
"Laptop. Yeah." I set the book aside.
