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I really wish it'd stop doing that.
"Did you know the Vipers attacked one of our women a couple months ago?" Andreas asks suddenly.
I blink rapidly, caught off guard by his question. "You're lying."
"Ask your brother if you don't believe me," Andreas says, sympathy in his voice, as if he feels badly for being the one to shatter my illusions about Connor. I don't have many left when it comes to my brother, but that one….
"Connor wouldn't do that."
"The Vipers roughed her up in her flower shop." Andreas leans back against the wall behind him, oblivious to how dirty the alley is or how much it's going to cost to get the dirt and grime off his suit. "He's the VP. Whether he was there in person or not, you know as well as I do that he was involved in the decision to carry out the attack on her."
I lick my lips, not sure if he's telling me the truth or if he's trying to manipulate me for some reason. Surely it's the latter. Connor may be a lot of things, but he's not that far gone. Not yet. There's still good inside him. I know it. He wouldn't order an attack on an innocent woman, would he?
Uncertainty creeps through me.
"Why are you telling me this?" I demand.
Andreas hesitates for a moment, almost like he isn't sure why he's telling me this himself, and then he curses. "Because I know what it's like to live with someone who does whatever the fuck they want regardless of who it hurts," he says. "You need to leave, little one. If you don't, he's going to drag you down with him. He's in trouble. Big trouble. You don't want to be collateral damage."
"What are you talking about?" I demand, gaping at him. "What do you mean he's in trouble? What are you guys going to do to them?"
"Us?" He gives his head a short, frustrated shake. "I told you already. We aren't like the Vipers, little one. We aren't outlaws. My MC wants nothing to do with any of that bullshit. I'm only here to figure out what your brother and his friends are going to throw at us next. We're trying to protect our people, that's it."
"Then why do you think he's in trouble?"
Andreas sighs. "It's a long fucking story."
"Tell it fast."
"Here," he says instead, reaching into his pocket. I jump back a step, ready to make a run for it, only to blush when he pulls out a small square of paper and passes it to me. He notices my reaction, but he doesn't comment on it. "This is my address. Ask him about the girl and then come find me. I'll tell you anything you want to know." He hesitates, his black gaze shifting over my face. "Just make sure you're ready to hear it."
"You want me to spy on him," I spit, glancing at the business card he handed me.
"No," he growls, grabbing my wrist before I can storm off. His eyes blaze with holy fire. "I want to kiss those eyes soft and then put your infuriating little ass on the back on my bike and get you the hell out of here. But I'm walking away now and hoping like hell you come to me when you're ready to talk. You need me, little one. I'll wait however long I have to wait for you to realize it too."
"I…"
He cuts me off with his lips against mine, his kiss as thrilling as it is surprising. His hand sinks into my hair, angling my head. His lips are soft, his kiss curiously gentle. I soften beneath him without meaning to, my entire body going pliant in his arms. He steals my breath and every thought in my head, leaving my mind silent and my body aching, yearning for something I'm not even sure I understand. His tongue touches my bottom lip, a low growl vibrating from his chest.
My entiresoulquivers at the sound, something inside bubbling up swiftly in response.
It's over as quickly as it began. He makes a sound that's a mix between agony and bliss, and then sets me away from him, his rough hands gentle. I sway on my feet, reaching out to grasp the wall for support.
"Ask him, Catriona," he says, already headed toward the mouth of the alley. "And then come to me. I can help you. You just have to let me. Don't let him find my card."
I curl my fist around it, hiding it in my palm.
Andreas disappears around the corner, leaving my mind reeling.
What in the hell is going on?
"You're actin' weird," Connor says, narrowing his eyes on me across the dinner table. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing," I mutter, dropping my gaze to my plate. I've barely touched it. My mind has been running in circles ever since I stumbled across Andreas and Giant a week ago. I'm not sure what to make of anything Andreas said, but my gut tells me that he wasn't lying to me. Which is exactly why I haven't brought it up to Connor.
I'm a little afraid of what happens when I do. Will he even tell me the truth? He rarely does when it comes to the MC. He tries to keep me out of it as much as possible. He says he doesn't want that side of his life to touch me. Ironic considering that it's seeped into every aspect ofmylife over the last few years.
The MC is everywhere, polluting everything. Half the time, I can't even escape them in my own home because they're here, lounging around like they own the place. The only time I get to myself is when I lock myself in my room, put on my headphones, and get lost in a book. They don't follow me into the fictional worlds I travel into. I spend a lot of time reading as a result.
