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“Riddle me this. Was Jude happy when he was under their rule?”
I shook my head.
“But was he happy when he left? When he cut off contact?”
I nodded.
“Who is to say that can’t be the case for you? You don’t need your parents. You don’t need their validation. You don’t owe them anything. They wanted you, they wanted sons. But you don’t have to fit the mold they planned for you. If Eliza made you happy, go get the fucking girl and quit dicking around.”
“My girl—she’s broken.”
Roman clapped me on the shoulder. “So are you. But I think your broken edges fit nicely with hers.”
“You’re such a fucking romantic. When did you become such a sage?”
Roman stared at Danny. “Since I learned that her broken edges fit with mine.”
My eyes caught him from across the crowded bar. I hadn’t seen him in years. He was off swimming for some big college on a scholarship, but look who was back in town? Donnie Denvers.
I set my drink down, nodded to Roman, and walked confidently across the bar.
“Donnie? I shouldered past the few people he was chatting with. “Donnie Rhodes?”
He nodded. “Been a long time, Trask. Are you still with my cousin?”
I scoffed. “God, no. No offense.”
Donnie shrugged. “None taken. She always was a bitch.” The guy had perfectly straight teeth, and they almost glowed with how white they were. I couldn’t wait to bash them in.
“Wanna grab a smoke?”
“What do you have?” Donnie asked, eyes flicking around. Ah, so not the star athlete after all, unless they’d forgone drug testing.
“Whichever you want.” I knew I had him so I strolled out of the bar and around the corner.
“Didn’t take you for a guy that smoked,” Donnie said, joining me.
“I don’t. But I’m not stupid enough to kick your teeth in with a room full of witnesses.”
“The fuck?”
I was drunk, but I wasn’t shit faced and plastered. Neither was he. Fights weren’t the cool scenes in an action movie. No, the movies got it wrong, every time. Fights were messy and ugly. There was no sound when a fist met a face, just the feeling of skin splitting and bone crunching.
I knew I had to get one or two great shots in and I had to do it within the first thirty seconds, otherwise people would notice our scuffle or worse, he’d get to me first. Fights were quick and dirty.
“You tried to hurt my girl.”
“Karina?”
“Eliza Walsh.” I kicked him in the stomach. He had been too busy looking at my fist to see the kick coming.
He doubled over, retching. “The fuck man? She attacked me. Still have the scar on my hand to prove it.”
“You’re lying,” I spat.
Donnie straightened and threw a few punches. I was able to back away just fast enough. I’d see him raise his fist a mile away. Still, he barely missed me. I was slow. My reaction times were down.
“Didn’t know you had a thing for trailer trash.”
