Page 66 of Hard to Handle
She waved me off.“That won’t last forever and you know it.”
Arguing wasn’t going to get me anywhere, so I opted to take the high road.“I just wanted to stop by, check in.I’m good, I promise.”
“You ain’t good if you’re drivin’ that truck,” Vic said, his eyes focused on me.“That boy’s bad news,” he repeated.
“He’s not bad news,” I insisted.“He’s a friend and he’s loanin’ me his truck until I can get mine fixed.”
“Shoulda known you’d go messin’ up a good thing,” my mother grumbled.
The words, no matter how often my mother said them, still shocked me every time.I knew Billy played a big part in it.He fed my mother lies until I looked like the bad guy every time.
And this was the very reason I stayed away.I hated arguing with my mother, but it seemed inevitable these days.
“It’s no wonder Billy had to stray,” my mother continued.“If you’re spendin’ time with other men…”
“Mother!”I took a deep breath.“Billy was steppin’ out on me.Not the other way around.He was the one out screwin’ other women while I was sittin’ at home wonderin’ where he was.”
“You don’t know that,” she insisted.
“Idoknow that!Hetoldme.”
“He was just upset.”
The way she said that had me stiffening.My voice lowered when I pinned my mother with a glare.“Did you talk to Billy?”
“He came by the other night.Wanted to apologize for all that was goin’ on.Said he was gonna work extra-hard to get you back.Said it was all a misunderstandin’.”
“Like hell,” I hissed.
My mother waved her hand toward Lynx’s truck.“I can’t help but think that maybe you’re the one who’s been givin’ him mixed signals, Reagan.”
Pointless.
The whole fucking thing was pointless.
And with everything going on, I knew I wasn’t going to hold it together for much longer.So, in an effort to save some of my sanity, I spun on my boot heel and marched right back out the door.
“Reagan Marie Trevino!Don’t you walk out that door!”
Too late.
“You need to go talk to Billy!”she yelled.
“Fucking hell,” I murmured as I yanked open the truck door and practically launched myself inside.
Next time I considered coming by to check in, I really needed to have someone give me a brain scan.Because if I ever thought it was a good idea, clearly I wasn’t functioning on all cylinders.
Lynx
I had fully intended to head home, but found myself back at Wolfe’s after I picked up my father’s truck.Everyone had hung around until a few minutes ago, even Travis, Gage, and the lawyer woman.Rhys had finally had to suggest they give Amy a break, but when I went to leave, Wolfe had stopped me.
“I still don’t see how this is goin’ to shake out,” Wolfe said, taking a long pull on his beer as he leaned against the front porch railing.
“Me, either,” I agreed.I propped my feet up on the wood and leaned back in the chair we’d dragged from the kitchen table.
“The fuckin’ mob, bro,” Wolfe said with a whistle.
“Didn’t even know they existed,” I told my cousin.
