Page 225 of Forged in the Fire
In it was that thing that had grown and changed over the time she’d been here.
Trust.
Affection.
I could feel it bleeding out of her.
The dam we’d tried to keep between us had been completely wiped out, and my stupid, mangled heart hadn’t gotten the memo that I had to rebuild it.
I attempted to dip my focus back to my bike like it could be more interesting than her.
After the call with Cash, I made the decision that I’d tell her we had to put an end to whatever we thought we were doing tonight. Put on the brakes and stop this trainwreck before it happened.
Pack her things up in my room and escort her back to the room above the clubhouse.
Right where I should have left her.
The burn of her gaze seared through me as I forced myself not to return her attention.
Too bad she was nothing but persuasion.
Unable to stop myself, I glanced that way, probably looking like a fucking weirdo trying to remain aloof. Itching as I fought with the urge to cross the fucking garage and drive my fingers into the wild locks of her hair.
Claim her in front of everyone.
“Bwinwey!” Kai’s sweet voice cut through the tension, and her gaze snapped to the back door that gaped open wide.
Kai was trying to lift his head from his backward-facing car seat so he could get a better view.
That baby beaming with every ounce of his innocent little heart, excitement and joy as he waved his hands, same way as he’d done when he’d gotten a look at me when Elena had first opened the door.
The sight of him had wrung my spirit in that thing I kept struggling not to feel.
I’d ruin him, too.
Just like I’d done to Elena and Brody.
I had to figure out a better solution.
Fix this.
Promise me.An echo of my mother’s voice clawed through my mind. I swallowed back the sob it nearly elicited.
It’s your heart.
She was mistaken because it was thoroughly bad.
Brinley cleared her throat, shucking off the gravity that clawed through the air in a dire fucking effort to merge us together.
“Hi, baby,” she wheezed.
“Are you talking to me or Kai?” Elena teased. Her expression shifted through exuberance and that fat needle she kept trying to drive under my skin.
“Oh wait, maybe you’re subconsciously talking to my brother becausewhoo-eeme…is it hot out here or what?” She fanned herself. “I’m not sure how I didn’t find you both passed out. Deceased. Because this girl can’t breathe.”
Awesome.
Now she sounded like Meems. Maybe she should spend less of her days locked up in that house.
