Page 50 of Race With The Devil

Wolf frowned, still trying to catch his breath, one hand on the desk. “Yes, something like that. Look, Unity. I’ve been around plenty of Prospects who come here out of the blue, looking for something else, and wind up finding love instead.”

“Prospects?” bawled Knoxie.

“Love?” I bawled.

Wolf held up his free hand. “I’ve seen it a hundred times, people. Maybe there is something to this vortex business around here, why the herbal essences come here and stay.”

“Tanner’s no herbal essence,” laughed Knoxie.

“I mean, who knows? Look at Fox and Pippa. Fox came here for a job and decided to spend his entire life.”

“Do you know something we don’t?” Knoxie asked darkly.

Wolf held up both hands. “I’m not saying anything, bro! I just don’t think Unity should write off Tanner so easily when there are greater, more mystical things at work than can be beheld in our heaven or earth.”

Knoxie snorted. “If you’re trying to impress the woman, I don’t think it’s working.”

Indeed, I had already stood and grabbed my purse. Wolf made as if to hold my wrist, but I yanked myself away from him.

I shrieked, “Thinking like this only leads to disappointment! Giant, crushing letdowns! I thought your way once, and it ruined my life. Falling in love is only for saps and morons.”

As I tore out the door, I heard Knoxie say,

“See? You broke her, Glaser.”

Even if what Wolf and Knoxie said was true, I didn’t deserve love. I’d always known in my inner core that I wasn’t worth anyone wasting their love. Someone so despicable that her own mother wouldn’t prevent her husband from raping, well, I was so low I could read dice from the bottom.

What had I been thinking, falling in love with that photographer Evan? Why didn’t I already know all photographers were sleazebags? Yet I’d actually been shocked, and ruined, and depressed for entire weeks after seeing an Instagram of him sucking on some model’s tit. When I confronted the model, she laughed at me. Laughed! “Oh, Unity. He’s like that with everyone.” Like that with everyone?

What was Tanner like, really? An air force hero, and a hero in a way for taking the fall for his worthless brother—a guy who rehabbed and hand-delivered adorable dogs to their forever home, well, whose heart wouldn’t melt for that? He was just with me because he was wrapped up in the Lavinia mystery. A handsome devil like Tanner Principato had women crawling out of their cellars to be with him. How could I compete with that?