I couldn’t picture him in the monotony of everyday life. He was easier to fit into the private, stolen moments at work—in the freezer, or in the cramped office. Or in my apartment, bleeding on my doorstep or commanding me from behind in the hallway. That was Devlin in his element: in charge, in full control, and wowing me with his badness. Would us becoming a couple tame him? I didn’t want him tamed. I didn’t want to be tamed.
“Plus, you don’t want to be, like, dating a guy who runs a restaurant.” Tash scrunched her cheeks. “The hours are horrible.”
Restaurant hours were the least of my worries. Devlin involved in criminal activity, however…
“Keep it light,” she recommended. “Have fun with him, but dump his ass before he has a chance to dump yours.”
She scrambled off her bed and stretched. My phone chimed, and I picked it up to find a text message from an unknown number.
“Is it loverboy?” She smirked.
“I don’t know.” But I did know.
The text read, COME OVER.
“Your smile says yes,” my best friend sang.
I typed in, who is this?
The response, again in shouty caps, made my insides tingle. YOU’D BETTER BE KIDDING.
“Well?”
I smiled at Tasha. “He wants me to come over. Should I?”
“Yes!” She plunked back onto the bed and took my phone, typing before I could grab it. When she handed it back, I saw she’d answered, HELL YES!
“Tasha! He’s going to know that wasn’t me!” Her roommate stirred, and I covered my mouth.
“Lower your expectations, sweetie. You’re allowed to have good, hard, against-the-wall sex with your boy toy, as long as you don’t let yourself get in too deep.”
I slid off her bed. “Look who’s talking, Mrs. Tony Fry.”
She shook her head, but it lacked conviction. “I’m—we’re keeping it casual.”
“Tash…”
“I know! Okay? I know.” She pulled a pillow onto her lap. “But at least I know it’s not going to work out. He’ll be bored of me in a few weeks.”
I hated seeing her like this.
“Why are you doing this to yourself? You’re gorgeous, you’re intelligent, and you’re going to be the most epic physical therapist Ridgeway has ever seen. You could have a guy, like a real guy. Not a Tony.”
“Yeah? So could you.”
I saw her point. Devlin was the guy I wanted. No one could talk me out of it.
“Hey, come out with me tonight.” She set the pillow aside.
I looked at my phone screen, but Dev hadn’t texted me again. “Parade?”
“Not Parade. A group of girls from my sorority are going to a street race on Alley.”
“A street race? Since when are you into cars?”
“I wouldn’t go, normally, but Casey’s boyfriend, Roger, is racing.”
My phone chimed again. I grinned.
“Sorry, Tash, I’m meeting Devlin after work.” I stood to leave.
She heaved a melodramatic sigh and threw herself onto the bed. “Standing up your best friend for your bad-boy boyfriend. How could you?”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” I waved goodbye and dodged an incoming pillow.
In a tiny, private corner of my mind, I sort of kind of wished he was.
Chapter Fifteen
Devlin
Donna delivered a slice of Triple Threat and a Pepsi to a booth by the window. Sonny had excused himself when he saw me and had just now returned. With my new cell phone.
He plunked a shitty flip phone onto the table. “Don’t lose this one.”
I took another bite, trying to think of the best way to say what I had to say. Then again, maybe there wasn’t a best way. He sat across from me and folded his hands.
I pushed the phone away. “I’ll buy my own.”
He inclined his head.
Now or never. Time to see if I had the balls to say what I’d been silently wishing for years, and had pronounced to my half brother hours ago.
“I’m out, Son,” I told him, forcing myself to meet his eyes. I wasn’t timid about much, but the idea of disappointing him rolled my stomach. “I probably still owe you money. I’ll pay it. We agreed that as long as I work for you, you discount what I owe, so if you want to retract that agreement, I understand.”
His glare nearly burned a hole through my head. It took almost the remainder of my courage to hold his gaze.
“You probably still owe me money?” he repeated flatly. “If I want to retract our agreement?” he said, hitting the letter T’s extra hard.
“I will pay it.” I tried not to fidget but failed. I balled a napkin in my left hand. “If I have to I