The Moth and the Flame (When Rivals Play #2) - B.B. Reid Page 0,69

he wanted to rip Danny Boy’s gorgeous head from his body and play kickball with it.

Danny Boy positioned his body in front of the blonde with a million questions in her eyes, blocking her from view. “Why would I do that?”

Wren simply leaned around him and asked the girl for her name. If she were smart, she wouldn’t answer. I knew he would never hurt her, but Danny Boy didn’t know that, and Wren didn’t want him to know. I couldn’t see what was happening, but her silence was telling. Wren stood to his full height, and I recognized the approval in his eyes as he said, “You trained her well.”

I blinked a few times wondering where my best friend had gone. I didn’t recognize the boy standing next to me.

“We’re going now,” Danny announced. They all moved at the same time, walking away with tense shoulders and quick steps.

“I’ll see you soon, Danny Boy!” My eyebrows rose at Wren’s petty taunt. I’d never known him to stoop and wondered even more about the boy who had gotten so far under his skin.

Wren’s eyes were bluer than ever when his attention shifted to me. “Let’s go.”

I fell into step next to him, knowing it was useless to refuse him. “So what was that all about?”

“Business,” he answered curtly. “Where have you been?” He didn’t seem interested in the answer, however, as he glanced over his shoulder.

“Oh, you know,” I said with a shrug. “Around.”

He signaled for a taxi, and I yelped when I felt his painful grip on my arm. He shoved me into the back seat, gave the cabby cash, and the Hendersons’ address before turning those stormy blue eyes back on me.

“Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred fucking wallets. Go straight the fuck home, Lou.”

I crossed my arms and pouted. “I don’t have a home.”

He grabbed my face with gentle hands, and for a second, I thought—I hoped—he would kiss me. “Your home is with me. Don’t run away from it again.”

“I didn’t—”

“You ran away to get my attention,” he said, cutting me off. “You have it.”

I didn’t bother denying it knowing he’d read me like a first-year novel. “You ran away first,” I said shyly.

I thought he’d deny it, but he didn’t. “I’m sorry.” And then he kissed me. Lips that I yearned to feel brushed my forehead before he pulled away, slammed the door shut, and pounded the roof. The cab jerked away, and I watched through the back window as he sprinted through the crowd in the opposite direction. There was only one reason he wouldn’t see to it that I followed his orders.

I sat back and sighed.

Danny Boy.

LOU HAD CALLED MY BLUFF.

My heart had been in my throat for a fucking week, and now that I’d found her, I could finally breathe again. She knew exactly what I’d do if she walked away and played me as easily as if my notes were written on a music sheet. I didn’t have time to be ashamed about that as I raced through the crowd. I’m not sure I even could be. I would abandon all reason just to follow her to the ends of the earth. Sometime during my search for her, I decided I wouldn’t run from her anymore. I still had no intentions of giving her my cock, but I could no longer risk being on edge around her. I already had plans to visit Kendra this week and finally pick up where we’d left off when I met Lou.

She’d never have to know.

And even though my stomach turned at the thought of lying to Lou, more than I already had, I knew taking her to bed would be a worse offense.

I managed to catch up to Danny Boy and his friends since they’d parked about twenty blocks away. I flagged a cab as they entered a parking garage and waited with a direct view of the entrance. There was only one way in and out. Not even five minutes later, the driver’s window of a red Jeep rolled down and the tattooed punk I caught eyeing Lou with a little too much interest for my liking swiped his ticket before speeding into traffic.

“Follow them,” I ordered the cabby. One thing I loved about this city was that there was no shortage of weird shit happening, so he didn’t bother asking questions before trailing the Jeep.

When we arrived in some ritzy town I never even knew existed, I decided I’d