Vicious Rebel (82 Street Vandals #2) - Heather Long Page 0,34

way of forests outside of books and television. Within those eyes, I’d seen so much torture, pain, and loss. Putting it on the side of a building seemed like an invasion, and I’d no more put her on display than I’d let that fuck JD call her princess.

Instead, I’d redone it, detailing the lines of her body in motion as she danced in the silks. I’d let my mind fill in the blanks for her musculature. Smooth, clear lines as she hung suspended in the air. A fragment of the beauty she could convey there for everyone to see.

“Rome…it’s beautiful.”

They weren’t just words coming from her. The breathiness punctuating every syllable coupled with how her voice hushed and her whole body leaned forward held me riveted. The glassiness in her eyes sent a spike of terror through me, but the shimmer of tears didn’t fall as she blinked them away.

“This is where you’ve been the last few days?”

The question held some element of reproach maybe. I wasn’t always good at the cues, but I could swear I heard something akin to scolding in the way she asked that question. That she’d even noticed I wasn’t around was something.

“Yes.” The need to paint it had been burning inside of me, and as soon as I’d been able to slip away, I had. This was hell and gone from 19D territory. Not that I cared if they came after me. I could hold my own.

Then her fingers brushed my shoulder, and I made myself sit still. I didn’t normally care for people touching me, but we’d already moved past the warehouse and the painting was gone. She dug her fingers into my shirt, and then it hit me. She was squeezing my shoulder.

“Thank you,” she whispered in a lower voice, and I locked eyes with her in that side mirror. The moment I looked at her, the corners of her mouth lifted and the darkness in her eyes retreated. The darkness there didn’t frighten me either. I’d take it on if she needed me to.

With care, I covered her fingers with my own, and her smile grew. Was she happier about the painting or that she’d seen what I’d been doing?

“I’ll take you the next time,” I promised her.

“You’re going with her now,” Kestrel said in a kind of low growl that he usually reserved for Jasper, and I grinned. Pissing Kellan off was almost as fun as ticking off Liam.

It was also a lot harder.

One point for me.

“I meant on a day for just her and me. Right now, we’re going with you.”

“I know what you meant.” Oh, someone didn’t want me hanging out with Starling. I tilted my head to look at him. She hadn’t pulled her hand away, and when I slid a finger beneath hers, she hooked her fingers with mine. It couldn’t be comfortable for her, but she was still leaning forward, stretching the seatbelt.

Someone was unhappy with it. “Don’t be a dick,” I reminded him. “Your name isn’t Jasper.”

Kellan side-eyed me right up until Starling burst into laughter. The sound washed through the vehicle, warming it more than the sunshine or the heaters could.

I grinned. It had been my words that made her smile and laugh like that. She squeezed my fingers and pulled her hand away. I missed the contact, but I was also glad for the fact I’d made her happy.

“Asshole,” Kellan muttered under his breath, and I chuckled at the look he shot me. A snort echoed from the backseat, and Kellan glanced over his shoulder. “Keep it up, Sparrow. I’ll make you help change out spark plugs today and do oil changes.”

“Who says I can’t do those things?” The dare in her voice had me shaking my head.

“I guess we’re going to find out.”

It was my turn to frown a little. If she was helping Kellan in the garage, she wouldn’t be out back with me painting. Probably his intent.

Yes. We were going to see about that.

“Kel,” I said as I walked into the garage. He’d had her attention for the last hour as he taught her how to pull spark plugs from the ugly old Ford in the bay.

“She’s almost done,” he assured me, but he didn’t move from where he was half wrapped around her and guiding her hand to the different parts. They’d changed the oil, and her laughter as she’d drained the oil pan had been refreshing. Working on cars was not exciting or fun, but she seemed