Taking a deep breath, I decide to lie my ass off. “Jace broke off the engagement, and it was too hard to be in the same town as him. I figured you’d be happy about me coming back.”
“Iamhappy,” he insists. “But you were so fucking hell bent to leave me and everything else behind, and I find it hard to believe that something as trivial as a break-up is what’s changed your mind.”
“Jesus,” I mutter. “Maybe I should just go somewhere else.”
“Dammit, Rox, stop,” Shuffle barks.
“No, Ryan,” I snap, using his given name. “I won’t stop. I left for a reason, and coming back isn’t easy.”
Silence fills the room, and when I lift the phone to see if he disconnected the call, he sighs. “When will you be here?”
“Within the next few days,” I reply begrudgingly because there’s no point in continuing to argue.
“How long are you staying?”
“How’s Titan?” I ask, ignoring his question since I don’t have an answer. I’ll stay as long as I need to, and I’m hoping that’s not long.
He chuckles. “Miss your bike, huh?”
I practically groan. “You have no idea,” I admit.
“I still don’t know why you didn’t take it with you when you left.”
“Because… I couldn’t exactly fit all my shit on a Harley.”
“Okay, but why didn’t you ever come back for it or have me ship it to you?”
Because my asshole fiancé wasn’t exactly the type to be okay with his significant other riding a motorcycle.
“Never mind,” he says when I remain silent. “So, I’ll see ya in a few days?”
“Yep.”
My brother inhales deeply, and in that breath, I hear his worry. “You sure you don’t want me to send someone to come get you?”
I smile sadly, glad that he can’t see me. “I’m sure, Ry. I’m fine, I promise. Just want a few more days to clear my head.”And to heal a bit more.
“Okay, then I’ll see you soon.”
The sound of shuffling comes through the line, and I know he’s about to end the call.
“Hey, Ry,” I say, regaining his attention.
“Yeah?”
“Love you.”
“Right back at ya, kid.”
CHAPTER 6
SCREAMER
Memories equal pain.
“Is this really necessary?”
I glance in the rearview mirror at the man trussed up in the back of the utility van. Ghost, Poker, and I were tasked with picking him up and bringing him to the clubhouse for interrogation in the Nightmare Room, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. But if he doesn’t shut the fuck up, he’s not going to make it to the Nightmare Room. Shit, he won’t make it to our exit if he keeps whining.
