Kaia didn’t respond, so Rebel continued.
“You can’t fault his loyalty, but I would’ve waited until my sixteenth birthday, then he’d brush me off. He’d tell me we’d go out when I was eighteen. Then, he’d say twenty-one. Then, twenty-five…It would be endless.”
“How are you fickle? I’m not following you.”
“Less than a month ago, I still wanted to marry Diesel. Now, I like you and hope we can date. With stipulations.”
“Such as?”
“The most you’ll ever get from me in terms of money is half. I’ll pay my way and you pay your way, but don’teverexpect me to give you money or lend you money. Get your own fucking money or go broke. And, if we ever seriously date, and I discover you’re going out with other girls, I will kill you.”
“I don’t fuck with jealous girls.”
She cackled, then glared at him. “Please, motherfucker. I’ll kill you for humiliating me.”
“Most girls would go after the other chick.”
“And leave you alive for more humiliation? No fucking thank you. If I fuck up a girl foryourcheating ass, you’ll live to do it again.”
“You’d give me another chance?”
She frowned at him. “No, you’d live to do it to another unsuspecting girl.”
“What do you consider a serious relationship?”
“If we spend the evening kissing, that definitely counts.”
“Good to know.”
“By the way, I’m on birth control, so if we accidentally have sex I’m protected.”
He groaned and stared at her mouth. “Rebel—”
“Also, I’m starting to believe you really did happen on me by chance. Just thinking CJ wouldn’t have come to me and said there’s a guy he wanted me to meet would tell me everything I need to know.Theyhave freedom.I’mlittle more than a girl who should be locked in a cage with a chastity belt on.”
Kaia rubbed his chin. “I doubt that. You smoke and drink.”
“Only because my momma fought for me to have the same rights as the boys.”
“You must resent them. Not CJ. We already went over your adoration of him. And…Diesel?”
She nodded. “Nope, I don’t hate them. I love my brothers and adore my daddy. Even if I still have moments of anger toward him. Like tonight when he brushed off Momma. The woman is gorgeous. If a man can look at her and say, ‘fuck off, go out by yourself,’ I have no fucking chance. Despite that, Daddy’s so badass.”
“Like Uncle Mortimer?”
Peals of laughter escaped Rebel. “Mortician. UncleMortician. That’s his road name, but, yeah, like Uncle Mort.” She thought of one brother in particular. The one who once followed her everywhere. “I have a twin. Rule. We used to be very close.”
“I’ve heard twins have special bonds.”
“We did.” She tried to show the world anI-don’t-give-a-fuckfaçade and face Rule with the same anger he showed her. But inside his treatment tore her apart. “We’re both…we belong to Momma and Daddy. I don’t want to tell them how mean he is to me and how crushed I am and have them choose sides. He needs them. As long as I know they love me, I can step into the shadows while they take care of him. My cousins, especially Rory and Ryan, are afraid of him. It would be so funny to think those two fearanything, especially Rule.” She forced a smile, although her stomach hurt at Rule’s desertion. “He doesn’t like me anymore.” She shook her head. “I think I know what I did, although I didn’t single him out. I was a bitch to everyone. I’d give my right arm to fix it. Or to reach through the voices in his head and his derision, so he’d remember how much I love him.”
“It’s his loss, sweetheart.”
Kaia’s gruff tone snapped Rebel out of her sadness. She stiffened her shoulders and tossed her hair.
“I live in the same house with that fucking dickhead. It won’t be anyone’s loss until he fucking joins a seminary and fulfills his murderous priest destiny.”
His contagious laughter lightened the mood and she broke into her own giggles.
