One Choice (Hogan Brothers 2)

Until Mac called him. “Levi! Got a customer.”

The man walked away before he could tell him he wasn’t taking any bookings for a while. Wiping his hands on his coveralls, he stopped at the fridge beside the office door and grabbed a bottle of water. Twisting the cap off, he was about to take a drink while walking through the door when he noticed her. Cute little brunette, big fucking smile with probably an even bigger damn mouth.

He was not looking forward to the encounter.

“Do I really have to be here, Dad?” the girl whined to the older man she was with.

“Alyssa, if you want this car, you’re damn well going to know what’s being done to it.” She stomped her foot and pouted, and that’s when her gaze landed on him.

“You ass!” She stormed her way over to him, jabbing his chest.

“Alyssa!” Her father tried scolding her, but she barrelled right on through.

“How could you do that to her? You took something from her she’ll never get back.” Her words were getting louder, causing a couple guys from the back to come see what the commotion was about.

Including Nox.

Fucking great.

“Listen, little girl, what happened is none–“

“It damn well is! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get her to go out? What it took for her to come along with us? No, you wouldn’t ‘cause you’re just like every other swinging dick! You only care about one thing.”

He had no idea what she was babbling about, but he was sick of it. “Shouldn’t you be in school?” The implication was clear.

He should have shut up.

“School?” Her voice was deadly quiet. “That’s such a big deal to you?” He remained silent. “You stupid fool. She’d have graduated already, but life fucking sucks, and she couldn’t. Then she opens up just a little bit, and you go stab her in the back. You’re such a tool.” Before he could say anything, she was turning on her heel, telling her dad, “I don’t want the car that bad. Walking would be preferable.”

The man shrugged his shoulders and followed the loud-mouthed brat out while Levi was left scrambling, wondering what the hell he did. The room was soundless as he processed her words, she’d have graduated already, but life fucking sucks and she couldn’t, and what they meant.

Was he making a bigger deal out of it than it was?

“Levi?” Nox asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. “What the hell was she talking about?”

“Nothing,” he muttered. “I gotta go.”

He left Nox standing with Mac and Asher as he took off for his Charger. It wasn’t until he was pulling up in front of her house that he realized she was probably in school.

Monday mornings sucked.

That one was particularly hard because Hayes pushed herself harder than she should have the day before in an effort to purge Levi from her mind.

His callous words.

His dismissive attitude.

His sinful body.

She tried to escape the only way she knew how, and it was killing her. She had foolishly had hope for him. She’d thought their connection was something she could anticipate, explore.

Feeling dead for so long, she’d been too eager to connect with someone, and in the end, it bit her in the ass.

Her limp was as prominent as it was the day she’d relearned how to walk after her accident. The pain was excruciating as she tried climbing the front steps to her school. She had both hands in a white-knuckled grip on the railing as she climbed the dozen or so steps. When she finally made it to the top, her leg was on fire, and she was sweating as if she’d just run a marathon.

A hand on her shoulder had her jumping away and twisting her knee as Dustin cooed in her ear, “Missed you after the fight.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” she muttered, holding her breath, hoping the pain would abate. No such luck. The throbbing only intensified as he spoke. The ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing him.