Hate Sober (Love Me Duet 2)

“Gunner will give you her number. Won’t you, Gunner? It’s not like you care who your ex-wife speaks to, do you?” he taunts me.

“Sign the fucking papers.” I push them toward him, and he chuckles reaching forward to do just that.

“Is that how you got Everly to sign the papers? Demanding them from her?” He shakes his head, and I know he’s trying to get a rise out of me, it’s the only way he knows how and it works. Using her works every single time.

“Just fucking sign,” I snap at him. He does easily, then pushes them back to me.

“See, aren’t you glad you came today?” I look over my shoulder to May’s group of friends and see the red-headed guy sitting with a drink in his hand.

“I could have him killed for you. Would that make you happy?” Jasper asks, still staring at me.

I snap my attention back to him. “No.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “Your loss.” He pulls Isadora closer to him and kisses the top of her head. Who would have thought a ruthless man such as Jasper could find someone to love, and who in return, loves his crazy ass? Probably helps that Isadora is just as crazy. “Heard Roberto’s been sniffing around, asking about Everly.”

That snaps my attention back to him. “What?”

He shrugs. “He’s been seen asking about her. And you, of course.”

“He wants what I have,” I reply. He always has. I’ve been dealing with everything that was left behind from my parents’ death for a long time. When I was old enough to claim what was mine, most of it was long gone. We used to ship drugs and guns, but now Everly’s father does it all. Half of the land my parents owned, he now owns as well. I hated him when I was growing up, but I’ve come to realize he was just a businessman. He saw a loophole and he grabbed it. His family has always done well, and ever since that contract was made all those years ago, we have never had any problems.

And trust me, there could be problems. Loads of them.

Especially when and if he realizes I’m slowly buying him out.

The import trade brings in nice money, and that’s what holds Roberto’s interest. But it’s the land that makes the most. Especially when that land is almost all of the town. No one can get anything past you if you own every inch of it already. Everything needs my permission. Everything has to be run by me to ensure I have full control. And control is my drug, it’s my lifeline, it’s how I keep myself together.

“I’m sure most do. Is Everly’s father aware you’re buying him out?”

I smirk. “No.”

“Thought so.” He shakes his head. “We have business with him as well. What do you expect me to say to him?”

A new band comes on, and I stand and look down on him. “You say nothing. Absolutely nothing. Got me?”

He smiles and nods his head.

Walking over to May, I stop and look down to the guy who Everly was meant to be here on a date with.

“Gunner, what do you want?” The guy with May places a protective arm around her as she stares me down.

“Where did my wife go?” I ask.

“She isn’t your wife anymore, and you don’t need to know her every move.” She crosses her arms over her chest.

“If you say so.” I look to him, he’s already watching me, assessing me. “You must be the replacement. You’ll never win her over.”

To my surprise, he doesn’t react. At all. He simply says, “Maybe that’s your problem. You think you know what she needs and wants.”

I hate him already. No, I already detest him for being anywhere near her.

“I do. I know all her needs, even her tastes.”

May gasps next to me.

“She tastes like fucking sunshine. I bet now you’re in the dark. What a fucked-up place to be when it comes to Everly,” he says, and I want to reach over and rip his fucking head from his body.

He knows he’s won and returns to drinking his drink.

“You fucked this up yourself, Gunner. You have one person to blame. It’s only you,” May says as I turn back to look at her.

“Goodbye, May.” I nod in acknowledgment and walk off.

She’s right.

I did fuck it up.

But what fun it was to do so.

20

Everly

I spoke to May two days later. She told me that’s how long it took her to recover. I laughed. It felt good to laugh, instead of being locked in my apartment contemplating all things Gunner Reid. I asked her what she thought of changing my name back to Thorne, and she went silent. That’s when she told me what happened, how he came over to them to speak to Buck after I’d left. I didn’t expect that, but, then again, there’s a lot about Gunner I don’t expect.