Power Play (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 2)

“Are we really going to fight about this?”

He nods. “Yup.”

I take a deep breath. “All right. Let’s do this.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Boon

Posey’s aloofness pisses me off even more.

To see her with him, to know that all he had to do was reach out and touch her, really got my jets firing. I want to kill him for hurting her, but I can’t believe she wanted to talk to him. He hurt her. Why would she even care about someone like that?

“Are you serious right now?” she asks incredulously, and I look at her, wide-eyed.

“I think I am. What the hell? I asked you not to talk to him.”

She scrunches up her face. “Why? Because I was going to leave with him? You saw how it went. I told him it wasn’t going to happen, and then I came back to you.”

“Yes, because I was standing here—”

“Oh, because you were standing here? You’re serious right now? You really think if it were just him and me, I would have gone home with him? I would have jumped his bones? Because I did that so many times in the three years I knew him, that yes, I am going to mess up my fantastic relationship for a dude who never saw me for who I am? Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense.”

No, it doesn’t make a lick of sense, but I didn’t think of all that. All I saw was her talking to the dude she once wanted. I hold out my hands. “Posey, you were willing to give your virginity away just to get that guy back, so excuse me for being wary,” I say, and she gawks at me.

“I was drunk and out of my mind that day, and to be honest with you, I doubt I would have gone through with it. I don’t even know why I told you.”

“So now you want to keep things from me?”

“For fuck’s sake, now you’re grasping for stuff.”

“No. You were in love with him.”

She blinks, but then she narrows her eyes. “So? You were in love with Julia. Am I over here saying you can’t speak to her—”

“I don’t want to talk to her! I don’t want anything to do with her!”

“And I don’t want anything to do with him! I told him that. If you had the chance to say that to Julia, I would hope you would take it.”

“I wouldn’t if you didn’t want me to,” I throw back at her, and her eyes are wild with anger.

“I wouldn’t care if you did because I trust you.” Our gazes stay locked as we suck in deep breaths. I’m so upset, I’m shaking. With her eyes dark and full of anger, she sneers, “I’m in love with you, and I don’t want to fuck that up. But if you can’t trust me, what’s the point?”

“Don’t even, Posey. I do trust you.”

“Then why are we fighting?”

“Because I don’t want you around him. I don’t trust him. He could—”

“He couldn’t do anything because I love you. Only you,” she says seriously. “That is the difference between Julia and me. No man, no woman, no anyone could come between us because I love you. I love us. So, get your head out of your ass and realize that.”

She turns away then, so I grab her to stop her. “Posey—”

She yanks her arm from mine for the second time. “Do not grab me like that,” she warns. “I won’t tell you that again.”

I drop my hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you—”

“You didn’t, physically. But mentally, yeah, you’ve fucked me,” she admits, and I can see the tears gathering in her eyes. “I thought we were solid, but maybe we aren’t—”

“No, we are,” I say desperately. “I’m just freaking out—”

“Which is why I’m going to walk away.” She meets my gaze. “We can talk tomorrow.”

“Posey,” I say, my heart beating out of control in my chest, but she holds up her hand.

“We can talk tomorrow,” she repeats, and then she heads toward the elevators. I want to chase her, beg her to talk to me, but I don’t trust myself. Apparently I’m a fucking idiot. I had the world in my hands, and I let jealousy get in the way.

“I’m just being stupid!” I yell, and she doesn’t look back. She only nods.

“Yeah, so get that together!” she hollers back at me, and my heart falls into my gut.

This moment only solidifies my belief that pretty girls make me stupid.

Or not all girls—just that girl.

“Okay. Sorry, there was a line. Wait, where is Posey going?”

I look back at my boss and my girlfriend’s mom. That is, if she still wants to be with me. “I pissed her off.”

She nods, patting my chest. “I’m gonna pray for you.”

I nod. “I probably need it.”

She gives me a small smile. “She’s stubborn.”