Betraying Her (Savage Brothers Second Generation 3)

Kind of like the way Thomas calls me sunflower….

I shrug. “Well, it just seems like there has to be something wrong with me at this point,” I mutter.

“There is,” he says, surprising me.

“There is?” I repeat, unable to keep the hurt out of my voice.

“You have horrible taste in boys,” Dad says.

“Can you at least call them men? Boys makes it sound like I’m still in middle school, Dad.”

“I can’t because they are boys. Men don’t play with a good woman’s heart. They recognize there are very few good women out there and cherish the hell out of them.”

“Says the man who has vowed to stay single his whole life,” I laugh, rolling my eyes.

“Sweetheart, when you have this much fabulousness, you can’t deprive the world of it. If I were to claim an old lady, I’d be breaking too many hearts.”

“We were talking about me here not you, Daddy.”

“Which reminds me, I was asking you if you are free tonight?”

Shit.

“I was going to head back to school. My roommate and I were going to cram for midterms,” I lie. I’m just taking summer classes, but my father doesn’t keep up with that.

“That works. I was just letting you know I’ll be out of town this week, so tonight was the only night I could have our family dinner. We can do it next week though.”

“I’m sorry, Dad. You want me to cancel?” I ask, feeling guilty.

“Nah, we’ll make up for it when you get home,” he says, and I feel horrible for not changing my plans, but I really want to see Thomas again. I’m hoping he’ll finally make a move. I really want his kiss. I’m even starting to dream about it. Hopefully it happens…

If not, I just might cry.

Chapter 16

Thomas

I make it to the small piece of shit that I rented last week for a month, unlock the door, and push inside, beer and pizza in tow. My nose curls at the stale smell in the place, so I put my shit down and turn the ceiling fan on. I open a couple of the windows in the living area and hope that helps. I’ve not been here for a few days. I’ve been crashing at Hawk’s. Jazz came back to Kentucky last night, though, and she dropped in. Where Jazz is, Gabby is never far behind. I left right after she arrived and slept at the club. I managed to avoid Dom, but that was only by pure luck.

I’ve barely been at the club. I know it’s getting Dad’s attention. He’s giving me that “look”, and I know he’s about to have a talk with me. What I don’t know is what I’m supposed to say to him.

I leased this place on a whim. It takes me a while to drive here from the compound, but to be honest, I like that it’s far enough away that I don’t feel the walls closing in on me. It’s a dump, but it’s cheap. It’s a small apartment above a gas station just across the Virginia state line. In case you were wondering, I have no fucking clue what I’m doing. I’m courting disaster showing up in a state that an enemy of my club runs—let alone renting an apartment here. The thing is, Kayden is right. If I go to Tennessee, Diesel and Crusher will breathe down my neck. I need a time out from all the bullshit. No one else might understand that, but I’m not sure I give a fuck right now.

The only time I feel halfway human anymore is when I’m around Lyla.

Lyla.

I have no fucking clue what I’m doing with her. She deserves better than a man who looks at her and sees Gabby. Fuck, my brain is so screwed up. I can’t even say I see Gabby now. The resemblance is there, that much is true, but she’s completely different. For one thing, she looks at me like I’m the only person on her mind when we talk—as if I have her full attention. That’s something I’m not sure I ever had, and it’s addicting.

I take the sack I have slung over my shoulder and move it to the tiny bedroom. It has my cut and stuff from the club. I don’t want Lyla to see that. Hell, I’d rather no one in Virginia see it. I jump in the shower and wash off the grime I feel clinging to my skin. I was on my bike most of the day doing shit for the club. I drove the SUV here and left my bike back in Kentucky. I miss it. It’s too dangerous to have it here, anyway. I don’t want Lyla to know that side of my life either. We have a strong friendship starting, and I like her. It’s just easier if she doesn’t know a lot of personal details about me.