Ballistic (8 page)

“Lina come on, fuck,” he groans, pulling me back into bed. “I won’t talk anymore if that’s what you want, just don’t leave me like this.” Pulling my pants up I look him over wondering what I was thinking by even coming here. “Leave you like what? Desperate to come?” I say, pushing him off me. “Now you know how women feel every day, dickhead.”

“You leave now, you’ll never have this again,” he warns me
.

“Promise?” I throw back at him as I snag my bag and head for the door.

Jumping out of bed he beats me to the door getting in my face. “Fucking whore,” he spits at me and giving him my best sneer, I bring my knee up and acquaint his balls to it. When he goes down, I grab his hair and look him in the eyes “Excuse me, while I go rub one out on your welcome mat.”

Slamming the door behind me
, I instantly forgot what’s his name. Jumping back into my truck, I couldn’t brush his insult off so easily, mostly because he meant it and I knew it was true.

Last night we spent hours in his spare bedroom putting the pieces of his case together. As I said, I have theories but I will not say anything until I know for sure. Knowing him, if I so much as mention it, he’ll take it and run and I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut until I have facts. Believe me
that
was a lesson you don’t soon forget.

Here’s a fact for you
; we shared a bed last night. His bed. I woke up wrapped around him like a virgin after prom who wanted to
talk about it
. What’s worse, I hate the fact that I couldn’t stop it. He hasn’t kissed me again, but he looks at me like he wants to fuck me to the bridge and back, but always stops himself. He is constantly in my space, touching me and sniffing me, which weirds me the hell out, so I can’t wait to bust out of here. I have practice this afternoon and because it seems like he’s going to continue playing this game with me, I’m heading to the bar after. I can’t do hot and cold, which is why I don’t date. Dating isn’t a world that interests me. So much pretense and bullshit. Fucking though… I can always make time for that. Fucking is simple. Fucking is primal. Fucking, I know.

I may be crashing here for the short term
, but I don’t do curfews and cuddling. I have to stay focused. Grabbing my bag, throwing him a goodbye while I fly out the door, I hope to make it out of the driveway before his call ends but my keys aren’t in my pocket. Shit.

Coming up behind me he pulls
my back to his front which seems to be becoming a habit. “Forget something?” he asks me, dangling my keys in front of me like a carrot.

“You took my keys,” I accuse
, turning around. “Do not touch my shit.”

Pushing me up against my truck
, he secures my arms to my sides, does that weird sniffing thing and hovers inches from my mouth. “I will touch whatever I want, whenever I want,” he teases, but I’ve had enough.

Pushing him back in effort to set him straight
, I keep it simple. “Either stop fucking around with me, or bend me over the driver’s seat,” I warn. “I’m simple like that. You can even think of someone else if it helps, I know I will. Trust me when I say that cock is cock. One is no better than the other as long as I get what I want.”

Stepping back
, he tosses me the keys looking satisfied. Yep, fucking with me. My speech was for nothing too, he saw right through my bullshit.

“I expect you back here
directly after practice Lina, we have work to do. Don’t make me come after you, I will find you.”

“Look whose balls dropped today
,” I say, walking to the door. “We should get you a cake to celebrate.”

Backing out I notice he doesn’t take h
is eyes off of me from the back door. What is his angle?
Fuck this noise,
I say to myself. Reaching for my smokes, I turn my music, getting lost in it until I realize I didn’t even bother with the Masonic. True to form, I went straight to the bar.

Oh well, drinking
is exercise in some countries, I’m almost sure of it.

Finding a table near the back
, I don’t even bother checking out the local talent. Right now I just want to be left alone. The server drops off two shots and a chaser as requested then leaves. At least someone around here listens to me.

Throwing the first one back my eyes water, it hurts so
damn good. Feigning the chaser, I throw the second one back just as quickly. The sooner this hits my bloodstream the better for me. Checking my phone I see the usual texts from Jules. She’s been keeping me updated on the Lush situation, but from where I’m sitting it’s getting out of both hands and feet. I don’t know why she’s holding back on taking Hank down but, if I had to guess, it’s to spare Max until she can’t spare him anymore. If she isn’t careful, her team is going to show up and really get the party started without her. I can’t say I didn’t warn her but whatever, she’s the boss so until then I keep an eye from here.

When the server catches my eye
, I hold up two fingers then sit back and close my eyes. Doing some cranial aerobics, I think briefly on what data Anthony has so far. Shit, all I can think about are his parents
and
hers. I can hardly wrap my head around that. The second I do get a grip on it, all I see is Venessa just shutting down right in front of us. When she was released from the hospital the only one she could tolerate was Macy. For Jules and me that stung, but I got it. Macy is my Jules, but we wanted to help. Thing was, she didn’t want any help. Hell, she still doesn’t. Out of all of us she had the hardest time being around me and I knew it so, out of respect, I gave her space.

The death of her family fucked her up
hard core. It’s safe to say it’s done a number on Anthony too. Both of them had good parents, solid parents, normal parents. If I had even an ounce of that, I’d go ballistic burying every person involved. Answers I can get. People always want them at least until they get them. In cases like this, they don’t want the truth because the truth won’t change shit. They want to feel justified for their anger, the hate and the need for revenge. No one likes to be stolen from and that’s what happened to them both. I should have never asked him about his parents. I don’t need this to be any more personal than it already is. But I did ask and even though he said little, I knew he had the kind of parents a man would dedicate his life to avenge. In truth, I can’t even guess what that’s like. So instead of trying to figure it out, I make a list of places to visit and people to question tomorrow.

Throwing
back the last two shots quickly, I sit back and wait for it to happen. It needed to happen
now
because every time I blink, breathe or closing my fucking eyes, I’m assaulted by all things Anthony Gallo. I knew when I continued to do the very things that kept him in my head, I was fucking myself. Removing him wasn’t an option, but getting hammered was.

Nothing in my life is
ever that simple .Clearly drama is my new best friend and she wants to be besties, because when I open my eyes, my past was there to haunt me. “I never thought I’d see you here again,” he says, joining me minus the formal invitation. “But now that you’re here I’m afraid that I can’t leave you leave,” he pauses, leaning in. “Alone.”

The appeal he once held is no longer there for me. I liked fucking him
, sort of. He was good at following orders, even the unconventional ones like mine. Unfortunately, he also liked talking and trying to analyze me. We were not a good fit. Oh and did I mention he wanted to wife me? Yeah, no dick is that desirable.

“Sorry,” I tell him
, feeling my buzz creeping in. “Your shelf life expired.”

Coming to sit
even closer to me and clearly not taking no for an answer, he tries yet again. “We were good,” he coos in my ear. “Admit it.”

Pushing him away
, I fess up.
“I
was good,
you
were available.”

“You’re serious.”

“Am I ever not serious?”

“I
was just a fuck for you, wasn’t I?”

“
Keyword being
was
. I’ve been super honest. You just refuse to quit listening to your dick.”

“
I
wanted a future.”

“
I
wanted an orgasm.”

“You could get an orgasm with
anyone
, I did what you ordered me to do,” he growls, pulling me closer.

“I know,” I say
, standing up but, he grabs my wrist to pull me back down.

“I wanted to give you the god damn world, Lina!”

Pinning him with my eyes, I quietly tell him the truth. “And all I wanted was a few minutes to forget it existed.”

Before he had a chance to let go of me
, he was literally sent flying from his seat to the floor thereby, taking me with him. Once my eyes clear and I can somewhat focus, I see a very pissed off Anthony hovering over us. He wants to kill him, but I can’t figure out why. Me though, he may want to kill me too, you never know with this guy. Looking over and helping him up, we both face Anthony and then the two of them have a stare down. Every girl loves to feel like a fucking dog bone at least once in her life, right?

“This was fun, but I have a thing…” I say cheerily
, making my way to grab my stuff, but then I wasn’t allowed to leave. “How do you know him, Lina?” Anthony asks, jerking me to his side. “Answer me,” he growls. “I asked you a fucking question.”

“Listen, I’m rather buzzed and extremely confused,” I offer
, “Why don’t you just tell me the answer you’re looking for? Save us both some time.”

“Do not,” he says
, latching onto my wrist and getting in my face, “play games with me. Last time, how do you know him?”

“I don’t
know
him,” I say, taking my wrist back and rubbing it. “I
used
to know him in the biblical sense, not ‘check his resume’ for typos.”

“Is this true?”

“Why are you asking him?” I throw at him. “You just dislocated his god damn jaw, for all you know he could be my attorney.”

“He is not
your
attorney,” he says, moving me away. “He’s
my
attorney.”

“Julian,” I say
, throwing my hands up, “a little help here?”

“Tony
’s right to be upset,” he admits, grabbing his coat. “I crossed a line.”

“What line?” I ask
, spinning around in a circle looking around for it. “I didn’t even know this guy until a week ago. Both of you and your bro codes can fuck each other. Oh I know, in the ass!”

“Tell her,” he orders
, Julian. “Then we’re leaving,
together
.”

Julian gives me a seriously I know
I fucked up
look and I still don’t get it. Dammit, I’m not good at detecting shit when I’m piss drunk. “We met on purpose,” he begins. “He asked me to keep an eye on you in his stead. I knew he wanted you and I pursued you anyway. I saw you and couldn’t help myself. But it matters little, Tony. She doesn’t want me anymore, you’ve seen it for yourself.”

Grabbing him
around the throat with one hand and holding onto me with the other, he growls, “You fucked my woman, asshole.”

Breaking his wrist lock
, I case the exits needing to bolt. Who’s woman? I’m no man’s woman, least of all his. Holy shit, this is why I don’t date. Watch me? Like I need a fucking sitter? Picking up speed I make it to my truck door and next thing you know, I’m in a fireman’s carry and I started to get woozy. “Put me down,” I groan. “I could get sick.”

“You were going to drink and drive,” he says
, tossing me into his car seconds later. “You deserve to be sick.”

Whipping my head around while try
ing to pick which head of his to focus on first, I growl in his face. “I was going to drink and sit dickhead. I would have called a cab but, thanks for the trust fucker.”

“Had I not been here
to once again save you, you would have been fucking my attorney! Should I ask my accountant if he’s been inside you too?”