Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
He steps back. “I just stopped by to check on you. Adele told Dev you were under a lot of stress at the club. That you were snapping at employees and just acting like your fuse was burning on both ends.”
“I think it’s a candle.”
“What?” he asks.
“It’s the candle burns on both ends. Never mind,” I say, shaking my head. I need to get to Posey’s father’s house to check on her. Make sure she’s okay.
Maybe I just can’t wait until tonight to see her. A little light stalking never hurt anyone, right?
“Ledger,” Roman says, his tone determined, his eyes meeting mine. “Seriously, what’s going on? Talk to me.”
I blow out a breath. “Fine,” I say, walking back inside my condo.
Roman follows me, and we head into the kitchen. I grab us both a bottle of water, and Roman shakes his head. “I think we need something stronger.”
“I don’t know,” I say, not really feeling like having a drink.
“Get the whiskey. I could tell something was up with you today at Brunch earlier.”
“Fine.” I move around the kitchen, opening a bottle of Lucky Bastard, pouring us both a nice pour, and slide his glass to him across the kitchen island. “Here.”
“I got you this bottle. Remember, last year for Christmas. I said ‘open it when you are beyond stressed and need one helluva drink.’”
“I remember.” I lean against the island. “So what?”
“So? What’s going on?” Roman crosses his arms over his chest after taking a nice pull of the whiskey.
I tilt my head back, swallowing the whole drink in one gulp, and set my glass down. “I’m going fucking insane.”
“I can see that. Why?”
“It’s her. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can’t fucking concentrate, man.” I tug at the ends of my hair, pulling as hard as I can. I blow out a frustrated breath, and curse again.
“Posey?” Roman says. “Of course it’s her. Don’t know why I even asked.”
“Yeah, tell me what to do. How do I make this pain of not being with her go away?”
“She’s engaged, Ledger. What are you thinking?”
I push away from the island and pace my kitchen. “I’m not thinking. I can’t think. I know how wrong this is, but I can’t stop.”
Roman blows out a breath. “Fuck.”
I spin around. “How did you do it?”
Roman’s face twists in confusion. “I’ve never been into somebody who was engaged.”
“You were into Greer for years, and you never acted on it. You were able to keep your distance even though you were obviously in love with her.”
Roman tugs at the back of his neck. “I pushed those feelings down deep.” He raises his hand to his chest, like he’s pushing something down. “You have to push that shit down. Like not let it see the light of day. You have to take those feelings and keep that shit hidden.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It isn’t. It’ll be the hardest thing you’ll ever do.”
“I’m not as strong as you.” I look my brother in the eyes. “I’m not.”
“Yes you are.” He wraps his hand around the back of my neck, tugging me closer so our foreheads touch. “You’ve got this. Look at me, I’ve been suffering from anxiety because I couldn’t face my true feelings for Greer. You’re fine.”
“If you call going insane fine, sure.”
He releases me, and picks up his glass of whiskey. “Where were you headed? Work?”
I blow out another breath, shaking my head. “No. Not work.”
“Where?”
There’s no sense lying to my brother. “I was going to check on her at her father’s house.”
“Like spying?”
“No, not like spying. Just driving by and making sure she’s okay.”
“That’s straight up stalking, Ledger.”
I run a hand through my hair. “I can’t stop thinking about her. It’s bad.”
“I see that. You can’t go.” His face is as serious as I’ve ever seen it. “Seriously, Ledger. You can’t go.”
“Bane’s men can’t keep her safe.”
“It’s not your job to keep her safe, man.”
“I don’t trust her fiancé to do the job. I need to be the one taking care of her. Something’s going on with Bane, and I just don’t trust her not to get hurt because of whatever he’s up to.”
Roman shakes his head like he doesn’t agree with me. “Ledger, you have to push that shit down. You have got to step away. She’s with Bane.”
“Don’t ever say that shit to me ever again,” I sneer at him.
“I’m serious. She belongs with Bane. Or maybe she doesn’t, either way they’re going to get married, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
“What if I break them up?” I pour us both more whiskey in our glasses. “I could tell her how I feel about her.”
Roman’s once again shaking his head. “Don’t do it, Ledger. Do you want to end up like that missing witness Bane obviously made disappear? These aren’t the people to fuck with.”