Crave Me (The Good Ol' Boys #4)(59)

“Hey…” I coaxed, pulling her toward me to wrap my arms around her.

Having her in arms felt like heaven and home. The connection we shared was like nothing I had ever experienced before. As if she was made just for me.

Only me.

“I’m going with you, Briggs. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

She took a deep breath and melted into my arms like she was trying to mold us into one person and murmured,

“Okay.”





Chapter 17





<>Briggs<>



When my phone rang, I was expecting it.

To be honest, I was expecting him to just show up at one of the places he was sending me to. He could track me down in seconds. But he didn’t. He never even mentioned Austin, not once. My uncle only called me concerning important business matters and I knew this phone call would be anything but.

Austin was working again. I hated that he had to leave me to go make money. He was adamant about paying his own way and not living off of me. It didn’t bother me to pay for everything, I had more money than I knew what to do with, but I understood.

The last three months were like nothing I had ever experienced before. Even though I was used to this life and it was all I’d ever known, Austin made it different for me. It changed me in ways I never thought were possible before. He made me appreciate the beauty within the darkness. The light at the end of the tunnel that I had been walking through all my life wasn’t just at the end anymore.

That’s what Austin showed me. He lit up my dark tunnel and brought light into my life.

Hope.

Years of being alone and only relying on myself became second nature, like a second skin. With him, with Austin, I was starting to shed through the different layers and show what lied underneath the tattoos and purple hair.

Daisy.

I laughed. I smiled, a lot. My heart felt full in ways that it hadn’t since before my parents died. I was happy. And even though the feeling terrified me, I embraced it because it was just too beautiful to let go. I knew it was only three months. Three f*cking months and I got attached to him. When he wasn’t around, I missed him, like a part of me was missing.

The light was gone; he took it with him.

I hated that feeling more than anything in this world. He had the ability to look at me in a way that was so beautifully broken. Like two halves of a heart finally coming together and becoming one after years of being apart.

Which only added to my theory that this wasn’t the first time we had been together. Our souls had met before, in another time, in another place.

We were destined.

Whether we wanted to be or not.

It was fate.

We were fate.

I had an idea to present to my uncle. I was just waiting for the phone call.

“Briggs, what the f*ck do you think you’re doing?” Uncle Alejandro calmly coaxed when I answered the phone.

“Hi to you too. No, how are you? What have you been up to?” I sassed. I couldn’t help myself.

“I’m in no mood for your bitchiness. I have let this go on for three months without saying a word. Three f*cking months, waiting for you to say something to me. Not one f*cking word. So, I will ask again and it would be in your best interest to answer my f*cking question. What the f*ck do you think you’re doing?”

“His name is Austin—”

“Taylor from Oak Island, North Carolina. Born at Dosher Memorial Hospital on June 5th. Graduated from South Brunswick High School four years ago, almost died in a car accident his senior—”

“Car accident?” I interrupted, shocked.

“Ah, so you really don’t know everything about him. Would you like to know his goddamn social security number? Maybe his background? It’s all sitting here in front of me. I know who the f*ck he is. I want to know why the f*ck he is with you?” he roared, his patience wearing thin.

“He’s my friend.”

Silence.

“I met him in Miami a year ago and again in New York before I left. He doesn’t have anyone. He’s been backpacking and pretty much homeless. He keeps me safe, uncle. He protects me. You should see the men when I bring him—”

“Are you going to f*ck him too? Seeing as that didn’t work out so great for your last bodyguard,” he viscously spewed.

“That’s none of your f*cking business. I can't believe you just brought that up. I'm a grown woman and it’s none of your business who I f*ck now,” I sneered.

“It becomes my goddamn business when it’s messing with mine, peladita.”

“I thought you would happy that I found someone who cares about me, wants to protect me, seeing that you put me in the line of fire.”

“If someone f*cks with you, Briggs. They f*ck with me. Trust me, no one wants to f*ck with me,” he gritted out through the phone.

“He makes me happy. I’m happy, uncle,” I simply stated, hoping that would be enough to make him understand.

I paced around the room, trying to think what else I could say to him to make him understand. I didn’t want to lose Austin.

“You can be happy without this little f*ck following you around like a lost puppy. Did you ever stop and think that maybe he’s using you? How did you meet, Briggs? Hmm… at a library? I know how much you love to f*cking read.”