The Scars That Define Us (The Devil's Dust #2)(39)

Shadow looks out at the fireworks blooming into the night’s sky, his eyes squinting as he’s deep in thought. He turns and looks at me with a serious face, a wrinkle right between his eyes. “I never stopped.”

My heart skips a beat as his words register.

“I love you the same way you love me. No matter what we do to break each other, we are irreparable without each other,” I whisper.

He brushes a calloused finger over my bottom lip then runs it along my cheek as his mouth lifts slightly in the corner hiding, a smile. “It’s late. You want me to take you home?” he asks, as if we weren’t just having a deep conversation.

“I can get Tom to take me. You can stay and have fun,” I reply, pushing off the wall.

Shadow snorts. “That won’t be happening.”

I turn to argue but am interrupted. “Have you guys seen Babs?” my dad asks. He looks at Shadow and me and narrows his eyes with anger. Shadow and I hidden behind the bathhouse probably doesn’t look great.

“No, why?” I ask, concerned.

“She left for more food an hour ago and nobody has heard from her,” he responds, pulling his phone out, clearly trying to call her. The hairs on my arm rise with alert. Something feels off and I know it can’t be good.

“Sorry, brother. I haven’t,” Shadow says, grabbing my hand. “I’m taking Dani home.”





AFTER A LONG COLD shower, I lay in bed thinking about Dani in that f*cking black-leather swimsuit. Not helping myself with those thoughts, I end up in another cold shower. I knew the remedy to my boner lay in the other room, and the thought of her even there pisses me off. I climb out of bed and head over to Bobby’s room. Opening the door, I notice the lights off and Dani asleep in bed. Her shirt is tattered, way too big for her, and it’s twisted up, showing off her stomach and a peek at her right breast, her pink nipple barely showing. I throw my head back and moan at the throbbing piercing in my dick. I want Dani, and I want her badly. But it won’t be tonight when she’s half-asleep; I want her full attention. I want to know she’s mine willingly, and I want to know she trusts me.

I pull her shirt over her pink-laced panties—not helping with my blue balls at the moment—and lift her from the bed. She snuggles against my chest and moans my name. My name on her lips is bliss.

I lay her down in my bed and pull her close, her body fitting mine like a glove. I nuzzle her hair and smell her scent of peaches, wondering how I could ever think of possibly harming her. Looking back, I know I couldn’t have pulled the trigger on Dani. I want to believe I would do it for my brothers if they had asked, but considering how messed-up I am over her, I know I could never hurt her.

***

“Wake up,” I whisper, pulling the sheets off Dani. She stretches and moans, her shirt falling off her breast again, reminding me of what I want and can’t have.

“Wait. How’d I get in here?” she asks, pulling the sheet up to cover herself.

I smirk at her reaction. I could f*ck with her head, but I won’t.

“Don’t worry, you’d know if we f*cked,” I say winking, gaining an eye roll from her. “Get dressed,” I demand.

“Why?” she asks, looking for the clock.

“Because I’m teaching you how to shoot a gun properly today.” She looks at me dumbfounded, making me roll my lips to keep from laughing.

***

Dani couldn’t make it any harder on a man. She walked out of the room with her hair in braided pigtails, wearing a black tight tank with ripped shorts. The ride to the gun range was more than uncomfortable with my dick so hard I thought it would pierce the gas tank.

“Don’t I need ear plugs or something?” she asks, looking out at the targets.

“Are you going to pull your earplugs out and put them in before you shoot your attacker?” I counter, loading the gun.

“No,” she replies, rolling her eyes. I reach over and slap her ass, making her squeal from the contact.

“Ouch!” she yells, rubbing her ass cheek.

“Roll your eyes again,” I threaten.

“I don’t think I want to,” she says, smiling.

“Okay, show me how to hold a gun,” I order, handing her the gun.

She grabs the gun and points toward the target, locking both arms straight at the elbow, her legs so wide I could crawl between them.

“Wrong!”

“Well, we established that I don’t know what the hell I’m doing,” she smarts, lowering the gun and frowning those beautiful lips at me. I bite my lip to keep from smiling at her sassy attitude.

“Your legs need to be the width of your shoulders,” I explain, kicking her feet in. I walk up close behind her and unlock her right arm slightly. Then I bend her left elbow and adjust her right hand to grip the gun. Her left hand supports the grip, and her index finger on her right hand is next to the trigger.

“Pull the trigger with your right finger when—”

A loud bang resonates through the area, interrupting me.

“Shit!”

“You said to pull the trigger,” she smiles, lifting her eyebrow in a mischievous way.

“I was going to say pull the trigger when you were ready. You didn’t even aim,” I say, pointing toward the target.

She rolls her eyes at me and turns toward the target. Gritting my teeth, I slap her ass harder than before.