Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)(74)

The pool hall was a dive and interchangeable with a dozen others I’d been in over the years. The McKay-kateers had scored two tables in the back. Raj and I went to the bar and ordered a pitcher and five glasses. We weren’t carded, which explained why my cousins already had a pitcher on the table.

“Hey,” Hayden said.

I introduced Raj and then poured us two cups of beer.

“So how long have you guys been hanging out at this place?” I asked.

“Just since the start of the year.” Anton lifted his glass. “After we discovered the cheap beer.”

“A skill all college students require,” Hayden said.

“What did you find out about classes?” Kyler asked me.

“Nothing new. We started clinicals today, so we’re working with our preceptor.”

Anton asked Raj, “How often do you have to go back to base?”

“Right now? Every four weeks for three days of active duty. We can stretch that out to every six weeks when we’re in school.”

“Then again, they could call us back tomorrow and demand a week’s duty,” I said.

“We’ll be racking up those frequent flyer miles the next two years,” Raj said. “Or racking up highway miles. It sucks ass bein’ stuck on base without a vehicle.”

“You’re both career military?” Anton asked.

Raj nodded. “Didn’t plan on it when I enlisted. But now I can’t imagine another way of life.”

“My dad was career military until he lost his leg after a combat mission,” Anton said. “He’s a cop now. But he told me he’d still be in if he had all of his parts.” He gulped a mouthful of beer. “I’m considering ROTC. Been thinking about it since the end of last year.”

Kyler and Hayden were both too dumbfounded to speak. Which I figured was a blessing because they’d probably say some dumb shit to Anton.

“If you’re serious,” Raj said to him, “come talk to me. I’ve got a buddy who’s not a recruiter around here so he doesn’t have a quota to meet. He catches heat for his honesty, ’cause he knows military life ain’t for everyone, but he’s a good guy to talk to.”

“I appreciate that, Raj.” Anton pointed at his cousins. “Not a f*cking word outta either of you. I’m trusting that this stays right here, between us.”

“Jesus, Anton, you don’t even have to ask us,” Kyler grumbled.

“Or exact a pinkie promise,” Hayden said.

Anton said, “You’re a jackass,” to Hayden, but he said it with a smile.

Then all eyes zoomed to me. “What?”

“Sierra can’t know either.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m on year seven of my military service. I know how to keep my mouth shut.”

Kyler eyed the pitcher with regret. “I’m wishing I could get shitfaced right about now.”

“Let’s play pool,” Hayden suggested.

I followed them and leaned against the wall to watch.

Ky dropped in two solids and scratched on his third shot.

“You seem on edge. What’s up?”

“Sick of all the bullshit that goes along with bein’ a football player.”

“Anton is tired of the drama with the rodeo team,” Hayden said. “And my peer groups are already making schedules and assigning study groups for f*cking midterms. I’m taking twenty credit hours. I don’t need the extra pressure.”

Bad attitudes all around. I questioned why I was here. I wasn’t imagining Ky and Hayden sending Raj dark looks as if he’d become the enemy. I pulled out my phone and texted Sierra.

Me: This sucks. Don’t plan to stay long.

SM: I’ve had a ? day and just want to go home

I smiled that she used the shit emoji rather than the word.

Me: U done?

SM: In the car. Be there in ten.

I could deal with this for ten more minutes.


My phone rang with my sister’s name on the caller ID. Never good news when she called me. “Oakley? What’s up?”

“Mom is high again and she’s drunk. She forgot to pay the electric bill so the power company cut the power sometime after I went to school. Now it’s dark out here, like really dark, and I’m hungry and with no power I can’t cook anything. Plus, I have a calc test tomorrow. Am I supposed to study by candlelight?”

“Take a deep breath, sweetheart, and calm down.”

“I hate this, Boone. I hate her.”

My stomach bottomed out. “I know. Where’s Mom now?”

“Passed out in her bedroom.”

“Take a picture of her and send it to me.”

Silence. “You don’t believe me! You think I’m just like her, lying to manipulate you and—”

“No, I don’t. Just listen to me.” I turned toward the wall, keeping Kyler and Hayden at my back. “We need proof of her f*ck-up. Take pictures of anything drug related. And the booze. Take pictures of her passed out. Can you do that?”

She sniffled. “I don’t know what good it’d do unless you’re calling social services. And you know how I feel about that.”

“Fine.” Oakley lost her shit last time I’d brought it up. Not because she had a f*cked-up dependency on Mom, but because she and Rock had spent a year in the foster system. It killed me I hadn’t known about it. “Can you get to town?”