Uncontrollable Temptations (Tempted #3)(61)

Chapter Twenty-Five





Blackie stared at me silently as I walked toward the dining room table and picked up a pack of Marlboros.

“Got a light?” I asked, pushing the cigarette between my lips as I walked passed him to the front door. He followed me outside, sitting beside me on the stoop and produced a lighter from his pocket. I handed him the pack of cigarettes and he took one for himself.

“You want to talk about that?” He questioned, looking over his shoulder toward the door.

“What’s the point? You probably know more about my actions than I do,” I muttered.

“Not talking about your breakdown, talking about your woman,” he commented, taking a pull of his cigarette. “I was wrong about her, you know,” he offered, causing me to turn and stare at him.

“How’s that?”

“Guess you didn’t listen to your messages yet,” he grunted. “Gold came by the clubhouse unannounced,” he said, raising his eyes to mine. “Gotta tell you man, you should probably wife that one,” he said seriously, as he blew out a ring of smoke.

“She was there when Gold came by?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “Why the hell was she still there?”

“What part of unannounced didn’t you comprehend? It's fine, Jimmy thinks she’s just a club whore. She didn’t ask questions, just did as I told her—but she saw some shit,” he added, turning his attention toward the street.

“What kind of shit?” I asked, clenching my fist.

“Gold didn’t like I was the man delivering the product, said he didn’t trust me. As an act of good faith he forced me to sample the H,” he admitted, running his fingers through his hair roughly and flicking his cigarette into the street before turning his eyes back to me. “Wifey saw me with a needle in my arm and didn’t run away, she just ran right to you.”

The blood in my veins ran cold as I studied Blackie, watching as he lifted his sunglasses, giving me a view of the dark circles that shadowed his bloodshot eyes. He slowly rolled up his sleeve and flicked his forearm in search for the bruised vein.

“No sweat, just once, didn’t even leave much of a mark,” he ground out.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you deal with that prick by yourself,” I responded. “I’m making a mess of things, letting everything with Jimmy get the best of me for months now.”

“It’ll all be over soon,” he said, pulling down his sleeves and lowering his glasses back to cover his eyes.

“Even so, doesn’t make it okay,” I replied, cupping his shoulder. “You good?” I asked, my conscience eating away as I realized the sacrifice he’d made, the dignity he lost as he pushed that poison into his body.

“I’m good,” he replied. “Be better when these motherfuckers are off the streets.” He turned, and I felt his gaze—even behind the mask of the shaded lenses. “We will get them, right? We’re going to make Gold and the G-Man pay aren’t we?”

“Yeah, brother, we are,” I assured him, knowing he needed to hear my words, he needed to believe there would be retribution after all this. I needed to hear it too, but there was no one there to remind me. I had to be the man who delivered the punishment. It was a promise to myself that I needed to live by. The front door opened and Reina stormed out. She wouldn’t even look at me, her eyes were swollen and puffy as they looked everywhere but at me.

Retribution.

My punishment for my sins was right there in Reina’s eyes.

“If you’re taking me then let’s go…now,” she said, crossing her arms against her chest as she stared down at Blackie, avoiding eye contact with me.

She was cute when she was mad, pouty lips and fire in her eyes, tapping her toe impatiently. My dick stirred to life, and I decided after this shit storm died down I’d remember that pout and that vengeful look in her eyes as I fucked her senseless, erasing all the anger from her body.

I stood up, closing the distance between us and shoved my hands inside my pockets, respecting her boundaries as she took a step away from me. “Waited a long time for someone to be by my side, you’re my old lady now, I don’t want to wait any longer,” I reminded her.

“Keys,” Blackie called behind me, and I watched as Reina dug inside her purse and threw them toward him. She looked back at me, her eyes softening a little.

“I thought I was done hurting,” she whispered. “Goodbye, Jack,” she added.

Fuck her boundaries.

I pulled my hands out of my pockets and lifted them to her face, turning her to me, I held on tight as I leaned into her.

“Gonna make that hurt disappear, Sunshine,” I vowed, pressing my mouth against hers, letting my lips glide over hers teasingly, a promise of more lingering between us. We weren’t done, and this wasn’t goodbye, we were just beginning. I pulled away and stared into her glassy eyes before dropping my hands from her face and turning to Blackie.

“Meet you back at the clubhouse,” I said, stepping around Reina. He nodded before turning to walk to his truck. I glanced at Reina and watched as she stared back at me silently for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

I swallowed hard as I felt the sincerity of her words down in my bones. She was respecting my grief for my estranged brother. Hope sparked inside of me realizing that even after the lies she still gave a damn. Maybe it was just the person Reina was, maybe it had nothing to do with the way she felt about me. Whatever it was, I was certain Reina was the Hail Mary to all my sins. She made me want to be a better man, to be just a little like her.