What Doesn't Destroy Us (The Devil's Dust #1)(69)

“Firefly is asleep,” Bobby says, as I sit down next to him on the couch. I needed to get out of here earlier. Dani in the kitchen cooking in that shirt was torture, but when she defied me and went f*cking crazy, I couldn’t hold back anymore, I had to have her. When I realized what I was doing, it became clear to me that I couldn’t push Dani away even if I wanted to. She is mine, and I am hers.

“Go ahead, baby, I’ll catch up,” Bobby says to Doc, dismissing her. “What the f*ck, man? Talk to me,” he demands of me when she's gone.

“There’s nothing to talk about, leave it.” I get up and make my way to the kitchen for a beer. The spaghetti mess is still present. I look at the counter and see a clean spot from Dani’s cute little ass.

“I took a f*cking bullet for you to be with that girl and now you are pushing her away. Why?” Bobby yells at me, that boy has balls talking to me like that.

“She f*cks with my head. That day she was taken, my whole world f*cking shifted, Bobby, and I lost control,” I fess up.

“Love has a funny way of f*cking with you. I get it; you think pushing Firefly away will keep you from feeling that helpless again,” Bobby says, getting up and walking over to the island.

“Yeah, and I don’t trust that she won’t leave when she finds out what I really do; how I stay alive.” I take a swig of my bottle, regret of the f*cked up numbness I call my life and the way I cope with it, swallowing me into a black abyss. If Dani is anything like her mother, she will run far away from me. Pushing her away now is better than after I completely give myself to her, or so I think.

“She’s Heaven and I’m Hell. When we’re together angels cry and Hell freezes over.” I look at Bobby, “It’s no shocker we are from different worlds.”

“Nah, I don’t see her running, Shadow.” He takes a drink from his beer. “You push her away, she will find someone else, and when you see that, it will be the worst kind of hell. Trust me, I have lived it,” Bobby looks down, his voice full of shame.

“Fuck you.” I yell at Bobby. Just the thought of Dani with someone else makes me angry.

Bobby laughs, “Yeah, Firefly has you by the balls.”

“I’m about to cut yours off, you keep talking shit!” I walk right in front of Bobby, testing him to say something else.

“I’m trying to help, man. Calm down.” Bobby throws his hands up in surrender.

“I f*cked this up too much anyway, she won’t ever forgive me.” I say to Bobby, finishing off my beer. The thought of Dani showing off some new guy to Bull, has me nearly crushing the beer bottle in my hand. How could I think pushing her away would make me feel better? Pushing her away was a weak move.

“Looking at you two on that counter earlier, I think different.” Bobby cocks his brow and lifts his chin toward the kitchen.

“So take her away; shower her in love. Earn each other's trust; find out what each other likes and hates,” Doc says, stepping into the room, clearly eavesdropping.

Bobby’s face lights up when he sees her; and he has the nerve to say Dani has me by the balls.

“I know nothing about that,” I reply to Doc, sitting down on the couch.

“He’s telling the truth. He’s never been in a relationship, ever,” Bobby says, seriously.

“Man, what the f*ck? Really?” I ask, throwing my hands up pissed off that he would just spill my life out to some chick.

“Aww, that’s cute,” Doc coos. “From what Bobby has told me about Dani, she hasn’t either, so don’t sweat it.”

It pisses me off that Dani and I are their choice of topic for pillow talk. I would tell her to f*ck off if I didn’t need her help. I know nothing about romantic getaway trips; or anything romantic for that matter.

“You said I should take her away somewhere. Where?” I ask, rubbing my bottom lip with my thumb, something I do when I'm deep in thought. Truth is, I just want them both out of my and Dani’s relationship; getting to the bottom of this quickly should do just that.

We all sit thinking, silently.

“Oh! A surgeon I work with said her husband rented a beach house. It was just them and some staff occasionally. She said it was super intimate and romantic. It sounded awesome from everything she told me. You should do that.” Doc's voice is perky and damn near annoying. I don't like in-love Doc.

“You know you can afford it,” Bobby says, sarcastically.

I can afford it, I know that. Money is not a problem. The problem is whether Dani wants to go with me now that I have been such a dick.

I reach into the end table and pull out the laptop. I was taking Dani whether she wanted to go or not. Getting her away from danger, and these two love birds, would help ease some of my tension.

“Tell her everything, I don’t think it will make her run. She’s a tough one. People are going to hurt you, break your trust no matter what. It’s up to you to decide which ones are worth risking that,” Bobby says. He has clearly been around chirpy Doc too long.

“Where did you hear that?” I ask him snidely.

“I don't know. I've had enough chicks break up with me. I’m sure one of them said it to me,” Bobby says, laughing, looking at Doc who is clearly not amused. Doc gets up and stomps out of the room, pissed at Bobby and his confession of being with lots of women.