Rule (Marked Men #1)(28)

“But she’s Shaw. Perfect, Shaw. Even when she was little she was untouchable and aloof. She would be over at the house all the time with Remy and every time I said anything or did anything she would just look at me like I was an idiot.”

He snorted. “You were an idiot. You don’t remember being sixteen? We were nightmare and never very nice to her. You made fun of her hair, teased Remy mercilessly about spending all his time with her, you were an ass.”

“I was?”

“Dude, you still totally are. And Shaw is Shaw. She’s so freaking beautiful it hurts look at her sometimes, but she doesn’t even know it. She’s still untouchable because she’s always going to be richer and smarter than we are, but she doesn’t care about any of that. She’s cool, she doesn’t care that you’re just you, and honestly Rule, any chick that can put up with the headache that is you, well I’d put a goddamn diamond on her finger.”

I punched him in the shoulder. “I’m not that bad.”

He gave me a look. “Yeah you are. Think about it, it only took seeing her dressed as a sexy referee to get you to notice she was an actual girl after all this time. You suck.”

“But man oh man did she look good in that outfit.”

“See, total suckage. So what are you going to do now, call her?”

“I don’t know. Rome is coming to town and since I like my privates located where they are I need to keep it on the low down. I don’t think she’ll say anything to him.”

“Probably not, she knows it would drive your crazy mom right over the edge.”

“Yeah.”

“So,” he paused and gave me a pointed look. “Was it worth screwing everything up?”

I let my head fall back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. “It so totally was.”

I had had the best sex of my life with a girl that I had thought was way out of my league and in love with my dead brother, yeah Nash was probably right if anybody could put up with all the crazy I was rocking I should probably lock them in quick because even I could see how seriously screwed up what I had allowed to happen last night had been.

Chapter 6

Shaw

“Stop looking at me like that.” I fiddled with my hair and adjusted the neck of the scarf I had on to cover my neck. Rome was looking at me like he was trying to see inside my head and I didn’t like it one bit. I ignored his calls all day Sunday because I was still trying to get my head around the fact that I had drunkenly demanded Rule take my virginity and I had been sore, both from the booze and the bed acrobatics. I had a test Monday and had to work a closing shift, on Tuesday I did a volunteer shift at the children’s hospital and suffered through an ungodly dinner with my father and his new wife so Rome had been forced to wait until Wednesday to take me on my belated birthday dinner. Ever since I sat down he had been peering at me intently and I had to kept checking to make sure that the scarf was covering the lovely hickey Rule had left Saturday night. I got enough flak from Ayden about it and I didn’t need Rome joining in on the Shaw is an idiot band wagon.

“It’s the hair. It’s nice but I’m just used to the all blond. You look different, more mature.”

“Thanks, I like it.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans either.”

“I went shopping for my birthday. I decided that the pearls and heels didn’t need to be worn every time I left the house, I have plenty for when it’s time to play society maven for the folks.”

“Speaking of birthdays I brought this from mom and dad.” He handed me a little bag and I set it on the table between us.

“Your mom won’t talk to me; I tried to call her the other day.”

“She’s having a hard time now that you laid the law down. She always viewed you as an ally in the war on the get Rule to get his act together war. She just doesn’t see what she’s doing to him, to us.”

I sighed. “I know that’s why I had to stop.”

“This is from me.” He gave me a gift certificate to my favorite bath and body store. I smiled and gave him a big hug. I just loved this guy, he looked like a warrior but he had such a good heart.

“Thank you Rome, that’s so sweet. I’m so glad you’re home.”

“Me too little girl, I tried to get Rule to come out but he had a late client. He was grumbling about having to draw yet another Harry Potter tattoo or something, I guess I forget he actually has to work.”

I peeked inside the bag. It was a picture. Margot had found one of the very first pictures taken of me and Remy and put it in a lovely silver frame. I was so small and awkward and Remy so tall and handsome, we looked ridiculous but it was a sweet gesture and it brought tears to my eyes. I showed it to Rome and slid it back into the bag.

“I miss him every day.”

“I do too; I miss the way he made everyone act right.”

I laughed a little and sipped some of my iced tea. “Yeah he was good at policing the way everyone treated each other, he didn’t tolerate any of the silliness we tend to allow.”

“Rule said he’s run into you a couple times, how was that?”

I cleared my throat and willed the scarlet blush that had been accompanying Rule’s name all week to stay at bay. “Kinda weird. He came into the bar I worked at with a bunch of friends on a game day. It’s strange to interact with each other like normal people.”