Read Online Never Enough: The Vipers MC by Lexi Cross - Free Book Online
Authors: Lexi Cross
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see right through it in no time. It’s like nothing to you. When it’s something you really care about, though? Like something that’s a part of your life? It’s a different story.”
“You’re telling me I’m fucking delusional. That’s what you’re telling me.”
“You’re a stubborn fuck, too,” he added. “Don’t forget that part. You won’t listen to me. Even to me. Your best friend since birth. This is what I’m talking about. Maybe that’s why she left, man.” His voice was quiet. He was trying to be my friend, and I knew it, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. I pushed the urge to pound his face into the desk way down deep inside me, and told myself I had to prove him wrong by listening to him. I would listen and try to understand. That would show him who was a stubborn fuck.
“It’s too late for me to ask myself why she left. That was a long time ago. It’s in the past.” I glanced at the laptop again. “This is what matters.” I tapped the screen, which showed her brownstone. “Her place. They’re gonna come for her again, I know it.”
“Sure they will, if she owes that kind of money. I’m surprised they let her go this long—usually, if you’re a day late they’re after you.”
“I know. It’s weird. Maybe because she’s a woman, I don’t know. Some of these douchebags actually have a conscience. But they’re not gonna give up, not even after the beat down.”
“Especially not after it. They’ll wanna let you know you didn’t do shit to stop them.”
“Right.” I scrubbed my hands over my face. If I had gotten an hour of sleep the night before, I’d have been surprised to hear it. It felt like I hadn’t slept at all, tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling, watching the clock change from one minute to the next, then the next. Torture. And all I could do was think of her. Once I saw her on the street, once I kissed her at the apartment, it had opened the door. Everything came pouring out. Christmases, birthdays, vacations. Our wedding day. Our wedding night. The day we bought our house and christened every room. Over and over, I asked myself what went wrong. Just like I did when she first left.
“What do you wanna do about her?” Tony asked, breaking into my sleepy thoughts.
“I’d say let’s post a guard outside the house, but she’ll see that coming a mile away. She doesn’t even know all the new guys who came in since she left, but she’ll know who they are. She’s smart like that.”
“We could put ’em in a car,” Tony pointed out. “I know it would make me feel better.”
I grinned at him. “Still your little sis, huh?”
“Whatever. She was a good kid. She hurt you, and I hated her for that, but she was a good kid.” It was the closest Tony would ever get to saying he loved her, or even liked her a whole lot. We grew up together, the three of us. Tony was oldest, a year older than me and two years older than Jess. We’d lived in the same neighborhood, played together when we were kids. Went to school together—Tony got left back in grade school, so the two of us were in the same class. Jess was so smart she skipped a grade. It always amazed me that she would hang out with us in the first place.
I sighed. Tony heard me. “You okay?”
“No, man.” He was the only person in the world I would admit that to. “I hate this. I thought I was over it. Now it’s all coming back.”
“You were never over it. She’s your first love, brother. We always have that inside us.”
“You sound like a Hallmark card. Or a TV movie.”
“Fuck off. I’m just trying to help you.” He shoved me. I shoved him back. Neither of us really meant it, and it burned off a tiny bit of steam.
I looked around the office, with its wood paneling and fancy furniture. All the stuff Axel used to think was important. “I blamed him for a long time,” I
“You’re telling me I’m fucking delusional. That’s what you’re telling me.”
“You’re a stubborn fuck, too,” he added. “Don’t forget that part. You won’t listen to me. Even to me. Your best friend since birth. This is what I’m talking about. Maybe that’s why she left, man.” His voice was quiet. He was trying to be my friend, and I knew it, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. I pushed the urge to pound his face into the desk way down deep inside me, and told myself I had to prove him wrong by listening to him. I would listen and try to understand. That would show him who was a stubborn fuck.
“It’s too late for me to ask myself why she left. That was a long time ago. It’s in the past.” I glanced at the laptop again. “This is what matters.” I tapped the screen, which showed her brownstone. “Her place. They’re gonna come for her again, I know it.”
“Sure they will, if she owes that kind of money. I’m surprised they let her go this long—usually, if you’re a day late they’re after you.”
“I know. It’s weird. Maybe because she’s a woman, I don’t know. Some of these douchebags actually have a conscience. But they’re not gonna give up, not even after the beat down.”
“Especially not after it. They’ll wanna let you know you didn’t do shit to stop them.”
“Right.” I scrubbed my hands over my face. If I had gotten an hour of sleep the night before, I’d have been surprised to hear it. It felt like I hadn’t slept at all, tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling, watching the clock change from one minute to the next, then the next. Torture. And all I could do was think of her. Once I saw her on the street, once I kissed her at the apartment, it had opened the door. Everything came pouring out. Christmases, birthdays, vacations. Our wedding day. Our wedding night. The day we bought our house and christened every room. Over and over, I asked myself what went wrong. Just like I did when she first left.
“What do you wanna do about her?” Tony asked, breaking into my sleepy thoughts.
“I’d say let’s post a guard outside the house, but she’ll see that coming a mile away. She doesn’t even know all the new guys who came in since she left, but she’ll know who they are. She’s smart like that.”
“We could put ’em in a car,” Tony pointed out. “I know it would make me feel better.”
I grinned at him. “Still your little sis, huh?”
“Whatever. She was a good kid. She hurt you, and I hated her for that, but she was a good kid.” It was the closest Tony would ever get to saying he loved her, or even liked her a whole lot. We grew up together, the three of us. Tony was oldest, a year older than me and two years older than Jess. We’d lived in the same neighborhood, played together when we were kids. Went to school together—Tony got left back in grade school, so the two of us were in the same class. Jess was so smart she skipped a grade. It always amazed me that she would hang out with us in the first place.
I sighed. Tony heard me. “You okay?”
“No, man.” He was the only person in the world I would admit that to. “I hate this. I thought I was over it. Now it’s all coming back.”
“You were never over it. She’s your first love, brother. We always have that inside us.”
“You sound like a Hallmark card. Or a TV movie.”
“Fuck off. I’m just trying to help you.” He shoved me. I shoved him back. Neither of us really meant it, and it burned off a tiny bit of steam.
I looked around the office, with its wood paneling and fancy furniture. All the stuff Axel used to think was important. “I blamed him for a long time,” I
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