“I honestly don’t know. She’s probably not, but I never found out for sure.”
“Don’t see her much?”
I shook my head. “Pretty much gave up on the two of them when my dad got arrested.”
He wrapped his arm around my hips and pulled me against him. The river spread out before us, and I reflected on our stories. He had it much harder than I did, that was a given, but we both experienced losing a parent, even if it was in very different ways. Our stories were oddly similar, even though they ended up in completely opposite places.
“Sorry about your people,” he whispered.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry about yours.”
I felt him shrug, but he didn’t respond.
“Can I ask you something?” I said.
“Go ahead.” I wasn’t sure why I needed to say it out loud, but I felt strangely compelled. He was in a sharing mood, and I figured then was probably the time to ask.
“Are you part of a gang?”
I felt his body stiffen in response. He pulled away slightly and looked down at me, his face a stony mask. I couldn’t read his expression at all.
“Who told you that?”
“Well, my friend Amy. She’s engaged to Shane Green, and I guess you knew his brother.”
His expression didn’t change. “Fucking Greens.”
“I just wanted to know, I guess. To understand you better.”
He looked back out over the water. “I wouldn’t call it a gang, exactly. It’s the Irish mob. At least that’s what they call it.”
“And Michael’s the boss?”
“Yes, he is. It’s all dangerous shit. And it’s why I want you to stay away.”
“What do you mean, stay away?”
He looked back at me, his eyes sad and pleading. “This is a really bad time, Darcy. The fights are getting harder, and Michael is getting more serious about me paying back my debt. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I lose.”
“You wouldn’t let something bad happen to me.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t. But I can’t control everything around me.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to see me anymore?”
He let out an exasperated breath and grit his teeth. “I do want to see you, but I don’t want to put you in any danger. This isn’t schoolgirl shit, Darcy. This is serious.”
“I know it’s serious. I’m not an idiot.”
“Maybe you are, if you want to be with me.”
“Fuck you.” He could be such an asshole sometimes.
His face softened. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.”
He was quiet again, and we lapsed back into silence. I could feel the tension radiate from his body, and I was a mess of conflicting emotions and confusion. He seemed genuinely afraid of Michael, and he was obviously looking out for my safety. But I still trusted him, and found myself even more drawn into his world, despite the danger. Looking out at the city, sitting on a secluded rock, I felt more alive than I had in years. His strong body beside me was more solid than the stone we sat on.
“I don’t want to go anywhere,” I said quietly.
He looked at me, his eyes unreadable in the darkness. “I don’t want you to go anywhere, either.”
Before I could speak, he leaned forward and kissed me hard. I wrapped my arms around him as he turned his body against mine, kissing me deeply. His tongue parted my lips and ran against mine, soft and smooth. He adjusted his body and pressed me back. I felt his weight shift and his hips press against mine. I was laying back on the rock, its cold hard weight pressing against my back as Rex’s warmth pressed against my front. I felt my passion rising, running up my spine, and his hands roamed across my body as he continued to kiss me. His hips began to grind against my spot, and I groaned quietly. Part of me was afraid we would get caught, but that part was a quiet minority. All I wanted was Rex and his body. He could have me wherever he wanted.
As I felt myself falling deep into the motion of our bodies, his phone began to vibrate. I moved my mouth away from his.
“Is that a new toy,” I said. He shifted his weight and started to dig the phone from his pocket. He gave me a wicked grin.
“Hadn’t considered it, maybe we can give that a try.”
I watched as he checked the caller-ID, and his face immediately went from playful to serious. He opened the phone and answered it.
“What’s up?” I looked back toward the spiral staircase, but couldn’t see it through the trees and the night.
“Right now? Are you sure? Fine. I said fine.” He flipped the phone shut.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
He looked angry. “I have to go.”
“What’s going on?”
“That was one of Michael’s people. I have a job.”
“You don’t just fight for him?”