Page 126 of Live for Me

“What in the actual fuck is wrong with the two of you?” I asked.

“Is that your version of asking if we’re both okay?” Jersey asked.

“No. I meant it exactly the way I asked it.”

“I told you not to answer that fucking call to begin with,” Jersey hissed over his shoulder at Utah.

“You what?” I demanded.

Utah shrugged while he made his way through the door. He didn’t stop until he was toe to toe with me and I had to glare straight up to be able to try to set him on fire with my eyes. His hands went to either side of my face.

“She called me the love of her life on that call. She can yell at me all she wants now,” he said so very softly. Then he kissed me. And I couldn’t move. Or think, apparently.

“Did he —? Did he justdiffuseMemphis?” Indy whispered very loudly.

That brought my brain back to life when Triss giggled. I put my hands up on Utah’s chest and he took a giant step backward before I’d even attempted to push him.

“Why?” I asked.

“He just needed to be reminded to leave you alone,” Utah said and raised his hands in surrender.

“And you know that because you used my phone. Again. Like you shouldn’t have done.Again.”

“Hey, I told you I wouldn’t use your phone to tell him to fuck offagain. And I didn’t. I just took his number from your phone. Made Indy do the rest.”

“Oh, don’t you fucking dare toss me under that bus. She’s been mad at me all day,” Indy said. “You’re on your own now, hoss.”

“Utah,” I tried again. “It would only take one misstep for this entire organization to suddenly be aware that we’re all together in Indiana. Just one. And there would be no undoing it. No fixing it. That’s how serious this is.”

“Can’t wait to see baby boy try to find a way out of that one,” Jersey said with another scoff.

“Baby boy,” Indy repeated and laughed before he looked Utah. “You’re going to let that slide?”

“My dick hangs past my nuts when I’m soft, man. That’ll still be the case regardless of any shitty nickname thrown my way from an asshole,” Utah said.

“Are you guys serious right now?” Trista asked.

Utah looked back at me after that.

“I know how much this means to you, sugar. I know you’re scared that it’ll all fall apart. I know all you do with your time is try to predict every possible thing that could derail what you’re trying to do. I know who you are, Memphis. I’m sorry I was the reason for so much of your stress today,” Utah said and stepped closer to me again. “But along those lines, I need you to go get a bag ready because we’re leaving for a few days. We’re going to go do something to start healing those wounds.”

I couldn’t at all wrap my head around how we were in his truck and headed south within the hour. None of the decisions that I made, made any sense at all when Utah was involved. This wasn’t the time to be running all over the country on pointless adventures. This wasn’t the time to be spending all of our time out in the world where anyone could find us. Now that I was trapped in this truck with him again while it was rolling down the interstate, all I could think about was how we had a million other things that we both should’ve been focusing on.

“Calm down, sugar.”

I glared at him. “I didn’t say anything.”

“If you rage-think any harder, I’ll be able to see the smoke rolling out of your ears any minute now.”

“Whatever this is, Utah, we shouldn’t be doing it.”

“I had Indy try to find the house where you and your sister were kept,” he said quietly.

A thousand thoughts exploded in my head all at once and rendered me perfectly speechless.

“I need you to focus, angel. I need you to stay here with me.”

I heard his voice, but my brain stood no chance at processing the words he used.

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