Page 91 of Chaos Kills

Rolling my eyes, I gesture for him to lead the way while I follow. He takes me toward the garage and memories of Reeve fill my brain.

It’s not the same house, but the garage is attached, and I remember his freak out when I flipped Dad’s car. When he fucked me on top of the hood and promised me shit he had no business promising.

No business I had believing.

The relationship—I’m using that term loosely here—I have with Emilio was bound to rip us apart. I just thought it was going to be with Torin.

Levi swings the door open and steps inside. Inhaling, I do the same, and my heart reacts before my brain does.

Sitting in the not-so-empty space anymore is Dad’s Nova. The dark navy-blue paint looks like it just rolled out of a showroom. The edges and curves of the car are pristine.

It’s brand new.

Everything is exactly how it was before.

Everything.

It’s the prized possession that holds all of Dad in it.

The only thing I have that’s really worth a damn.

The thing he loved most besides me, the girls, and Levi.

The door clicks shut behind me, and that’s when I round on my best friend, jumping in the air in a trust catch and wrapping my arms tightly around his neck.

I smother my face into the side of his neck and breathe in motor oil and grease. The scent equally as calming as it is intoxicating.

Hot, fat tears burn annoyingly at the corners of my eyes, but this was Dad’s fuckin’ everything.

Everything.

So many memories I hold involve this car and Dad. Eating peanut butter sandwiches and talking his ear off, sitting on the cement and watching him work.

Looking back on it now, I took all those memories for granted. I was never permitted the chance to say goodbye.

He was just gone.

“How did you do it?” I ask into the nape of Levi’s neck. “How did you get it all done so fast?”

“A bunch of man hours and Juice and Hot Rod owed me some time.”

I squeeze him tighter as one of his arms latch around my back to keep me up. “I needed this. Just one thing to be fixed, Lev.”

“She’s back up to par, exactly how you and Dad had it before.”

God, I love this man. He knows exactly what I need.

“You’re the best,” I mutter into his warm skin. “I seriously don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You’d suck at life more,” he lightly teases. “But you know I got you, Astor. Always have.”

All fucking facts.

Levi has never let me down. He’s been my soldier and my savior all in one. He’s taken care of my sisters, Dad, fuckingmeand all my troublemaking. He’s given me space, but he’s known when to take it back, too.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“You don’t have a choice.” A few seconds go by before he says, “You wanna get off me now?”

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