Page 63 of Wild Card

“In addition to the jobs you’re pulling and the races?” I asked, my eyes darting around the restaurant to see if anyone was listening.

“Yeah. That’s enough to pay for the mortgage for the next three months.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Why the fuck do you think I’ve been doing so much work, D?”

I slammed my molars together, narrowing my eyes. “You failed to mention the part where you were still attending school full time.”

Yeah, did he honestly think I wasn’t keeping tabs on that shit?

His eye roll nearly made me slap him in the back of the head.

“I have it handled. Right now, this is more important.” He waved me off.

“And what about you? What if you get caught?”

“We both know that’s not going to happen.”

“Just because your best friend’s dad is the police chief in Pinehurst doesn’t mean he’ll keep you safe, Kyle. This shit is big…especially with this much money coming in.”

“Just don’t stress, okay? Between the two of us, she won’t have to sell the house—that’s all that matters.” He patted my back and walked around me, leaving the cash in my hand.

Mallory and I ended up staying the night in my room again. This time it was a little more domesticated. She’d brought an overnight bag, brushing her teeth and washing her face in my childhood bathroom. She thought she was being funny by bringing along a certain pair of sweats to wear to bed.

“I bet you think you’re funny,” I said, watching as she swung her hips while wearing a small tank top, one that made her tits look fantastic.

She smirked at me, pulling down the covers. “I get cold at night, and these are so comfortable.”

I was in just a pair of black boxers. Even my feet were bare, and this girl was going to try to sleep next to me fully clothed. Hilarious.

“Mallory, I’m not kidding. If you wear those sweats to bed, I will shred them, then I will fuck you for good measure.”

Her bright smile melted away my defenses, leaving me with a stupid smile. She wiggled under the covers then tossed the sweats at my face a second later.

I slowly lifted the comforter to see what she was wearing. Her tan legs stretched out on my dark sheets, her white tank top rose to show her midriff, and there across her hips was a dark green color…

My god.My mouth went dry as I threw the covers off her.

She wore a dark green thong, just like in my fucking fantasy.

“Well, you’re fucked,” I muttered, about to run my hand over the fabric just to make sure it was real, but she stopped me.

Grabbing the covers once again, she chided me. “You owe me a conversation…or two.”

I groaned, letting my face fall to the covers.

“I saw a picture last night with you two…it looked real, and I guess I’m just trying not to be that sucker.” She plowed past my obvious reluctance to have this discussion.

I rested my head on my elbow so I could watch her while I explained. “Taylor barely talked to me after you left. She mentioned knowing Elias was a bad guy and said you shouldn’t be out with him. I sat on the couch, agreeing with her, and all of a sudden she perked up and said she knew something that might get you home sooner.” My hand itched to reach over and grab hers. “As soon as she took it, she jumped off the couch and told me I should wait for you in your room. Then she went to bed.”

“Wait…what?” Mallory sat up, shaking her head a bit. “That doesn’t make any sense. She…”

I knew she was likely coming to the same conclusion I had: Taylor knew Mallory and I were into each other.

“So, that’s it…you’re not after her anymore, and you magically don’t need your revenge?”

I considered it. Knowing what I did, things even Mallory didn’t know, I realized in comparison to potentially losing her, messing with Elias’s chances at a fat payday…it wasn’t worth it. I also knew there wasn’t anything I could really say that would explain my change of heart or make her believe I’d changed direction.

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