Page 24 of Bronco

“Don’t I know it.”

“You’ve got nothin’ to lose. Hell, you just rejected Cupcake’s titties in your face in front of the entire club,” he laughs. “Not like you could sink much lower than that.”

I punch him on the arm as he laughs harder. “I love how you act like you weren’t Bullet not too long ago.”

He shrugs. “Like I said, shit gets old. When you find a woman who knocks you off your feet, you’ll know it, and when that happens.” He makes a hand gesture toward his head, impersonating an explosion. “It’s magic time.”

I know he’s right, not that I’d tell him that. I’m well aware of brothers getting snagged by their ol’ ladies but I never thoughtI wanted that until recently. My emotions are everywhere right now. I’m literally a lost fucking puppy with no place to land.

“We’ve got a date this weekend,” I say.

“There ya go.” He nods approvingly.

“But it’s not a real date, she just had an extra ticket to the Pelicans game when her date bailed out at the last minute.”

“So it’s the perfect opportunity to test the waters. If you do the fuck buddy thing, I’d make it a stipulation that you’re exclusive, just so she doesn’t get any funny ideas.”

“She doesn’t sleep around.” The entire club knows that, but I don’t like the insinuation.

“But if she’s dating other people, that means she could be gettin’ friendly with another dude on the side while she’s gettin’ it from you.” He holds up his hands because he knows it’s a touchy subject where she’s concerned. He knows what I did to those two assholes in the street and I’d do it again, ten times over. “I just don’t want it to be your bleedin’ heart smashed up and hurt when she ends it because some other guy had the nerve to give her what she wants.”

I let his words hang between us. I never thought I’d admit this, but maybe Nevada is right?

I clear my throat, trying to lighten the mood. “Okay, hey, Amber. I think we should fuck with no strings attached and no feelings or expectations, but I’d also like to be exclusive and no, you can’t see other people or ride any other dick but mine. We’re exclusive but not together, you got me?” I roll my eyes. “That’s the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard. Plus, can I just say it one more time? I don’t like her like that.” The lies I tell are starting to make my inner being frown at me in disgust. But Nevada sees right through it.

“You’re a pathetic excuse for a brother,” he sighs. “With all that woo woo shit you spout about, I thought you’d see the connection a mile away. I guess I was wrong.”

I glare at him in disbelief as he saunters off to take his shot, leaving me staring after him, questioning everything I thought I knew.

6

AMBER

The Past - Three years ago

I’ve never hurried so fastwithout running in my life. I’ve also never carried an armful of fake props while I fled the place I despise the most and managed to maintain balance and poise. Luckily, I’ve had a lot of practice. The air feels thick today. It’s a typical cold April morning, and though the sun is trying to break out, the clouds above threaten rain. It can rain all it wants once we’re free of this Hell hole, but it’ll only slow us down if the heavens decide to open now.

Like clockwork, it’s as though every single person in the village notices us and wants to stop and chat. I’ve already craned my neck to check where the delivery van is. Usually he starts at the church, makes his way to the school, stops by two of the farms at the far end of our compound, and then lastly the Mcgregor’s to dump the flour and whatever else can’t fit in the extra storage at church.

Just breathe and you’ll get through this.

I feign hardship as I carry the basket of fruit toward the village square where all the tables are being set up. The basketisn’t exactly light, but then if I exaggerate too much, someone will want to help me carry it.

Olive skips along happily, unaware of the turn that her life is about to take. I can’t control the adrenaline coursing through my veins, and I want to run as fast as I can, but I already did that once and now I’ve found Erica, I can’t do it again.

Escaping in broad daylight is a bold move, but now it makes much more sense than trying to scale that wall by night. I’d plunge to my death before I made it down the other side.

All of my hopes are dashed when I see Vince at the long table, directing Becky and Anne with his orders.Please let me go unnoticed… Please let me go unnoticed… Please let me…

Our eyes meet and my heart falters. I’ve got two options here: make a run for it knowing I won’t make it but I’ll have the memory of dying while I tried, or appease him and make an excuse to leave. I choose the latter because time is ticking and the quicker I make an appearance, the quicker I can be gone. I can’t see Steven anywhere, but he won’t be far away. He never is.

“There you are!” Vince calls, his face contorted with anger. “I sent Linda out to look for you.”

Why the heck can’t he let me be for five minutes?

“I was just helping Olive and Erica,” I tell him, keeping my voice calm and pleasant. I gesture to the fruit. “The ladies needed this for the table and now I have to get to work on the bread. You did put me in charge, after all.” Vince knows the one thing I do right is baking, even he can’t deny that.

He peers over my shoulder at Erica and Olive who have stopped to place their painted buntings around the tables. The best fucking guise ever. I want to smile to myself, but we’re so far from the finish line, I feel if I even breathe the wrong way he’ll know what we’re up to.

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