Page 82 of Prey

I closed my eyes.

I had been leaving the apartment early and coming home well past when she had gone to bed.

I watched the screen as the three dots appeared, telling me she was texting me back. They disappeared after a moment, started back up again, and disappeared once more.

I waited, and when they didn’t reappear again, I shoved my phone back into my pocket.

“Trouble in paradise?” Micah asked, taking a seat beside me.

I hadn’t even heard him come up.

Jesus. It was distractions like this that got men killed in our world.

Though I didn’t show any outward reaction to him, I knew he probably sensed my surprise.

He shook his head in disgust. “You need to fucking focus when you’re out in public.”

“I know that,” I said defensively.

“Then act like it.”

“What do you want?”

“Have you decided what you're going to do about the flash drive?”

I shook my head. “I’m still thinking.”

“Keeping her bastard father out of jail isn’t the way to go. You can have your little toy to play with, but don’t let her be the reason Dominic questions your loyalty to the club.”

“I’m not going to betray the club,” I said, unable to keep the anger from my voice. “Jesus. What do you take me for?”

He shrugged. “It’s hard for me to tell with you these days.”

“I’m still me.”

“No, you’re a fucking fool, is what you are.”

I didn’t say anything for a moment before I let a small smile curve my lips. “One of these days, you’re going to fall, and you’re going to fall hard, brother. And I will be there to remind you of this conversation.”

“Don’t insult me like that. I don’t have a fucking heart.”

I laughed. “Yeah, you do, no matter how badly you wish that weren’t the case.”

“You wish.”

I didn’t bother arguing with him. He wouldn’t have believed me anyway, but I just knew, when us Stone men fall, we fall hard.

It would only be a matter of time for him, and I feel bad for whoever that unlucky girl would be once that happened.

“Come out to the bar tonight,” he said, and I paused at his voice.

“Why?”

“Because you have been missing for weeks, and people are starting to talk. It’s good for you to be around, for the brothers to see that the VP isn’t as distracted as he seems.”

Yeah, going out was the last fucking thing I wanted to do.

We were getting way too old for this shit, and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed with Ryleigh and let her fight away my demons, even if it was only for a few hours.

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