Page 178 of His Virgin Romance Series

“It’s so weird,” I said, shaking my head. “I went to the police right after he almost tried to kill me. The cop kept me waiting for hours, and when he got back to me, he said that Walter had already cleared out of the apartment.”

“That’s when you decided to call me?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “It didn’t feel like the cop I spoke to even wanted to help me.”

“He didn’t,” Devon said. “He wanted to help the other guy.”

I frowned. “Walter?”

“It’s the only explanation that makes sense,” Devon nodded. “How else would Black have known to have clear out so soon after you left? By the time I went by his apartment, he had disappeared completely. The cop you spoke to would have tipped him off.”

“But how—”

“Half the cops have been bought by Godwin,” Devon told me. “And you stumbled across one of his guys.”

“Fuck,” I sighed. “Just my luck.”

“I wish you had called me first without going to the police,” Devon said. “We handle our business without getting the cops involved.”

“It’s not like they’re much involved anymore,” I pointed out, to which Devon nodded. “But in any case… I didn’t think I could call you.”

“What do you mean?”

“We were never exactly close, Devon,” I pointed out.

“Fuck that,” he said. “We’re family. Family doesn’t have to be ‘close.’ We still show up when the shit hits the fan.”

I smiled and nodded. “I’ll remember that the next time. In any case… I think we qualify as close now.”

“You think?” Devon asked, with a small smile.

“I think so,” I nodded, bumping into him from the side in a gesture of familial affection.

His smile grew a little wider. He may have been my brother, but there was so much I still didn’t know about Devon. There was so much I hadn’t even bothered to ask him because I had been so wrapped up in my own shit.

“Devon?”

“Hmm?”

“Where do you go when you’re not here?”

Devon glanced at me. “Home,” he said.

“You live close by?”

“About fifteen minutes away,” he replied. “I have a tiny apartment in a very uncool neck of the woods. I would have let you stay there, but it’s too cramped. Plus staying at the clubhouse gives you more protection.”

“Do you…have a girlfriend?” I asked tentatively, wondering if he would share with me.

He smiled. “Sort of.”

“Sort of?” I asked, immediately interested.

“Her name is Jessica,” Devon replied. “We’ve been seeing each other for about six months now.”

“Six months?” I repeated. “That’s quite a while.”

“It didn’t get serious until recently.”

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