Page 148 of Burn

Finn seems to consider Owen’s words and then asks, “What about girlfriends? I mean, if you could have called her that. They fucked, and now they’re friends. Why can’t I ask her out?”

Owen grins. “I don’t know, ask Caleb. He can probably tell you better than anyone if you have a chance with her or not.”

I raise an eyebrow. I know who they’re talking about. Jacey. “She’s off limits to all of you bastards.”

“Why, because you’re puttin’ out fires with her now?” Jay asks.

Some people might not believe this, but men can resist temptation when they want. To me, if you cheat on someone, you were going to anyway. Temptation aside, it takes a different mindset to do that to another person. After everything I’ve been through, do you think I’m that type of guy?

“Fuck you, guys,” I say, walking into the kitchen.

Refusing to let me go, they follow me into the kitchen and won’t let up.

“Would you ever—” Finn’s eyes go wide. “Never mind.” He knows he’s asked the wrong question.

“Don’t fucking ask that.” I shove Finn back against the fridge. “She’s like my fucking sister.”

“You don’t make moves on your brother’s wife, ex-wife, girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, or sister,” Corbin points out, as if I don’t know.

Part of me wants to say, well, if want to get technical about this, she wasmygirlfriend first, andmy brotherfucked her. But I don’t.

“And besides, she’s pregnant from what I hear,” Jay has to add, because he doesn’t know when to fucking shut up.

I glare at him for his pregnant comment. Mostly because Jacey’s scared enough; she doesn’t need everyone talking about how fucked the situation is.

Leaning forward, I level them a look that says, knock it off. “I’m notfuckingher.”

“Yeah . . . okay.” Corbin gives a sarcastic nod and starts to walk away. I take my helmet off the floor by my turnout gear from the last job and throw it at him.

He turns around, then smiles, rubbing the back of his head, and walks back to Cap’s office. If Corbin hadn’t just made lieutenant, I probably would have throttled his ass right then for that comment.

The other guys seem to understand I’m not the type of guy to step out on Mila, regardless if we hadn’t declared anything, and with Jacey of all people, but I also think they know I’m not exactly stable these days.

It’s twenty minutes later and Corbin returns, this time with Owen hot on his heels.

“It’s not all about you, asshole,” Corbin says to Owen as they both walk into the lounge. “Grow up and get over yourself.”

Corbin isn’t the easiest person to get along with. Most of the guys understand this, but Owen likes to give him shit. It also might have had a little to do with the fact that Corbin made rank before he did. Maybe a little. Owen’s competitive.

Finn looks up, his face flushed. He seems to want to say something but doesn’t. I think he’s a little nervous after the Jacey comment.

When Corbin is out of the kitchen, I smile at Finn. “How many times do you think he says ‘asshole’ in one day?”

“Probably about as often as everyone else in this house.” He rolls his eyes, reaching for a can of Pringles on the table.

“I once counted.” I close the magazine I’m holding, pushing it forward. “He said it forty-two times in one afternoon.”

Owen returns to the kitchen, the fridge opening soon after. “You should be worried that you counted, not that he said it.”

Slowly turning the pages of theSports Illustratedmagazine on the table, I don’t look up when I say, “And on any given day the word ‘dick’ is said in this house at least 273 times.”

Finn bursts out laughing. “That’s . . . strangelyaccurate.”

“Did you clean the bathrooms?” Corbin asks Owen. It’s only ten, and they’re at each other’s throats again.

“Are you talking to me?” Owen turns on his heel, blue eyes blazing as he looks down at Corbin.

“Yes.” Corbin isn’t letting up.

---