Page 132 of Outcast
“Maybe save your fraud planning for when we’renotin front of the sheriff’s department,” Axel drawled. “Not ready to go back in the slammer just yet.”
“Everything’s a joke with you…”
My phone buzzed in my pocket. While Holden and Axel argued, I checked the text that popped in.
Emory:
Where are you?
Gray:
Standing in front of the jail
Emory:
Good. Don’t leave. Be there in two mins.
I pocketed my phone just as Holden whirled back toward me. “I expected better from you, Gray. I trusted you to keep them out of trouble.EspeciallyBailey.”
“I fucked up, okay? I already know that!”
“Yeah, you fucking did,” he growled. “I got you back here to help me with the business, not give me more messes to clean up.”
I flinched, his words cutting deep. He hadn’t brought me back because he missed me or wanted me to be part of the family but to help him with the business? I knew he needed my help, that he wanted to expand it to bike repairs, but I thought it was just an excuse to ask me to come home—not the only fucking reason for me to be there.
“Wow,” I said. “If that’s how you really feel, maybe you’d be better off without me.”
“Come on. I didn’t mean it like that.”
A maroon sedan pulled up alongside us, interrupting our conversation. Given the way things were going, that was probably a good thing.
It wasn’t Emory’s car, but when the window lowered, he was in the driver’s seat. “Need a ride?”
“Your timing is perfect,” I said, rounding the car to open the passenger door.
“Wait, Gray,” Holden called over the roof of the car. “Where are you going?”
“Anywhere else.”
“But—”
I slid into the car and closed the door on his words. Emory turned to me, his eyes red-rimmed. Apparently, we’d both had a hell of a homecoming.
“How are you doing, golden boy?”
“Not great. You?”
“Same.” I brushed my thumb over his cheek. “Better now.”
Emory leaned in to kiss me, but I pulled back. “Someone might see?—”
“Let them see,” he said.
His lips crashed into mine in a fiery kiss. I met him just as fiercely, my emotions running high. We kissed long and hard, panting for breath as we broke.
Emory pressed his forehead to mine, whispering between us, “I needed that.”
“Are you okay?”
