Page 105 of Awry
His heartbeat pounds under that connection — steady and sure.
And in that moment, I’m sure I know him.
I know him.
Under my skin, embedded in my bones, deep in my soul —
Except I’ve never met him before.
I drop my hand, and he lets me go easily.I angle my body toward Presh, who’s grinning up at me.Meeting her gaze seems to be all the acknowledgement she needs before she flings herself at me.I tuck her against my side without even questioning the impulse.
Rought finally looks away from me, grinning down at Presh instead.
She doesn’t loosen her grip on me as she narrows her eyes on him.“You said you’d be on your best behavior.”
Rought rocks back on his heels, raising both hands placatingly.Then he transfers that grin to me again.And again, I feel the heat of it, as if I’m somehow greedily lapping up energy from him, from his mere presence.
“Where will you practice?”he says.“In the ballroom?”
“I think we’ll take a walk,” I say, not bothering to question how he knows that the former ballroom of the main house is used for training.I feel no need to question him, to question my odd reaction to him.
Rought is the source of thepresenceI felt in the motel.He slept in the second bed.It was he who put all the tracking software on my phone.He was the one, according to Coda, who wanted to know where I’ve been and where I’m going to be.
He sent me to Cayley, to rescue Kiki.
And I don’t feel the need to interrogate him about any of it.
“I know you had Cayley take the Corvette, so while you work with Precious, I’m going to make sure you’ve got a working vehicle.”He nods toward the garage alongside the barn.
Having no intention of leaving the property, especially not while still suffering jagged crying spells and seemingly random panic attacks, I haven’t even bothered to think about a vehicle.
“I want to check what equipment Mack has here before having the BMW towed to you.I’ll work on it during your training sessions with Presh.”
I know I should question that.Shouldn’t I?
Yes, I should.But I don’t want to.
I understand that Presh’s brothers are likely to feel uneasy leaving her here on her own, but it’s not that understanding that has me just smiling at Rought, all soft and sweet.
Getting hold of myself, I flick my gaze over his shoulder.“The Chevy is a beauty.At least two of my uncles would make you an offer for it on the spot.”
Still grinning, Rought runs a hand through his hair and throws a look behind him.I try to ignore the way his bicep flexes, threatening to tear through his henley, but I fail miserably.
I fail … delightfully?Delectably?
“I finally got the Outcast to completely sign her over to me,” Rought says, smirking as if he knows I’m panting after him.“After I got caught one too many times taking her out.”He levels his gaze on me, and I see that the gold rimming his eyes has disappeared.He arches an eyebrow— again, knowingly.
As if we share a secret.About the car?
I look at the Camaro again, frowning slightly.
“What?”Presh asks.“I thought it was your car?”
Rought clears his throat, dropping his gaze, his focus, from me.For the first time.A hint of that emptiness presses against me.From the inside this time.
Rought shakes his head at Presh.“Took me three years to fully restore her.The Outcast gifted her to me for my twenty-first, along with the promotion to lieutenant.Youngest ever in the club.”
Rought glances at me out of the corner of his eye, stepping back and down the patio stairs, completely surefooted without looking.His grin is somehow quieter now.
