Page 26 of Legacy of Smoke
“And trying to send me out the back door? Fucking cold. I’m going to get a hit filed on my head because of a woman who?—”
“Who what?”
Austin sucked in a breath. “You love too much. You love the wrong people. And whether you know it or not, you judge people, Poppy. Yeah. When you and your sister ganged up on me, I felt like I was on trial all over again. It didn’t matter what I said, I was guilty. Both of you thought that. I was innocent, and you judged me guilty and sentenced me. Deemed me unworthy.”
“I’m sorry.” I would not cry. I wouldn’t.
“I know. But face it. I’mnotworthy of you. I’ll never be. And you know it.” He scuffed his boot on the carpet and turned for the door. I should stop him, beg him to stay. But what would thatserve? Sooner or later, I’d have to hurt him again. Even if I didn’t do it intentionally.
“I’m sorry.”
This time there was no slamming door or breaking glass.
And the oddest thing I discovered in that quiet click? A broken heart doesn’t shatter. It bleeds.
8
DEBT
AUSTIN
There were two stools open at the bar. One of them was on the end where the jukebox made it impossible to have a conversation. Luckily, for me, the target I needed to talk to was sitting on the other end of the bar. I slid into the seat and set a twenty on the bar to get the bartender’s attention. She paused, understandably confused. But rallied and asked me for my drink order.
“Whiskey neat. Shelf is fine.”
“Are you supposed to be drinking? Isn’t that a violation of your parole?” There was a smirk in his tone.
I turned the stool to face my twin. “I paid my debt to society. How about you?”
Andrew sneered. “I don’t owe a debt.” Lie stated, he tried to ignore me.
“Yeah, you do. See, you killed someone.”
“No, I didn’t.” He slugged down about half of his mixer.
“Brenda was pregnant.”
Andrew’s jaw got tight. “I suppose it was yours?” He glared at me.
“We hadn’t gone that far yet, not without wrapping it up. So, it had to be yours. But her mom didn’t know that. When the coroner told her that the overdose took both lives, her mother blamed me.”
Andrew shrugged. “Ask me if I care.”
“Oh, I know you don’t.” I blew out the anger that was making me tense. I shouldn’t have approached him until Sprout arrived, but I thought I could handle it. Funny thing, ten years wasn’t long enough to drum into my head that killing my girlfriend’s rapist was wrong. My wiring was all fucked up because of it. I still wanted to take my buck knife and drive it into his gut.
The girl put the drink down and asked if we needed anything else.
I shook my head.
“You know, it’s not smart breaking a restraining order.”
“You don’t have a restraining order against me.”
“I will by tomorrow.”
Good. Those things went two ways. “So will I.”
“Like they’ll listen to you, a felon.” He grinned at me. “You’re a piece of shit, you know that?”
