Page 47 of Playing for Keeps (Checkmate 4)

“Ohhhh,fucking, fucking, fucking.” Hands on her hips, she bobs her head and mocks me. “I’m a bitter asshole and I like to say fucking a lot.It doesn’t make you a badass, ya know!”

“I don’t wanna be a badass. I wanna be left alone!”

She grabs my coat and yanks me forward until I slam against her chest. My life practically flashes before my eyes as I imagine falling onto my stump and busting it all open. She’s strong, stronger than anyone gives her credit for, because she doesn’t falter. She doesn’t let me fall.

Her eyes, so fucking beautiful it hurts, blaze just an inch below mine. “You know whatisbadass, Cruz?” Her heart pounds against mine. “Taking a bullet for Jess and Laine Lenaghan. Stepping up to a bad man and protecting others. But your hero points are wearing off fast, because heroes don’t treat their friends like shit.” Using her strength, she pushes me back until I’m steady again. “You used to be a man a lot of others looked up to. They respected you, wanted to be you, wanted to bewithyou. But bullying ain’t sexy.” Stepping past me, she’s not shy when she slams her shoulder against mine. “Soon, you’ll be all alone, sitting in your stupid chair, while you play online sudoku with all your make-believe friends. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

I turn to watch her pass Alex. She presses a gentle hand to his forearm, but turns back to me. “You didn’t choose to get hurt, Riley.” Her eyes turn sad now. “You didn’t choose that, but you’re choosing to hurt us now. That makes you a coward, and it makes your sacrifices totally meaningless. Go.” She waves me off. “Go to your appointment. I genuinely hope it’s easy for you and doesn’t hurt. You might not give a shit about me, but I give a shit about you. I don’t want you to hurt.”

Shaking her head, she turns away and leaves me standing on the concrete walkway with my crutches under my arms and a racing heart.

“Girls like those don’t come along often, Rook.” Whistling under his breath, Alex moves down the ramp and opens the cruiser door. Leaning in, he pulls the lever so the seat rolls back as far as it’ll go to give me space. “Not everyone gets a girl that’ll fight for them the way she’s fighting for you. And trust me, just because she’s throwing herself at you now, doesn’t mean she’ll do it forever. Girls like that don’t stay down for long.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just shut up.” I hold onto the top of the door with one hand, and set my crutches against the shiny cruiser. Slowly, using muscles that’ve barely been used in a month, I squat on the one leg and shimmy into the passenger seat.

Alex holds my arm, and when I’m half sitting, he helps me lift again and position myself properly.

Before he goes, his eyes blaze near mine. “You’re picking the wrong battles. You’re fighting the wrong enemy. I know what you’re doing, and I know why, but we don’t hurt the ones we love. And I promise you, hurtingheris going to be your biggest regret in life.”

Concentrating on my seatbelt, I avoid his eyes. “I don’t love her.”

He laughs. It’s a loud hoot that makes me jump in my seat. “Jesus, I must be going blind in my old age, ‘cause I swear, I’m looking at a man in love. It’s why she pisses you off so much; I can empathize, Rook. I really can.”

“Shut up. Can we just go?”

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