Текст книги "Switch"

Автор книги: Jennifer Ryder

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

CHAPTER TWELVE

ROCCO

Something changed tonight. Something shifted. I now have a hot part-time lesbian living under my roof.

Earlier tonight I’d tried to get off in my room. Hearing her moans had added to my pleasure, but then I got curious. I had to make sure she wasn’t having a bad dream, because she was moaning … like a lot. I won’t lie; I was kinda hoping I could help her out with whatever she was doing in there. I didn’t expect to be knocked out for it.

I can’t wait to see the look on Jones’s face when I see him tomorrow. The prick is gonna laugh his arse off when he sees the state I’m in.

Tonight has by far been one of the weirdest fucking nights of my life.

The more time I spend around this chick, the more it has me thinking. Some of the things she said tonight are troubling me. I don’t get sentimental about shit, it’s not in my blood, but Soph has me curious.

“Why did you stick up for me?” I ask in all seriousness as we drive out of the hospital car park. She had the opportunity to badmouth me, and she could’ve said I have a problem with alcohol, which I do, yet she defended me instead?

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Your ex assumed I was a junkie, some kind of addict.”

“I fucking can’t stand judgey people. They make me sick,” she spits out. I don’t have time for hoity-toity people either, but clearly, Suds has been judged. By just her parents, or others as well? “Fuck ’em, I say.”

“Yeah, fuck ’em.”

“Why didn’t you set her straight when she asked about us?”

“Because my business stopped being hers when we broke up. I wasn’t exactly in the mood for a deep and meaningful conversation with her tonight.”

“Fair enough.”

“Just because I didn’t set her straight, don’t go getting any funny ideas.”

I hold my hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, not thinkin’ a single thing,” I lie, because I can’t help but obsess over the fact that she’s not repulsed by the idea of there being a thing between us. Not that I ever get serious. Not anymore. It’s better to keep things strictly about sex. No expectations of something more. No sappy feelings, no relationship. Those things don’t exist in my world. Yeah, it’s a fucking lonely place here, but at least I can’t get fucked over. Trinity did a great job of that; she burned me bad. I won’t put myself in that position again.

****

“Have a couple of these for the pain,” Suds says, placing a couple of white round pills in my palm.

My hand shakes as I bring the glass of water to my lips, spilling some onto the kitchen floor.

“Are you cold?” she asks. Her green eyes wander over the bare skin of my arms. You won’t find any goosebumps, love.

Look at Suds being all worried about me. Who’d have thought she’d care? I think I’ve exhausted the anger out of her. I can’t say it wasn’t fun getting her to this point. I may get a little more mileage over tonight’s event than I first thought.

I swallow the tablets, and wipe the water from my lips with the back of my hand. “Nah, just thirsty, you know?”

“You can’t have these with alcohol,” she chirps.

I didn’t have to spell it out for her, did I? I nod in acknowledgment.

“See how you go with these, and if you’re still in pain in a few hours, you can have another two.” She reaches up and grabs my earlobe. “You’re missing an earring.”

“It was a piece of shit, anyway. Must’ve come out when I was down for the count.”

I walk up towards the bedrooms.

“I’ll help,” Suds offers.

We both scan the hallway floorboards for the rogue black earring. In jeans and a baggy hoodie sweatshirt, Soph gets down on her knees and checks the floor.

“You find it yet?”

No, Suds. Because I’m too busy watching that fine arse of yours as you crawl around on all fours.

I crouch down beside her and pretend to look for it. Really, I don’t give a shit if I find it or not.

Soph stands up and walks over to her bed. She turns to me with a handful of fake cock.

“You know, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use this again without thinking of you,” she says, finishing it with a soft laugh.

Winning. I bet she’ll think of me next time she has that fat-boy dilly inside her.

“That’s the nicest thing a chick has ever said to me,” I say, holding a hand over my heart.

“Urgh, that’s not what I meant, you idiot.”

Seeing her standing there with that toy in her hand has my mind delving to the darkest of places. Double penetration. Tying her up. Sucking on that sweet pussy while I drive the dildo inside her. Coming all over her plump, perky-as-fuck tits. She’s a greedy bitch if she plays with toys like this. She knows what she wants, and I love that she wasn’t afraid to get vocal and take care of herself. She’s not some stuck-up prude. She’s standing there with it, waving it around like it’s no big deal. She has no idea how much this is fucking turning me on.

And that ex-girlfriend of hers? Sweet mother of Christ, I would have paid my last penny to watch those two in action.

I clear my throat and adjust the crotch of my jeans. “Just admit it and we’ll both sleep easier.”

“Good night,” she says, her voice softer this time. She pauses with her hand on the doorway, staring at me. “Can you promise me something?”

“What?”

“That next time you’ll knock?”

“Maybe.”

“If you do it again, I’ll take my strap-on and peg you. Got it?”

“You’ll peg me?” What the hell?

“It’s a nice way of saying I’ll fuck you up the arse with a strap-on.”

That stern look on her face tells me she’s not exactly joking. I’m tempted to intrude on her privacy sometime in the near future to test her conviction on this. “That a promise?”

She laughs and places her hands on her hips, and then her shoulders slump. In the short time we’ve been home, the dark circles beneath her green eyes are more visible.

“I think we’ve had enough sex-toy shenanigans for one day, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess. I’ll try to stay away if you’ll just try and keep the noise down, huh?”

She laughs and picks up her nighty off the floor.

“Were you lucid when you grabbed my boobs?” she asks, holding up the nighty from each strap. It’s as see-through as I remember, enhancing those spectacular tits.

My dick hardens, just like it did when I grabbed those sweet puppies. “I’ll never tell.”

****

I lie back in bed and stare at the ceiling. There’s no mistaking that my hands are shaking. Nervous energy is working its way though my system. The pills Suds gave me are dulling my senses, but nowhere near as much as I need.

I wanna drink so fucking bad.

But a part of me doesn’t. It’s weird.

Is it that I don’t want to disappoint Suds? She knows I have a problem. I know I have a problem. She doesn’t treat me any differently because of it. If anything, she calls me on it, but not in such a way to get my back up.

Since when have I ever cared about what someone else thought? Especially a chick?

Putting a trembling hand to good use, I spit in my hand and grab my cock, spreading the moisture with my palm from the swollen head to the base.

I’ve always been a horny fucker, but she does something to me. Is it the fact she’s practically naked in the room directly next door? That I know how frustrated she is, and that she’ll be looking for relief?

I try to take my time as I stroke myself, visualising Suds’s feet softly padding on the floor as she struts into my room wearing nothing but a scowl, which slowly turns to a devilish smile when she begins to watch me touching myself.

She slaps my hand away, and pins my wrists above my head, taking full control. She runs her nails over my hard nipples and is forceful with her fingertips as she runs them down to the curve of my hips.

In one long, flat stroke, her tongue moves from my balls to the head. She takes me deep into her mouth. Fuck me. The vibrations of her moans work my shaft as she plays with my balls, rubbing closer to my hole. Her tongue flicks at my head, fast and furious, greedy for my load.

My balls tighten. My body stiffens.

I come hard onto my stomach, pulling every last drop out of me, imagining her sucking it from me.

I moan out loud, if anything for Suds’s benefit. The relief is intoxicating. Pleasure sinks into me, almost lightening my body.

I hope she heard me. I want her to know I’m getting off, because fuck knows I’m imagining her doing it. I clean up with a shirt off the floor, and then sink back into the pillow.

As I drift off, all I can think about is Suds fucking me senseless. I haven’t completely ruled out the idea of opening her bedroom door, but I have to pick my moment. If I were to do it tonight I’d be on my way to hospital, this time on a stretcher.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ROCCO

Saturday

“What the fuck happened to you?” Jones says, as I get in his Range Rover. I know what he means, but I’m not gonna acknowledge it.

“What the fuck happened to you? I’ve been waiting downstairs for five minutes in the dark.” And the cold breeze this morning is going straight through me.

“Well excuse me for not thinking you’d be out of bed and coherent.”

“Well I am, so fuckin’ sue me.”

“Are you gonna tell me about the eye and the stitches? I thought you were having a quiet one last night?”

“It’s a long story.”

“We have a long drive ahead of us.”

“Nowra’s not that far.”

He looks at the sat-nav display as we get farther down the road. “Must be some fucking story if you can’t tell it in two hours.”

Can I tell him? Suds wouldn’t let me out of the car last night. She held me hostage until I swore I wouldn’t say boo about the incident of which we are never to speak of again. I made a promise, and I’m a man of my word, even if some bastards don’t value it.

I look over to him. I’m not so sure he’d keep quiet on this.

I can’t tell him. Maybe one day, Suds will loosen up and she’ll share her gem of a story.

“There’s something else I wanna talk about, anyways.”

He turns his head and narrows his eyes at me. “Sounds ominous,” he says.

“I found out something interesting last night.” To say the least.

“Yeah? What’s that?” he asks, returning his gaze to the road ahead of us.

“That Suds has had dick before.”

He chokes on his laugh. “Really? She told you that?”

“Yup. She didn’t say much else about it, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get the rest of the juicy deets out of her.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“I may or may not have a little leverage.”

“Ah. I see. Now I really wanna know what happened last night.”

I still can’t get my head around it. Things were weird between us even before she decided to go to bed and play with herself. And then with the hospital, and the sexual tension between us when we got home—fuck, I don’t know what to think. Am I fucking tapped in the head to think that I could be the one to convince her to switch?

“The one thing I will tell you is that I met Soph’s ex.”

“The doctor?” He almost screeches, his voice is that high.

“Yup. Matter of fact, she stitched me up.”

His jaw drops. “No fuckin’ way,” he says.

“Way.”

“What was she like? I’ve never met her. She was always too busy to come out with us as a couple.”

“Hot as hell. Let’s just say she wasn’t too impressed about seeing Suds with a low-life like me.”

“You’re not a fuckin’ low-life.”

“I’m far from Prince Charming.”

“Why the hell do you do that?” he says, annoyance in his tone.

“Do what?”

“Happily drag yourself down and peg yourself like that. You’ve got a brain in your head, mate. I’d kill to know half the shit you do. You have your moments, but you’re a good bloke. That’s why you’re in our wedding party.”

“You wanna suck my dick?”

“No.”

“Then stop blowing smoke up my arse, Jones,” I say, my voice harsh. If he knew more about my family and the fact that my brother is in jail on drug charges, he might tend to agree with me. I keep that shit to myself because I don’t need the judgement. If people knew half the shit that had gone down with my family, then they’d turn their backs on me. I need all the friends I can get … and a job, because I have to support V when he gets out.

I turn up the radio, and focus on the music instead of my own shit as we get closer to Nowra.

****

It’s a crisp morning, and I feel the chill right to my bones as Jones and I set up the Yamaha marquee.

“On time, I see,” Mac says, as we start unloading the truck.

“Hey, Mac,” I say, with a chin lift in his direction. He gives me a fatherly nod, but a smile pulls at his lips. Hopefully that means I’m working my way into his good books.

I give the bikes a good warm-up before practice, so I know they’re running in top form. The bikes pass scrutineering with no dramas—not that I was expecting any. They’re in pristine condition. Not a scratch on them.

Today, spirits are high. Over the course of the morning, Stone, Jones and Billy Boy ride well. Billy is really finding his groove. Living on a property and getting the opportunity to burn around on the bikes most days is totally working for his confidence and his fitness. He’s not so much the rookie anymore. He’s a definite contender.

I make sure I give the boys loads of encouragement, of course, in my own De Luca style. Promising the odd sexual favour here or there doesn’t hurt anyone. Thankfully they’re all as straight as a post, and none of them have ever tried to cash in. I think I’d rather die than smoke another man’s pole.

****

Halfway through the day, I swear I’m seeing things. Jerking off to thoughts of Suds last night is turning me bat-shit crazy. I swear I just saw her twin. Maybe I should try my luck with her and see how I go. Probably the closest I’ll ever get to sticking my dick in the real Suds.

I shake it off, and finish up replacing the broken clutch lever.

A wolf whistle screeches from behind me.

I turn to find the doppelgänger who’s not so doppelgängery after all.

She’s wearing tight-arse jeans teamed with burgundy Doc Martins. The outfit shows off those legs a damn sight better than the sweat pants she wears at home. Her snug white tank is guaranteed to give me a flash of hardened nipple with a whisper of incoming breeze. She’s dressed simply, yet she looks sexier than any MX pro hoe I’ve seen on track … or in my bed.

The curls of her long ponytail swish around her shoulder, stalling my speech. She looks me up and down, and can barely hold my scrutinising gaze. Is she thinking about my moans of pleasure last night? Did she get herself off? That slight blush to her cheeks tells me that I might just be on the money.

“De Loser,” she says, with an affirmative nod.

“Oh man, I love that you call him that,” Billy says, waving his finger at Suds as he walks past me.

“Don’t even think about repeating it, boy,” I warn him, with a gentle nudge to his shoulder.

He takes a few steps closer to her, and runs his gloved hand over his short brown hair. “I’d get my arse kicked into next week if I called him that,” Billy says, as he struts past her in his filthy bike gear. “He must like you.”

She fake laughs. I know this because it sounds forced as anything.

“Soap Suds,” I say, curt and to the point. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?”

“Ha ha, arsehole. I’m here to support April with her Cupid experiment.”

“Her what?”

“She’s set up Eevie’s mum with Mac.”

“You mean the short blonde woman with the impressive rack he was talking to earlier?”

“That’s what you noticed about her?”

“Hey, sorry, but I didn’t happen to catch her eye colour. I generally go with the features that speak the loudest.”

Suds takes a step closer, creating a weird tension between us. Did she just stick out her chest more?

“And if I was to ask what you noticed about me, what would you say?”

Is this a trick question? It doesn’t matter what I say here, I’ll be in trouble. “Judging by my most recent experience, I’d say you have a hell of a right arm. Dangerously good aim.”

“Be serious.”

“Babe, I am.”

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

“And you have real purty green eyes, as green as the moss growing on those rocks over yonder there,” I tease, in the best southern American accent I can come up with. I probably sound like a fuckwit.

I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me today. I’d bet my life it’s a result of not enough sleep, sex and alcohol.

She huffs and her head falls back. With her eyes closed, the sunlight bounces off her flushed cheeks as she has a moment of silence.

“So, how’d they seem together?” She changes the subject.

“Mac and the tidy old bird? I dunno; they were talking and laughing. I’ve gotta say though, I had my suspicions as to whether he had teeth up until today, but this morning the guy was smiling like he’d been munching hash cookies for breakfast.”

A soft laugh escapes her mouth. “I’m glad to hear that … not the cookies part, more the smiling. Mac deserves to be happy.”

“Yeah. Even an old bloke like him deserves another chance to get his dick—”

“Stop!” she says, holding her flattened hand towards my face. “Don’t say it.” She purses her lips in warning.

“What, wet? You love the word wet. In fact, I bet you’re w—”

“Shut up.” She shakes her head, yet a smile teases at the corner of her lips. “So where’s April?” Again with the subject change. Let’s go back to talking about being wet.

“Your nympho friend is probably fucking Jones somewhere. Those two don’t have an off switch.”

“Huh. You’re so right.”

Who knew that monogamy was such a turn-on for some people? If you ask me, it’s fucking weird. I don’t understand it. Jones was the manwhore of motocross, and he earned that title, rightly so. April is a top chick, I’ve got a lot of time for her, but how did he know she was the one? The one that was gonna turn his world on its arse and have him blinded from every other woman?

I’m happy for him, anyway. Happy for April, too. Speaking of which …

“What are you girls doing later? We’re going to the pub for dinner once we’ve packed up.”

“Don’t know yet. I’m sure April will be wherever Jones is. I might just grab a pie or something and then go back to the hotel and get some study done.”

“That sounds boring as fuck. Surely you can give the books a rest for one night? Stay out.”

A tortured look flashes across her face. “I shouldn’t, I—”

“Come on, Suds. I’ll shout you a steak.”

If I bring her along, I’ll have someone to stop me from going overboard. I think I might be getting out of the bad books with Mac. I don’t need to go backwards. The last time I was in Nowra I ended up in the lock-up to dry out. I need to be on my game tomorrow, because we’ll be back in the factory stripping down the bikes again, and I’ll no doubt have a hundred calls to make chasing parts in the coming days, thanks to Stone’s bingle in the first round.

“Are you saying I’m too skinny for you?” she accuses.

“Just shut the fuck up and let me feed you a decent meal.”

She moves one hand to her hip and pushes it out to the side. “Then will you stop bitchin’?”

“Yeah, maybe,” I say, with a wink.

“In that case, I’ll be there. I’ve gotta see you trying your hardest not to whinge and whine.” She pokes out her tongue and then walks off towards April and Jones, who have just walked out of the toilet block together.

Horny bastard.

Lucky bastard.

****

After a long day on track, the beers go down well. I hold myself back from slipping drinks in in between shouts, which always brings me unstuck. Everyone is in high spirits, but they are taking it easy on the beers. Now I just need to do the same.

I sit next to Soph at dinner and watch as she devours her steak with pepper sauce, chunky chips and a pile of vegies. I was successful in convincing the kitchen to load up her plate. I’m glad they came through.

Suds and April together are classic. They’re so similar—tomboys, not girly-girls. Frankly, if I got on the wrong side of either of them, I would seriously fear for my life.

“What happened to your head?” April asks from across the table.

Huh. I knew this had to come up sometime. Jones’s attention is conveniently diverted elsewhere. Smug bastard. I bet he said something to April. I reckon he tells her everything.

“Funny story, really,” I say and nudge Suds’s knee under the table with my own. Suds chokes on her mouthful of water and takes a few seconds to compose herself. “Maybe one day I’ll get to tell it, but today’s not the day.”

“Aw, you’re no fun,” April says, with a pout.

“I have the feeling that you wouldn’t believe me anyways,” I say, and I wink.

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re involved in this somehow, Soph?” April questions her friend.

Suds places her cutlery on her plate and pushes it away from her. She didn’t waste a single bite. Victory.

“You wanna help me carry back another round?” I interrupt. I stand up, and Soph rewards me with a quirky smile.

“Sure,” she says, shrugging one shoulder.

“I was seconds away from stabbing you with my fork under the table,” she informs me when we reach the bar.

A hearty chuckle rumbles up my throat. “I’ll only spill when you give me the green light. I just wish you’d hurry the fuck up.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, because it won’t be anytime soon.”

“That’s unfortunate. Another red?”

“That’d be great.”

“You know you’ve got purple teeth.”

“Really?” She bares her teeth to me.

“Yup. The shade suits you.”

“Shit,” she says, as she laughs softly. “You know I can always rely on you to tell it how it is, De Loser.”

“See? Who says you need a filter anyways?”

She laughs louder this time, more carefree. “For once, I think you’re right.”

“What? Just once? I’m fucking always right.”

“Ha. Don’t be so sure of yourself,” she says.

“I always back myself. Someone’s got to.” Now I sound like a douchebag. No need to go pointing out that I’m pretty much on my own, here. I know V has my back, he’ll always have it, but he’s so far removed from my life right now I forget that he’s still a part of it. He’s not much support for me on the inside.

I carry the beers, and Suds carries a glass of red in each of her hands, the other one for April. “You know I heard you last night?” she whispers as we approach the others. I lean in close and catch the glint of mischief in her eyes.

Now she brings it up? Why not mention it at the bar when we had more privacy?

“You liked that, huh?”

“Nice to know after everything that someone got a result.” Her grin grows wide as my mouth drops open.

What?

“You mean you didn’t flick the bean?”

“It would’ve been like whipping a dead horse. There was no way I was gonna cross the finish line.”

My dick hardens painfully against the seam of my jeans as thoughts of Suds touching herself play out in my mind. It’s stiffening at warp speed.

“Anytime you need a hand in that department, just holler.”

“Or moan,” she says, through a giggle. She’s a funny fucker when she loosens up. It’s good to see her relax a little. Most of the time I see her, she looks deep in thought, whether that’s about her studies or other shit. I kinda like this side of her. Less stabby and intense.

Her elbow rubs against my upper arm as we approach our friends. For whatever reason, this simple physical contact sends a shiver up my spine and more blood to my groin.

“Jesus,” I mutter. “We need to finish this conversation later.” Because in these jeans, I’ll have no chance of hiding a giant fucking hard-on. I’ll end up getting booted out of the pub, and then I’ll have to take care of a monster chubby.

I’ve got a right mind to take her back to the bar where we can talk some more. She seems so much more relaxed here. Is it the wine? The environment? Is she not comfortable at my place?

April and Jones mention something about the wedding, and the girls go off on their own little tangent. I overhear the odd mention of a dress and the name Vicky comes up in conversation.

“We’ll have to get some suits sorted soon,” Jones says with a nod.

“Whenever you want, bro. What were you thinking about doing for the bucks?” I ask, wondering if April is gonna allow the strippers I was always going to organise.

“Thinking about hitting The Gentlemen’s Club in Kings Cross.”

“Surely we can come up with something better than that?”

“My dad wants us to go play golf first. Some sort of Jones family tradition.”

“Fuck that shit,” I curse with a shake of my head. “There is no way in hell I’m putting on goofy fat-arse pants and old-man shoes.”

“Come on, it’s not that bad.”

“You know this could possibly stretch the friendship,” I warn. I’m serious, too.

“How about a compromise? You can wear whatever you like, drive the buggy and make sure there’s enough cold beers on hand.”

“Maybe.”

“Loosen up, Rocco. We can do it first thing in the morning, keep Dad and his business associates happy, and then we can get down to real buck business.”

“I think we need to get out of Sydney. Do something completely different.”

“I’ll ask around and see what other ideas I can come up with.”

“And make no mistake, Jones. There will be strippers.”

“With you as best man, there was never any doubt.”

I scull down the last few mouthfuls of my beer, and Jones does the same.

“Who’s up for another?” Jones asks, wide eyed, pulling April and Suds from their in-depth conversation.

“None for me. I’m gonna head back to the hotel,” Suds says to Jones.

I check the clock on the wall behind the bar. It’s just gone past ten o’clock, and she’s pulling the pin now?

“You’re going?” I ask as casually as I can, but my voice comes across as if I’m some kind of whiney prick. “Surely you can stay for a few more? We can celebrate the fact that Jones managed to stay upright this round.”

“Very funny, dickhead,” Jones says.

“Nah, I’m gonna head off. I’m wiped. And we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow,” she says, with a smile for April.

“You goin’ too, April?”

“Not just yet. I’m keeping an eye on Daddy,” she says, as she tries to spy on Mac and the blonde woman talking at a small table in the corner.

“It’s called stalking him on his first date in years, babe. I’m sure he might like a little privacy,” Soph says, and draws her friend into a hug.

“Oh, shush,” April says, and kisses her on the cheek.

“Night, babe,” Soph whispers.

“Night,” April says, and extends her neck to try and check on her dad again.

“Night boys. Behave yourselves,” Suds says, as she takes a key on a large tag from April. From the bright orange colour of the rectangular key ring, it looks like we’re staying at the same hotel.

“Someone walking with you, Suds?” I ask.

“Nope.”

The place is a solid five-to-ten-minute walk from here. I can’t let her go by herself. Since when have I had a chivalrous bone in my body? Ah, fuck it.

“Want me to walk you?”

She leans in close. Her sweet perfume teases at my nostrils. Damn. Since when does Suds smell this good? Since when am I close enough to really get a good whiff?

“Nah, I’ll be fine,” she whispers. “Remember? Dangerously good aim, right?” She clenches her fists in front of her in a boxing stance.

I can’t help but laugh. “Righto. You punch any fucker that comes close.”

“Will do.”

A funny sinking feeling materialises in my chest as she weaves her way through the crowd and out into the night.

I wanted her to stay. We could’ve talked some more. It’d help me stop thinking about V, and the fact that tomorrow is his birthday. The first birthday he’ll spend without family. Instead, he’ll be in a jail cell, alone. I won’t even be home so he can contact me. Some fuckin’ brother I am.

As if I’m on autopilot, I return to the bar and order another beer. After each measured gulp, I glance around the pub. Jones has April. Stone has Eevie. Mac, the old bastard, even has someone. Billy Boy has a group of mates and a couple of young chicks hanging around.

That just leaves me and the bottle of Patron that’s winking at me from the other side of the bar.

“I owe you a tequila,” a deep voice says from beside me. Jesus, is someone reading my mind right now? That’s freaky shit.

I turn to face a tall guy with short brown hair. A chunky gold cross hangs proudly around his neck, resting at the open collar of his white shirt. The necklace is similar to the one that V used to wear. Before he got locked up, that is. Fuck. Could I think about my brother any more?

“And how do you figure that?” I ask him, racking my brain for his name. I’ve seen him on-track plenty of times, but I’ll be fucked if I know who he is. Is he with KTM? Did we get blind at Coolum at the end of last season? I was as loose as a hooker on New Year’s Eve. There’s hours of that trip I can’t account for.

“You shouted me at least a bottle after Jones took the championship. That was one hell of a night, brother.”

Brother.

He places a glass in my hand, and clinks his shot against mine. He just handed me a loaded gun.

With a chin lift, he’s pulled the trigger. On reflex I gulp down the drink. The liquid burns as it slides down my throat. My skin prickles all over as the familiar warmth grows inside of me.

I don’t think tonight is gonna end well.

****

SOPHIE

Who’d have thought I’d actually enjoy spending some time on the track? It was good to talk wedding stuff with April and actually escape my life, if only for a day.

Rocco seemed different today. A little less intense. Was it because he was in his working environment? He was different. He was focused. He wasn’t a giant bear with a sore head. I kinda liked seeing this side of him.

At the pub, he was different again. He was funny. He was sociable. Again, not so arsehole-ish. He’s got something over me, and yet I trust him not to say a word … even though a part of me nearly died at dinner when I thought he was gonna spill.

I could have easily stayed at the pub for a few more, but I was happy I left when I did. Dinner was nice. The steak was incredible, and the most surprising thing was that I actually enjoyed Rocco’s company.

He was weird about me leaving. Almost clingy. I have no idea why. The fact that he offered to walk me to the hotel I found rather odd. At home he seems so indifferent, but tonight he was in protective mode. Huh. It’s like he actually cares.

I pull my jacket tighter around my middle as I turn the corner down to the hotel. The wind is at my back for a change.

I let myself into room seventeen, and I’m grateful that there’s a door to the bedroom and the sofa bed is out in the main living area. I know April said they wouldn’t be shagging, but I know how things are after a few reds. Liquid leg-opener.

Speaking of which, I need a shower. Let’s see if I can flick this bean back to life.