Page 26 of Bad for You

My father’s voice echoed in my head again, and I paced to the other side of the apartment, cleaned up, then changed into shorts and sneakers. I needed to run.

Cold air hit my bare chest when I jogged out onto the street, soaking into my skin, into my bones. I pushed on until the cool early winter air whipped over my sweat-slicked skin. I don’t know how long I ran for. My muscles were aching, my calves and thighs burning in a way that I liked when I worked out hard.

I turned the corner, still a few streets from home.

A guy walked out of a house just ahead.

Brooks.

Fucking Prick.

For a moment, I assumed it was Lila’s place, until a chick in a robe followed him onto the porch. A woman who was not Lila. Brooks had just fucked her. The tousled hair and swollen lips were a dead giveaway, and when Brooks pulled her close, giving her a deep kiss before patting her on the ass and heading for his truck, I was in no doubt.

I ran faster, running straight for the piece of shit.

No, I didn’t want him anywhere near Lila, but he was screwing around on her, and if there was one thing I knew about my girl, it was that she wouldn’t be cool with sharing. She wasn’t the kind of girl you did the casual thing with. You were either all in or you left her the hell alone.

Brooks, the stupid fuck, was lucky enough to have her, and he was stepping out on her.

I was on him a minute later, shoving him against his truck. “Stay away from Lila,” I snarled. “You fucking weasel-dick motherfucker.”

He tried to shove me back, but I grabbed his shirt and slammed him against his truck.

“What the fuck, man?”

I got in his face. “Stay. The fuck. Away from her.”

He shoved at my chest, but had nothing to grab on to. “I date whoever the hell I want to date. You don’t scare me, asshole,” he fired back.

“You should be scared,” I gritted out. “Lila’s too good for a fuckwit like you.”

He laughed without humor. “You want her?”

“Either you have a death wish, or you’re dumb as shit. But I wouldn’t piss me off any more than you already have. You have no idea what I’m capable of. You wanna fuck around, Lila isn’t the woman you shit on. You hurt her. I hurt you. That’s a promise.”

He saw the truth in my eyes and the smug slid from his face. “We’re not exclusive. Lila and me, we’re just dating…”

“You’re not anything anymore, understood?” I’d bet Lila didn’t know they weren’t exclusive.

His jaw tightened and he dipped his chin.

I shoved away and turned my back on him, letting him know exactly what kind of a threat he was and jogged away.

She wouldn’t answer if I called, but I needed to talk to her, let her know what kind of man she was dating.

That left me only one option.

Chapter Seven

Lila

Mondays were always fairly busy in the library. I was at the counter checking out Mrs. Gonzales’s haul when the door opened. A gust of cold air rushed in, and I glanced up and stilled, freaking froze. No wonder Jesse called me Bambi. I was like some skittish, startled woodland animal whenever he was near.

And it was no different now.

He stood just inside the door, his unusual, vibrant green eyes focused on me from under the brim of his ball cap. I tried not to let him affect me, but I ate up the sight of him despite myself. He was wearing faded blue jeans that sat low, clinging to his solid thighs, and a black Ramblers MC T-shirt. Even when it was cold he only wore a T-shirt. Not surprising, his skin had always felt hot when I was close to him.

Focus.