“Baby, why so cold? You were showing that sweet side when we texted earlier. Now you’re like ice.”

  She stares straight ahead, robbing me of her beautiful eyes. “I wasn’t sweet. I was being respectful. There’s a difference.”

  “I like when you sweetly disrespect me.”

  She finally turns toward me and rolls her eyes. “Listen, Dylan. It’s never happening with us. You can move along to an easy target or some other prey you may have a chance with. I’m a Gallo. You’re a Walsh. The two don’t mix.”

  “I’m a Walsh by name only.”

  “Still a Walsh. Whether I think you’re hot or not.”

  “You think I’m hot,” I tell her with a smile.

  “You’re asinine.”

  “You’re hot as fuck,” I say, laying it out.

  “I know,” she replies, catching me off guard.

  She has attitude and confidence. A one-two punch that goes straight to my dick. “We could be friends, Rosie Gallo.”

  She stares at me, searching my face, and I’m hopeful for a hot second that she’ll at least agree to be something to me. “That’s a negative, buddy.”

  My hopes are momentarily dashed, but I’ve never been one to give up, especially not that easily or quickly. “You’ll change your mind.”

  “I will not.”

  I scoot closer until the sides of our arms are touching and lean over until my mouth is near her ear. “You will, baby,” I whisper, making my intentions crystal fucking clear.

  She doesn’t move for a second, and I can’t see her face until she turns so her mouth is so close to mine, I can smell the beer on her breath. “No means no, in case you missed that messaging as part of civilized society.”

  “You’ll ask me for it.”

  She blinks, staring at me in disbelief. “You’re delusional.”

  Fuck, she’s so damn beautiful and strong. I want to grab her face and haul those lips to mine, devouring every drop of her until she has nothing more to give.

  “I’m persistent, and when I see something I want, I go after it until it’s mine. And news flash, baby—right now, I’m looking at what I want to possess.”

  She doesn’t respond right away but continues to stare at me while taking shallow, fast breaths. “You’re…”

  I move a little closer until our lips are touching, and I can feel the heat of her skin against my face. “Don’t say something you don’t mean. I’d hate to prove you wrong, Rosie.”

  “No one possesses me,” she whispers against my lips.

  My smile is immediate. “Good to know you’re free.”

  “That’s not what…”

  “Shh, baby. You haven’t found the right man. But don’t worry, you have now.”

  She moves back, out from my orbit and the gravitational push and pull that flows between us. “I have to go,” she says and reaches into her pocket.

  “I got it,” I tell her. “My girl never pays for her own drinks.”

  “I’m not your girl,” she says, pulling out a ten and throwing it on the bar. “Never have been and never will be.”

  “We’ll see,” I reply as she narrows her eyes on me one more time before letting out a huff and stalking toward the exit like she’s running from her future.

  And whether she knows it or not, she is.

  Nothing in my life has been easy, except women, and they grow tiring in a hurry. But there’s something about Rosie Gallo that has me wanting to explore every inch of her and see what really makes her tick.

  Gauntlet thrown. Challenge accepted.

  “You have zero shot,” my brother says from the other side of the bar as I watch Rosie’s hips sway with each step.

  When she finally disappears, I turn back toward him, still not liking him even if we’re blood. “That girl will be mine. No doubt about that shit.”

  “You’re a Walsh. We’re not good enough for the Gallos. You know how their family feels about us.”

  “I haven’t thought of myself as part of the family in seventeen years, Ian. I’m here only to help you and for no other reason. I’m sure as soon as you have what you need, I won’t be welcomed back into the fold…not that I’d want to be anyway.”

  “That’s bullshit, brother.”

  “It is what it is, and don’t call me that. You haven’t bothered to see if I was breathing since the day I walked out the door. Don’t bother pretending to care now.”

  “Still an asshole.”

  “An asshole who’s here to save your life,” I reply.

  He gives me a chin lift before heading back to waiting on customers and leaving me in peace to finish my beer and figure out how to win over Rosie Gallo and make her mine.

  7

  Rosie

  I barely have the key in the ignition when Luna climbs in the passenger seat and slams the door. “You were going to leave me in there?”

  I groan and lean forward, placing my forehead against the steering wheel. “He was in there.”

  “He who?” she asks.

  I lift my head and throw my hand toward the bar. “Dylan.”

  She turns as if she’s hoping to see him. “No shit. That’s great news, yeah?”

  “No, Luna, it’s not. And he punched some asshole in the face.”

  She stares me straight in the eyes like I’m speaking a foreign language. “Did the asshole deserve it?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “There’s no but. The guy was, in fact, an asshole, and another guy—a very hot one, by the way—took care of him. I don’t see the issue.”

  “I had it under control,” I tell her, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles start to turn white.

  “You’re ridiculous. When a man’s around, let him handle the dirty work. Plus, there’s nothing sexier than a man who swoops in to save the day.”

  “Babe, you’re batshit crazy.”

  She shrugs, totally not giving a shit what I say to her. “Never claimed to be sane, sissy.”

  “God, I love you, you freaking weirdo.”

  “You too. Now—” she adjusts herself in her seat, ticking her chin toward the road “—drive. We have a better place to be.”

  “Where?” I say, grinding my teeth because Luna’s better places are never better places, just wilder.

  “The Caves.” She motions toward the street with her hand as if I’m just going to follow her directions and drive without putting up so much as a small fight.

  I shake my head at her stupidity. “Absolutely not. I remember what happened the last time we went there.”

  “I’m not going to let one douche drugging me ruin that place forever. It’s the hottest spot in the area to hang out at night, and tonight, there’s a huge bash going on.”

  “I want to go home,” I tell her because I know there’s no talking sense into her, but she’d never go without me.

  “Fine,” she says, crossing her arms. “Take me home, and I’ll grab my car.”

  I jerk my head back and stare at her. “You can’t go alone, dumbass.”

  “Either you come with me, or I’m going alone. Those are the two options. I’m not missing the biggest party of the year.”

  “Trust me, it’s not like you’d be missing much. This isn’t Vegas or New York. Drinking beer around a campfire near an old cave isn’t exactly high-class or all that exciting.”

  “You comin’ or not,” she asks me with her chin raised and head tilted.

  And God fucking damn…I can’t let her go alone. That’s my downfall. Whatever stupid shit she does, I’m always there to bear witness and watch over her as if I was somehow appointed her guardian angel because she doesn’t have any common sense.

  “I’ll take you,” I mutter as I turn on the engine and head toward the street. “But I’m not happy about it.”

  I have no doubt tonight will end one of two ways. Either Luna will cause trouble—it’s her superpower—or I’ll die of boredom…which, right about now, sounds pretty damn good.

  “Shocking,” she teases with a smile on her face, settling into her seat, knowing she’s victorious.

  And she is. That’s the thing about sisters and twins. I can never let her go off half-cocked without me because if something happened to her, I don’t think I could ever survive. And if I did, half of me would always be missing.

  “We’ll only stay an hour,” she promises me, which is a lie.

  “Whatever,” I mumble as I head toward the Caves.

  Twenty minutes later, we’re parked and have beers in hand, surrounded by people who have very little life ambition besides getting shit-faced drunk and partying their asses off like it’s their job. For many of them, it very well might be because they’ve never held down employment a day in their lives. Many of them still live at home with their parents or are looking like they’re on the six-year plan to finish college…if they’re lucky.

  Luna’s sitting on the log at my side, leaned back, showing her cleavage, and looking like the temptress she is and always has been. I’m much more buttoned-up, always struggling with my weight and not feeling right in my own skin. I wish I had her confidence, but no one has made me feel as beautiful as Luna is besides Luna and my family.

  I know I’m easy on the eyes. I mean, I can see Luna’s beauty, and we have the same face. Mine is just fuller in some areas, along with my waist being thicker, my tits being bigger, and my ass definitely wider.

  “There’re a lot of hotties here tonight. Who do you have your eye on?” she asks me, swinging her legs from side to side with her feet firmly planted on the ground. It’s as if she’s sending out a signal to all the testosterone-carrying humans nearby that she’s ready to mate, and man, they’re taking the bait.

  “None of them,” I sigh. “It’s slim pickings.”

  There are at least ten sets of eyes on us, some new and some old. But when I say “us,” I mean Luna. She’s the shining star. The gem every man wants to capture and add to his collection of treasure. I, on the other hand, am an afterthought.

  It used to bother me, but I’ve grown comfortable in my invisibleness to most men. The ones who go after Luna would never be my type anyway. I have higher standards, while my sister only cares if they are hot, hard, and packing at least six inches. She doesn’t set the bar too high, which makes her options vast, even in our small town.

  “But how is that possible?” she asks without looking at me. “There’re so many of them.”

  I take a sip of my beer, letting my eyes wander over the crowd that’s been here for a while and is clearly not sober. “I’d rather be home with a book than here, Luna. There’s no one here worth my time.”

  “You’re going to be alone for a long time if you think like that, Ro. You have to put yourself out there. Some guys might surprise you, but you won’t know that as long as you sit over here like Mother Teresa.”

  “When are you going to settle down?” I ask her, putting the questions on her instead of me. “Eventually, you have to date someone. The one-and-done shit has to get old after a while.”

  “Hasn’t yet.” She laughs and puts her beer down on the ground before placing her hand on my knee. “But I’ll let you know when I find the one. You have to sample the goods before you buy a nonreturnable item.”

  “You should really stop drinking.”

  Using my knee as support, she pushes herself up. “I’m going to go mingle. You coming?”

  I shake my head. “I’ll sit here and read,” I tell her, reaching for my purse.

  She recoils. “You can’t read here.”

  “I can read anywhere,” I reply, digging out my phone. “It’s the wonders of technology.”

  She places her hands on her hips, staring down at me in judgment. “If we didn’t have the same face, no one would ever believe we’re identical twins.”

  “No truer words have ever been spoken,” I mutter as I open my newest book and slide down onto the ground, using the log to support my back.

  “I can stay,” she offers, but I wave at her with my hand.

  “I’m fine. Go,” I say, preferring the company of my book to listening to her shamelessly flirt with the opposite sex. “Have fun.”

  “You sure?”

  I raise my face to her, seeing her only in shadows, the fire roaring behind her back. “Yes, Luna. I’m sure. Your hour starts now, so you better hurry.”

  “Always a killjoy,” she mutters as she stalks off toward a big group about thirty feet away on the opposite side of the fire.

  “Hey,” a man says, but I don’t even look up.

  “Not interested.”

  “Whatever,” he says, getting the hint without having to be told twice. Maybe the men here aren’t as stupid as many of them look.

  I swipe my screen, opening the page of a new chapter of my current favorite read, and ignore the laughter and talking all around me. I’m not interested in getting drunk or hooking up with any of the locals, something I’ve avoided for the last decade. My sister, though…she has always been about the carefree, fun lifestyle, giving the middle finger to the patriarchy and the traditional role of women.

  We were both taught to be strong and independent our entire lives, and we are and always have been, thanks to our parents. Raising three girls couldn’t have been easy, but they gave us a set of skills to protect ourselves and be self-reliant, something I will always be grateful for.

  “Rosie?” someone says, and I peer up at a face I haven’t seen in a while.

  “Hey, Petey,” I reply with little enthusiasm.

  “Whatcha doin’?” he asks.

  Peter Walters, also known as Petey, has always been a nice guy, but he has a box of rocks inside his head, which doesn’t leave any room for brain power. But I’ve never held that against him because whatever he doesn’t have in smarts, he’s made up for in kindness.

  “Reading.”

  He smiles. “I like to read.”

  I smile back, trying to be cordial even though he’s interrupting me. “Me too.”

  However, he doesn’t read my body language at all and bends down, crawling next to me and making himself comfortable against the log. He leans over, trying to see my screen. “Whatcha reading?”

  “A book,” I answer, being cagey because my types of books are no doubt not his types.

  “I like comic books,” he tells me, which doesn’t shock me at all. “I could stare at the pictures all day.”

  “That’s nice,” I say, going back to staring at my screen, hoping he’ll get the hint.

  “My favorite is Superman.”

  Nope. He doesn’t take the hint at all. “Yeah,” I mumble, but I don’t look in his direction.

  “I have an entire collection. You want to see it sometime?”

  I glance at him out of the corner of my eye and rein in my bitchiness at his interruption. He’s just being nice, and I shouldn’t be an asshole because I want to read. I’m sure there isn’t a person here who’s being nice to Petey, and he came over to me, hoping to find a friend in the crowd.

  “Maybe, Petey, but I work a lot.”

  “Whenever you want, Rosie. Just drop on by. I live in the same place I always have. You know where it is.”

  “I do,” I tell him. “If I’m ever over that way, I’ll drop by.” In all honesty, I’m rarely over in his part of town, and even if I were, there’s no way in hell I’m going to Petey’s house to look at his comic book collection. It’s sweet of him to offer, though. The man couldn’t and wouldn’t hurt a fly.

  “Who’s your sister talking to?” he asks me, and I peer up, following his line of sight. “Never seen him around here before.”

  My blood instantly runs cold. The man across from my sister has a face I’ll never forget, but she certainly has by the way she’s laughing and allowing him to touch her.

  I stand, tucking my phone into my purse, and take a step forward. “Rosie, where ya going?” Petey asks, but I have no time to be nice and answer his question.

  I stalk around the fire, my arms at my sides, my body vibrating with anger and hatred toward the man who drugged my sister years before. I’m sure that hadn’t been the first time he’d done that, but she wasn’t one of his victims because I was there to swoop in and rescue her before he had a chance to have his way with her without her consent.

  I grab Luna’s arm, and she turns her head, staring at me, confused. “Rosie, what are you—”

  “Don’t talk to him,” I order her, shooting a look his way.

  His eyes darken as he straightens his back. “Fuck off, bitch. This is between us, and you’re not invited.”

  I tighten my fingers around her arm, and I’m hanging on by a thread. “You need to shut the fuck up, asshole.”

  He barks out a bitter laugh, cracking his knuckles. “Or what?”

  “Hold up,” Luna says, turning her deathly glare toward the man who isn’t bad on the eyes and could get laid without having to drug people. Clearly, he’s a psycho who gets off on the control of the unwilling and unconscious. “You do not get to call my sister a bitch, you cocksucker.”

  “Sister?” His eyes narrow as he studies my face. “I don’t see it, and even if she is, she’s still a bitch, sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. She came out of nowhere to interrupt what we had going, and I don’t take kindly to shit like that or bitches who insert themselves where they aren’t wanted. If she weren’t so fat, maybe she could get some cock of her own because she clearly needs to get laid.”

  Luna moves forward, because the crazy bitch will always have my back, but I pull her back and slide myself between her and the man who I’m sure would’ve raped her tonight if given the chance. “Rosie, no,” Luna says, knowing I’m going to go off and go off bad.

  He moves forward like he’s going to touch my sister and somehow make a move, but I move too, putting us only inches apart. I peer up, looking into the eyes of a criminal. “I know who you are and what you do,” I tell him, snarling. “She won’t be one of your victims. No one here will be.”

  “Oh my God. What? It was him?” Luna asks behind me, her fingers at my waist and digging into my muffin top. “This is the douchebag who drugged me?”

  “Fucking bitches,” he hisses. “Talking shit out of your asses. I didn’t do fucking nothing.”

 

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