Chapter 8

• REMY
• The attorney got Zack back into university, helping me to scratch another thing off my list. It was part of our agreement to bail him out and get him back so he could write the crucial final exams. He got in through a sports scholarship and had to honor his part of the agreement as well.
• Since we had agreed not to let anyone know of our relationship, we had to pretend like we didn’t know each other and we didn’t talk at school. It was too risky.
• His mother had signed the joint custody papers but instructed her lawyer to hold onto them until I personally handed over Zack’s phone. I was prepared to do anything to see my sister again and for her to be a regular part of my life. I was being pushed aside like I had done something wrong like I didn’t have a right to be part of her life. She was my baby sister and it was killing me that she was six and didn’t even remember me or know who I was. I was determined to fix that.
• Tired of being indoors on a rainy day, Cash and I decided to go out for a few drinks and dinner. We found an upscale lounge on Santa Monica Pier. The place had a cool vibe, dim UV lights, sleek bars, leather couches, and a live band belting out rock music from the eighties. The dance floor was half-full and I was almost tempted to join in when they started playing a song by The Cure.
• “This song reminds me so much of Kyle,” I chuckled, sliding onto the padded seat at the booth. “I know I spent the past six months with him but I miss him.”
• My friend scoffed, sliding opposite me. “With the way you two used to bash heads?”
• “Non, il m’aime,” I smiled, tapping my fingers on the dark wooden table as I studied the menu. “And I love him too. I should pay him a visit on the weekend.”
• “I’ll have a Manhattan,” Cash told the server. “And a meat platter.” That was pretty standard for him, he could never settle for one thing so went with everything.
• “Bonsoir,” I said, without glancing up. “Steak Frites and a Sidecar. Straight up. No ice-” My eyes snapped up when there was a loud thud. The waitress had passed out. “Parfait,” I groaned, slinking right to the end of the seat and dropping my head. “She’s going to blow my cover.”
• “Fangirl Fever,” Cash grinned, raising his hand to get the attention of the floor manager. After apologizing, he took our order and quickly swept the girl off the floor, and marched her to the back.
• “How’s Operation Get Violet going?” I’d nicknamed her Violet because of her unique eyes.
• “Je ne comprends pas,” I exhaled a long breath and tugged at my hair. “I really don’t get it.”
• “What don’t you understand?”
• “It’s been two weeks and she won’t even look at me,” I whined to Cash that night when we went out to some bar for drinks. “Pourquoi? Do you think I’ve lost my touch?” Danielle Morgan was like a complex puzzle I still couldn’t figure out. I thought being myself would attract her but so far that hadn’t happened. “Mon Dieu, I’ve never had to work so hard to get a girl.” Girls were drawn to bad boys like flies to a heap of crap, not this one. “Nothing seems to work with her. I’ve tried everything.”
• Every morning, I waited for her so I could walk her to class, she walked the other way. Volunteered to partner with her in class discussions but she pretended like I didn’t exist. I stood up for her whenever anyone so much as looked at her the wrong way, had smashed enough faces in, and threatened more than my fair share of sleaze bags on her behalf. She hated my guts and she didn’t make it a secret. The dance was postponed again and will be on Friday. She was going with me. She just needed to accept it.
• “Serves you right, French Fry.” Cash swirled a chicken nugget into the cheese and bacon sauce and brought it to his mouth. “The girls in your past spoiled you. You’ve never had to put in the effort to get or keep one.”
• “And you have?” He did. Once. He got hurt. Très atroce. Sévèrement. Badly.
• “Let’s not get into that,” his shoulders stiffened and his lips tightened. “I’m done with women.”
• He was coming out of a messy relationship. “I saw Maddie when I was over at Corbyn’s yesterday…”
• His fork clattered onto the table and he let out a low growl. “Can we not talk about her?”
• “Whenever you’re ready, mon frère.’ I let it go with a sigh of resignation. “I’m here.”
• “I’d rather talk about-” his eyes widened as he stared behind me, his face breaking into a grin. “Her,” his head jerked forward. “Don’t look now, but Violet and that hot Latina friend of hers just walked in.”
• “Her name is Danielle,” I corrected with a smile, my body twitching with excitement and anticipation. “I’m the only one who gets to give her names.” Still wondering what she was doing out on a Tuesday, I waited for a beat and slowly turned around. The smile on my face fell immediately when I saw Zack trying to initiate conversation.
• Did this guy have a brain at all??
• “What’s he doing?” Cash seemed to be thinking the same thing. “Didn’t you say she put a restraining order against him?”
• “She did,” I blew air out of my thinned lips and raised my glass to the server. I needed another drink. “I told him to stay away from her.”
• “Ouch!” Cash winced and jerked back.
• My head swiveled around. “What?!”
• “Sexy Latina packs a strong punch,” he cackled, watching Zack rub his jaw. “I like her.”
• “You’re wondering if she’s a chat sauvage in bed, aren’t you?” Security sprang into action and my brother was promptly escorted out.
• “Every hot-blooded male in here is wondering if she’s a wild cat in bed,” he laughed, not taking his eyes off her. “Me included.”
• She was feisty, just like my little doll. “I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side.”
• “Noah is here too,” his eyes narrowed and his worried gaze slid to me. “Don’t do anything stupid but he’s following her to the restroom. It could be nothing.”
• “Mon derrière!” I snapped, jumping to my feet. Tina was weaving her way to the bar and Dani was going to the ladies’ room, Noah hot on her high-heeled boots. “I’m going to check on her.” There was no way he was innocently going to the bathroom. “If I’m not back in five, come after me before I commit a crime.”