Sax had been my best friend most of my life. We’d never fought over a woman. Not even when Maddy moved in with him and we had both thought she was hot. Before Blaise, of course. But right now, he was pushing me.

  “If you like her for more than a fuck, then tell me,” Sax said, following me. “I’ll let it go. But she’s … she’s different. There is something about her—”

  I turned and glared at him. “You can have her once I’m done. But stand the fuck back until that happens.”

  His jaw flexed, and I knew he was angry. I didn’t care.

  “She’s not the kind of girl you just fuck. She deserves more.”

  I knew that. I was fucking aware. He didn’t need to remind me. I hated hearing it.

  “Stay out of this. Unless she tells me she doesn’t want it, then I am getting what I want. She wants me. Until she gets my dick, she’s not gonna be ready to move into a relationship with anyone.”

  Sax took three long strides until he was almost in my face. “You’re a fucking asshole,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Yeah, I am, but she still wants my cock,” I snarled.

  He muttered a curse and stalked off back to his truck. Good. He needed to leave. Gypsi would be here soon, and I didn’t want him in the way.

  I’d bought every chocolate and peanut butter snack I could find. We were going to my room to play Grand Theft Auto for the evening while our parents entertained some of Dad’s friends who he was having over for dinner.

  If I was lucky, I’d get between her pretty legs. At this point, if it was just my damn hand, I’d be happy.

  “Trev! Saxon!” Kye called both our names. Turning, I saw Kye walking from the house and in our direction. “We’ve got a job. Suit up.”

  “Why the fuck is Sax going?” I snarled.

  Kye shrugged. “I’m not the fucking boss.”

  Sax was walking back toward us. His scowl still directed at me.

  “What’s the job?” I asked Kye.

  “Some stupid son of a bitch tried to undermine your dad.”

  I sighed. “Fuck. So, we’re killing.”

  “We are taking. Delivering underground. Huck, Gage, and Levi will be there to handle the rest.”

  At least I’d be back to spend time with Gypsi without blood on my hands.

  Fourteen

  Gypsi

  I couldn’t go back to work. I’d have to find another job.

  Glancing over at Mom as she smiled, looking down at her phone, I wanted to tell her. Every night we spent in the camper, I was putting her in danger.

  Today, I’d gone to the restroom at work, and when I returned, there was a plastic gold ring with the fake blue stone lying on the counter. He’d been in the coffee shop. He had come in when I was away from the counter. He had been watching me.

  I shivered.

  I’d convinced her to stay at Garrett’s tonight. It had taken me promising to stay, too, but at least we would be safe. Garrett had sent a driver to get us in a Bentley. The Louis Vuitton duffel bag she’d packed her things in surprised me. She had blushed and said Garrett had acted hurt when she said she couldn’t accept it. Mom didn’t like hurting him. Now, she had a designer piece of luggage. What next?

  Garrett had told her that he loved her this week.

  I hadn’t been expecting that news. When I asked her if she loved him, she had smiled and said yes. Almost giddy about it. He wanted her at his house all the time, and I knew she wanted to be there. It was me standing in the way. I couldn’t keep staying there. He wasn’t my boyfriend. I was an adult. It was time I took the camper and moved on. Mom would be safe and happy. Convincing her to let me go was another thing.

  She looked up from her phone, smiling like a woman in love.

  “Garrett?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  She nodded. “Thanks for staying tonight. I miss him.”

  She had seen him yesterday, but I didn’t point that out.

  The car pulled through the entrance to Hughes Farm, and she leaned forward, like she was ready to jump out of the car and run to the man. I looked out of the window at the stables we passed. They were as impressive as the house. A few horses were out in the fenced-in areas. I was curious about the horses. I’d never been around them, but they were beautiful. I’d like to get a chance to see them up close and maybe ride one before I left Ocala.

  When the car stopped, Mom was beaming. She had the door open before the driver could get out and open it for her. I watched her, knowing I had to figure out a way to let her have this life without being a part of it. My situation would put them all in danger.

  The driver closed Mom’s door and started to my side. I let him open my door simply because it gave me time to prepare for facing Trev. He had been a complete gentleman all week. Every time I was with him, he took the friend thing to a new level. We had laughed, learned a lot about each other. Tonight, we were playing some stupid video game that he loved. He was twenty-one and still played video games. He could be cute, sexy, charming, and sometimes a little dark. Or maybe that last one was my imagination. Tyde had made me paranoid. Trusting a man would be hard for me to ever do again.

  I expected Ms. Jimmie to open the door, but it was Garrett who stepped out. His gaze locked on Mom, and a smile spread slowly across his face. He’d been watching for her. He took off the brown cowboy hat on his head and ran a hand through his hair as she reached him.

  When he lowered his head to kiss her, I looked away. Watching my mom make out wasn’t on my list of things I wanted to see. Not sure if I should go inside or not, I stood there, looking out over the property.

  “Lol—Gypsi.” Trev called my name, and I shifted my gaze to see him walking up from a building out to the far right of the stables.

  I smiled at him almost calling me Lollipop in front of my mom and his dad. A black cowboy hat was on his head and he was wearing jeans with black combat boots. The black T-shirt he was wearing was stretched tight across his, chest. Trev Hughes was droolworthy.

  “Things handled?” Garrett asked.

  Trev gave his father a nod, then turned his attention back to me as he approached the steps. “You hungry? I was thinking pizza. I can get some ordered before I get a shower.”

  I glanced back at my mom. She was whispering to Garrett with her hand on his chest as he held her against him. They were in their own little world.

  I turned back to him. “Sounds good,” I agreed.

  He looked behind me and rolled his eyes, then grinned. “Come on,” he told me, then reached for the bag in my hands with my overnight things. I let him take it and then followed him into the house.

  Neither Mom nor Garrett seemed to notice. I wondered what that felt like. To be so wrapped up in another person that the rest of the world faded away when you were with them.

  “He’s been fucking irritable all damn day. Maybe she will chill him out,” Trev said, glancing back at me.

  Looked like he was pretty happy to me.

  “Hang on,” he said to me when we reached the stairs.

  I watched as he walked over to the arched doorway.

  “Ms. Jimmie!” he called out and waited.

  “Yes?” I heard her reply.

  “Can you order up some pizza?” Then, he looked at me. “What kind do you like?”

  I shrugged. “I like all of it.”

  He frowned as if he didn’t believe me. “So, if I order anchovies and pineapple, you’re good with that?”

  “You like that?” I asked, horrified.

  He chuckled. “Fuck no. I was just making a point.” Then, he turned his head back in the direction of the kitchen. “Order a meat lovers, buffalo chicken, and a cheese,” he called out.

  “Will do!”

  When he turned and started back toward me, he reached up and took his hat off. The messy, sweaty mop of dark hair made me want to run my fingers through it. I tucked my hands in the pockets of my shorts to keep from reaching out.

  “Are you inviting more friends?” I asked, trying not to sound disappointed.

  He shook his head. “Did you want me to?”

  “You ordered three pizzas.”

  He grinned. “I’m hungry.” His booted foot hit the first step. “Come on, Lollipop.”

  I allowed myself to enjoy the view of his butt as he climbed the stairs. The way it flexed when he walked. I had to get control of my thoughts. Thankfully, we reached the second floor, and he turned to head in the direction of the white-and-gold room I used the last time I’d stayed the night here.

  When we reached it, he opened the door, stepped back, then handed me my bag. “Come on to my room when you’re ready. A shower won’t take me long.”

  I took the bag and went inside. The room smelled like lavender. It hadn’t the last time I stayed in here. I walked through and set my bag down inside the closet before heading to the bathroom. There was what I assumed was an oil diffuser on the counter. It hadn’t been here last time. I walked over to it and could smell the lavender coming from the vapor. I loved the smell of lavender. Who had put this here? It couldn’t have been for my sake unless Mom had said lavender was my favorite scent and Ms. Jimmie had set this up in here.

  However it’d gotten here, I loved it.

  Fifteen

  Trev

  I heard her come in the front room of my suite. Walking out with only a towel wrapped around my waist, like I needed to grab something before dressing, was probably not cool, but I did it anyway—and on purpose.

  I fucking loved it when I caught Gypsi checking me out, and it happened a lot.

  I made sure to flex my arms to make them look even better as I ran another towel over my head and stepped into the first section of my two rooms. The area where the sofa, flat screen, pool table, darts, and minibar were located. Dropping my hands, I let my gaze go to Gypsi.

  A grin curled my lips because she was looking—and not at my face.

  “Sorry. I didn’t hear you come in,” I lied.

  Her gaze snapped up to my face, and she blushed. “Oh. Do I, uh, need to—should I have, uh, knocked?”

  She was flustered. I fucking loved it.

  “No, you never have to knock. I’ll go get some clothes on.” I paused and smirked at her, unable not to point out she’d been looking at my body. “Unless you’d rather I just wear the towel.”

  Her eyes widened, and then she pressed her lips together, as if she were holding back a laugh. “Go get dressed,” she said finally. “Yes, I was looking. You’ve got a nice body.”

  “Nice?” I asked, looking down at my bare chest. “Maybe I should take the towel off if this only gets a nice.”

  She held up her hand to stop me. “No! That won’t be necessary! You’ve got an incredible body. You know that. Stop fishing for compliments. Your ego is big enough.”

  That was better. “My ego still likes to hear you say it, Lollipop.” I pointed to the table in front of the sofa. “I bought some snacks. If you want something before the pizza gets here.”

  I didn’t wait for her to see every one of those snacks was a combination of peanut butter and chocolate before walking into the bedroom portion of my suite. I thought about closing the door, but why? If she wanted to look in here and see me getting dressed, then I’d be happy to let her watch. Or just get naked with me and lie on my bed and let me finally get my hands on her.

  “You bought all my favorites,” she called out.

  Grinning, I pulled a pair of gray sweats from my closet and put them on. “Yeah, I did.”

  “That’s really sweet, Trev.”

  Taking the T-shirt I was going to put on with me, I walked to the open door to look at her. Letting her get one more look of my chest before covering it up. I was trying to break her down, and my body seemed to be what did it for her. I would use it to my advantage.

  “I’m not just sweet, Lollipop. I’m fucking precious,” I told her.

  She turned to look at me, and like always, her gaze traveled down my body.

  “You want me to keep the shirt off?” I asked.

  She jerked her eyes off me and looked back over at the snacks. “No. Stop teasing me.”

  Walking over to her, I knew I needed to stop. I’d been good all damn week, but I was only so strong. “That wasn’t teasing, Lollipop. It was a question. If you want the shirt off, I will happily keep it off.”

  I watched as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Fuck, the girl was sexy. She was also cute, funny, easy to talk to, and a damn good daughter. Things I’d learned about her by being friends. Sax no longer knew more about her than I did. I’d made sure of it. Even down to the fancy-ass diffuser I had bought and put in her bathroom with lavender.

  “Shirt on,” she replied, glancing up at me quickly, then reaching down to pick up a Reese’s Cup before sitting down on the sofa.

  I pulled the T-shirt on, then grabbed a piece of the peanut butter and chocolate fudge I’d special-ordered at the chocolate shop in town. “This shit is delicious. You have to try one.”

  “I’d better eat some pizza first,” she said. “If I let myself, I’ll get full on all this.”

  “We’ve got all night,” I told her, then reached for the game remotes. “How was work?”

  I liked hearing about her job. The people she worked with and the drama in their lives. She got so fucking animated, telling me about it. At times, I wanted to grab her face and kiss the hell out of her for being so damn cute.

  “It was my last day,” she said, not looking at me.

  I studied her profile. Something was off. I hadn’t known she was quitting. Was she planning on leaving? I wasn’t ready for her to leave.

  “Did something happen? I didn’t know you were quitting.”

  She wasn’t leaving me. Not yet. I had a lot of shit I wanted to do with her first.

  “No. I, uh, just thought I needed to find a job that pays more. Maybe a waitress or something. Mom isn’t working as much at night because she’s with your dad a lot. They’ve said the L-word, and I don’t know what that means for him, but my mom doesn’t tell men she loves them. So, I’m thinking I’ll be on my own soon. I need to start saving more money.”

  It meant Dad was going to marry her. That was what it meant. I’d seen it coming. But knowing he’d told her he loved her meant this was not going to end the way I wanted it to. Why couldn’t he have drawn this out? Let me have more time with Gypsi before things got complicated.

  “Where would you waitress?” I asked. “Would you really make that much more, doing that?”

  She shrugged. “I figure tips would make more than working for ten dollars an hour at the coffee shop. The tips there aren’t much.”

  “You know, if they get married, my dad will expect you to move in here. Your mom would be happy, and that would make my dad happy. You leaving is going to upset her. You two are tight.” And I want to keep you around awhile. Preferably on my cock.

  She gave me a sad smile. “Yeah, I’m worried about her being upset too. But I will be twenty soon, and I can’t just move in here. I’m not a child she has to take care of. I’m an adult. There is no reason for me to live with my mom.”

  “I’m twenty-one, and I live with my dad still,” I pointed out.

  She laughed. “Yes, but you work here too. This is a family business. It would be stupid for you to leave just to come back here every day for work. Plus, this place is massive.”

  “Exactly. It’s massive, and you already have a bedroom here.”

  “I just can’t, Trev. It feels wrong.”

  Fuck, she was stubborn. That was going to be an issue when she became family. Dad wasn’t going to allow her to take the fucking camper and travel alone in it. “You traveling alone in a camper feels wrong. Have you looked in a mirror? Are you aware how fucking gorgeous you are? It’s not safe for you to travel like you’re planning on doing.”

  As the words I’d said sank in, the tightness in my chest was uncomfortable. I didn’t like the idea of her being in danger. I wasn’t going to be okay with it, I realized. Her leaving would be an issue. I knew my dad and he wasn’t going to want her to leave but I also didn’t know how much power her mom would have over his decision. Would her mom let her go if that was what she really wanted?

  “Mom and I have traveled like this most of our lives. Sure, we’ve had some times that got a little scary. But we’ve learned the ways to keep safe. I will be smart about it.”

  Her words caused a clawing unease inside of me. They’d been scared? What the fuck had happened? Did Dad know this? Why the hell was he allowing them to stay in that camper? I needed to think about something else. This conversation was pissing me off. Everything she was saying was making me furious.

  “If your mom marries my dad, then you’re under the family’s protection, just like she is. Fuck, if Dad is in love, then you’re already under the family’s protection. Moving in here is the best way to keep you safe.” My words came out with the same fucking urgency that was building inside of me.

  She laughed softly. I wasn’t fucking joking, so why was she laughing?

  “The way you say the family reminds me of the Corleones.” The smile on her face eased me some.

  Telling her that it reminded her of it because that was what it fucking was I couldn’t do. Dad would have to offer that information or tell me that I could trust her with it. But if he was in love with Fawn, then had he told her? No, I doubted it.

  “The Hughes name is powerful,” was all I said.

  Her expression was a cross of hopeful and unsure. “Some things you can’t be protected from. You have to handle that battle yourself.”

  What the hell did that mean? If she needed protection, I sure as fuck could do it.

  “No, Lollipop, you don’t. You need protection and I can promise you, it’ll happen.”