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Oscar shakes his head. “I was part of the cleanup crew. It’s not there.”
I swallow. Part of the cleanup crew? I don’t even want to ask how many dead people he saw, and his demeanor doesn’t make me want to ask either.
“He’ll check in,” Oscar says. “Not that I should want him to, right?” He bites his lip. “Considering you like both of us.”
Vulnerability doesn’t suit Oscar. Not that it’s a bad thing. I like it. But he looks so awkward when he peers up at me after those words hang in the air for a moment. He’s miles away from the confident badass gang member right now. His words are like a forbidden heavy cloak over us. Those words shouldn’t be spoken. Not in Johnny’s suite. Not at all, actually. Can people even have feelings for more than one guy at a time?
Actually, yes, they can. I know for a fact because I do, and that’s all the reassurance I need.
“I do like both of you,” I tell him. I won’t even begin to tell him about the weird vibe I have with Magnum and just the ridiculous nature of whatever feelings I have for Johnny. I haven’t figured those out myself yet.
He jams his hands into his pockets. “So, still want to stay here?” he asks. “Bitches trying to kill you. Shootouts. Fights to the death.”
I mentally add his name along with Brawler’s to his sarcastic list of reasons why I would want to stay in the Heights, except those are my real reasons. Not to mention the reason why I came here in the first place. “Yes, I still want to be here.”
“We must be the stupidest fucking people alive.”
“No, we’re just stuck.” I’m more stuck than he knows. He probably thinks I’m crazy, and let’s face it, I am. This path was never going to be easy, but it needs to be done.
He looks over his shoulder toward the door. “They’re probably wondering where I am. We don’t need to be seen together like this.”
I hate this. I wish I didn’t have to cater to everyone. I take a deep breath. “Oscar, I need to get to my apartment. Is there any way you can take me there?”
He turns toward me, a sly look on his face. “Your apartment?”
“There’s something there I need.”
“I can grab it for you.”
Ugh. These guys and wanting to help. Don’t they know women like to do shit for themselves? “I really need to get it myself. Can you get me there?”
He blows out a breath. “I can try, but after what just happened in here with that crazy chick, I doubt you’re going anywhere for a while. You know how Johnny is.”
His words punch a hole in the bubble surrounding us. I’m good at pretending everything’s fine. Hell, I’m even good at convincing myself that everything is fine, but in this moment, it dawns on me that I am indeed stuck. I’m worried about someone finding my cell phone. I’m worried about Brawler. About the rest of us who have to deal with this life day in and day out.
“One day, you’re going to tell me what your secret is, Princess,” Oscar coaxes. Instead of looking defeated, a new light burns in his eyes like I might be his greatest challenge yet. We come together like the sky meets the earth in a beautiful horizon of colors. He runs his hand over my hair, cupping the back of my head. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Fuck me. How did I end up in the craziest of worlds surrounded by guys who aren’t crazy? I’m not saying they’re not bad. Or that they don’t have the potential to do shitty things, but deep down, I’d wager no one has determination like Oscar. Or heart like Brawler. Or—.
“Just one fix,” he says, his breath teasing my lips. Our lips collide, and he spins me until my back is against the door. He presses me against it, deepening the kiss until my limbs tingle. I want more. I need more. For as much as Oscar is a badass, he’s not a wild card like Johnny. I don’t have to second-guess the spark between us. I’m throwing myself all in.
I curl my fingers around his lower back, yanking him toward me. He nips at my lips before diving his tongue inside my mouth where he takes complete control. He worships me, kissing me thoroughly, and I do my best to give it right back to him.
He pulls away all too soon, both of us breathing heavy. He drifts his forehead to mine and rests it there. “That was fucking…incredible.”
I smile. “I guess that’s why you like us crazy ones.”
“Just one crazy one.”
And to think he’d been messed up over Nevaeh a couple of weeks ago. That just proves that when you know, you just know. Different people are attuned to different people. So, when you click, things just fall into place like long lost puzzle pieces. I’ve been trying to figure out how I’m not like these guys, but what if being like them isn’t necessarily a bad thing? They’re survivors, whether they know it or not. In that, we’re the same. We all do what we have to do.
“I have to go,” Oscar says. “If I hear anything about Brawler, I’ll let you know.”
I don’t ask how he’s going to be able to do that since I’ll be stuck here with no cell, but at least Oscar has access to the tower. It’s not out of line for him to be here. In fact, it’s pretty much mandatory that he’s here. “How deep are you in this, Oscar?”
He curls his hands into my t-shirt—well, Johnny’s t-shirt. “As much as you, Princess.”
I nod knowingly. At least Brawler isn’t in. He could leave and never come back, and it would be okay. “You should keep up with football. You never know what might happen.”