Page 27 of Burning Ember

When I step out, Lily clasps her hands together and beams at me. “You look hot. Let’s steal of pair of Jade’s heels to show off those nice legs of yours then you’ll be all set. Mav’s gonna be chokin’ on his words.”

I perk up an eyebrow. “You think?”

She nods. “Definitely. But it might be smart to stay out of his way and let him get used to you. We don’t want to press our luck.”

What luck?The negative thought rockets though my mind. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Then she’s chewing on her thumbnail deep in thought as she examines me.

“What?” I ask.

“Did I do the right thing? Bringing you here?”

“I think so. I was out of options. Living on the street’s been a nightmare, and I was running out of money even before all my stuff was stolen today. I thought it would be easier to find a job.”

“Why won’t anyone hire you? You look hirable.”

“No ID . . .”

For a second, I think I’ve said too much but Lily replies, “I figured you were on the run with how jittery you were around Davis. Don’t worry. I’m not gonna say anything to the guys.”

She pulls one knee up on the bed and plays with the zipper on her boot. “I know what it’s like not to have a safe place to run to. My step-father was a hopeless alcoholic and had a very warped idea of how a father should treat his little girl. My mother still to this day doesn’t see how evil he is. And yeah I thought it would be so much better if I just left. That I could make it on my own. Get a job, rent an apartment. But it’s a fucking cruel world out there, especially for young girls without a home.”

My thoughts drift to Ivy. “It is.”

Her head lifts. “You ever notice how fucked up women are in general because of men?”

“Yeah.” I don’t tell her my mother was the screwed up one in our family. That if it weren’t for her bailing on Sundown and me, I probably wouldn’t have ended up with Warner.

“You can’t live without them though. Not when men like Goose have the skills to give you multiple mind-blowing orgasms.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Wow. TMI.”

She laughs too.

“In all seriousness though, you seem happy here. Are you really?”

A luminous smile flashes over her face. “With Goose. Yes, very happy.” Her eyes shine. “I never thought I’d see the day that I’d let a man see all of me. The ugly stuff. The dark stuff, you know? The secrets I thought I’d never share with another person. But he knows it all and he still looks at me like I’m everything he’s always wanted.”

“How long have you been together?” I ask.

“Officially and monogamously? Two months.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Almost two years.”

We’re both quiet for a moment before she speaks again. “Maybe it won’t be a short stop for you either? Dozer probably can’t wait to get his hands on you again.” She stands and says, “I love Bethany like a sister, but if she’s not going to scoop him up, then why can’t you?”

Um . . .Do I want to scoop up Dozer?

Amber eyes and a dark stubbled face flash through my mind. A man I shouldn’t want because he’s so much like the man I’m running from.

Hot and cold. Dangerous. Unpredictable.

A picture is only a small glimpse of a person’s life . . . yet it tells an entire story.

EMBER