Page 172 of Empire State Enemies

I clench my jaw. “Sins?”

“She stole your car, didn’t she? Bold move.”

“Killian told you everything, huh? No secrets in this family, I guess.”

Mom’s comeback is swift. “Excuse me for wanting to stay informed about whether my son’s girlfriend is potential in-law material.”

I can’t help but let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Dial it back, Mom. Lexi’s neither a future in-law nor a Bonnie to my Clyde.”

Her comeback is dry. “She did have a certain charm, though I’ll be keeping an eye on the valuables next time she’s around.”

What the hell is she talking about? “Lexi’s not some con artist. She’s genuinely sweet and kind. You’ve met her, for crying out loud. How can you even question that?”

Mom arches an eyebrow. “But she did swipe your car. Seems she’s got you pretty twisted up, especially now, with everything you’re dealing with. Watch yourself, Connor.”

“She’s not like that. She made one mistake after being in a shitty situation. And let me tell you, she’s got higher morals than anyone I know. She’s taking care of her little sister and her mom all by herself. I offered to foot the bill for the medical costs, and she shot me down flat.”

“Ah.” Mom pauses, and I can almost hear the cogs turning in her head.

Now I see what’s really going on.

“She sounds like a keeper,” she remarks, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

“Well played, Mom. Smooth.”

She’s pulling a move straight out of her old playbook. The one she always used on me and Killian when we were kids. I’d storm in, fuming about Killian hogging his games or ditching me for his older pals. Before I knew it, I’d be standing there, defending him till I was out of breath. Mom’s tactics are slicker than Houdini on his best day.

She’s grinning like she’s already won the round. “So, after your passionate defense, you’re really going to tell me you don’t owe that girl an apology?”

I can’t help but let out a frustrated sigh. This roundabout is endless. A thirty-five-year-old man being scolded by his ma. Some things never change. “You know what, you’re right, I was a little out of line. I might’ve been harsher than Lexi deserved.”

She beams at this. “Why don’t you invite her over again? Let’s make up for that disaster of a dinner.”

I take another rough swallow of whiskey. “Not happening. I might owe her an apology, but ending things was the right move.”

“Oh, Connor.” Disappointment creases her face. “Are you that afraid of letting someone in? Take a look at Killian, all settled and content. Life’s tough, you know. You’ve been bending it to your will, but it’s not always going to bend back. In the tough times, having someone there, someone who loves you, that’s what counts.”

She hesitates, then hits me with a curveball. “I even wondered if you might be gay.”

I shoot her a look. “You know I’m not.”

“It’s just . . . you’ve never looked at women as anything more than arm candy. But Lexi . . . she’s gotten to you, and maybe that’s not the worst thing in the world.”

“She crossed a line,” I retort, my anger flaring.

“Uh-huh,” she replies, her lips pressing into a thin line. “And yet, here you are, gripping that glass until your knuckles turn white every time we mention her name. Maybe the very thing you’re running from, the thing you’re too stubborn to face, is exactly the thing that you should be paying attention to.”

“Enough, Mom. I’m not in the mood.”

“If you’re lucky, she might still forgive you,” she says, clinging to a sliver of hope she doesn’t try to hide.

“Just drop it,” I demand, finishing off my drink. “Lexi and I are done. That’s the end of this conversation.” Dwelling on the past is a waste of time.

I exhale heavily, catching the concerned look on Mom’s face.

What was I thinking? Pulling Lexi into my world, inviting her to a family dinner? Now, it’s like open season for everyoneto pry into my affairs. This mess happened because I broke my usual rules and it blew up in my face.

Lexi thought she had the right to make calls about my life, and that’s not how it works. No one—absolutely no one—gets to make decisions for me. Not Lexi, nobody. That’s why she got hurt.