Page 40 of His Retribution

So hot.

But now I'm faced with a huge problem.

For the first time in my whole life I have a friend, a hot friend that I'm wildly attracted to, one that I've caught feelings for but is rooted in place here in Ashland, far from my paranoia and life on the run.

I broke my one and only rule for a man that can never be mine, and as soon as my truck is fixed I'll leave him behind with nothing but my measly little heart to remember me by.

Let's face it, that stupid thing doesn't belong to me anymore. It's his. He can have it. Have it forever. I won't need it when the man with soulless eyes comes anyway.

"Holy fuck balls!" I scream as I spin toward the door and Posey comes sauntering into the break room. "Goddammit, I think I just had a heart attack."

She laughs. "Sorry, Gypsy girl. Didn't mean to startle you, but I wanted to let you know we were here."

My stomach drops to my toes as that aforementioned heart leaps into my throat.

She's not just talking about Kai.

Nope, Posey found out Havok was helping me with my truck and decided we all needed to get together.

I thought his allergy to the sun would help squash that plan, but it did not.

No, Posey just said that her family could come down while I was working, have a few beers, and maybe if I could get off early enough, find something to do afterward. Lucky for me, Travis called in sick tonight so I won't be leaving until my usual time.

When I called Posey from the office phone to tell her, she just said it was fine, they'd all come down still, and then Havok could walk me home since we were probably going to work on my truck anyway.

And what do you know, she followed through on her plan.

If I'm not careful, I'm going to end up with a bunch of friends I don't want to leave, in addition to a man I've fallen in love with.

Shit.

Swallowing hard, I smooth out my apron, try to take a calming breath, then force a smile. "Good. Glad you guys could make it."

"Bullshit." Posey smirks.

"Really. So super glad you, your husband, his brothers, their wives, and close friend could come down and watch me make an ass out of myself while I try not to throw up all over the bar. I'm sure Casey is thrilled to have the company too."

She laughs, wraps an arm around my shoulders, and leads me out. "You could care less about any of the Dragovihk clan sitting at the bar, Gypsy girl. Don't lie. It's Havok that has your panties in a wad, and you know it."

Yep.

She is absolutely correct.

Havok is totally the reason my panties are in a wad and most likely wet because dammit he is so amazing.

"You're so fucking cute, you know that?" Posey gives me a squeeze. "Crushing hard on the big broody dark knight that keeps running to your rescue. If you two don't get married, I might just cry."

I shrug out of her hold and try to build a little resolve.

I cannot have a crush.

I cannot fall in love.

I absolutely cannot entertain crazy thoughts of forever and always when I'm not even sure if tomorrow is guaranteed.

And I totally can't lead Havok to believe that we are anything more than maybe-friends who work on my truck together.

Which is damn near impossible when I walk out from the back to find fucking Joyce hanging all over the man himself and decide I might just shove a paring knife through her temple.