Page 141 of Reasons We Break

“What about your parents?”

“My parents,” she says slowly. Something dawns in her eyes. “My mother came to see you, didn’t she.”

Rajan doesn’t bother denying it. “She told you?”

“No. But she knew when we started volunteering together, although I never told her...She put it together by herself.” Simran shakes her head. “That was out of line. She had no right to guilt you.”

“Yeah, she did. All I’ve done is screw up her daughter’s life.”

“You haven’t—”

“News flash, dude,” he interrupts, because he’s angry she hasn’t given up yet. “There’s going to be plenty of people lining up for you, including that Jassa guy. Give them a chance and you’ll never have to settle for me. You can’t just accept whatever attention’s thrown your way because you don’t think you’ll get anything better.”

That seems to piss her off. “That’s rich of you to say. You let anyone who doesn’t immediately run away from you use you. The Lions. Zohra. Chandani.” Her voice scrapes. “Me.”

He didn’t know she even knew about Chandani. “I—You? You never used me.”

“You’re the one who pointed it out. Becoming the bookkeeper was my way of escaping my own problems.”

She’s getting a littletoohonest. It scares him. He keeps his voice light, stretching an arm behind his head. “You can use me anytime you want, Auntie.”

She doesn’t smile. “Don’t flirt with me unless you’re going to do something about it.”

He pauses mid-stretch. Holyfuck. She’s getting bold.

While he’s speechless, she continues. “You should wantmorethan being used. We both should. I don’t see why we can’t have that...with each other.” She puts her hand on his cheek. His breath stalls. The memory of the last time they were on a bed together expands between them until he can’t ignore it.

He pushes her hand away. “No.”

His voice is louder than he intended. He turns his face away—which is how he notices another visitor at the door.

Nick coughs. “I’ll come back.”

“No,” Rajan snaps. “We’re done here.”

“We’re not,” Simran says. Rajan shoots her a glare.

“Let me spell this out for you. If you’re with me, you’re always going to be in danger. It might be from me, or it might be from my past. If nothing else, someone might come around to finish me off. Because here’s the thing.” He taps his neck, his tattoo. “No matter how far I go, I’m always going to be a Lion.”

Simran stands. She digs into her pocket and throws something at him. He catches it, confused.

“So am I,” she says.

And without explaining further, she leaves. Rajan stares after her, then at the USB.

Nick drops into the chair next to his bed, a plastic bag in hand. “You know, I used to feel bad about your life always going to shit, but I’m starting to think it really is your fault.”

Rajan ignores that and holds up the USB. “What’s this?”

“That’sthe reason you won’t get shot the minute you step out of here. Your girlfriend has the Lions by the balls,” Nick informs him. “Manny wants her dead—”

“Great.”

“—except he can’t do shit, because he’s scared of the evidence she stole falling into the cops’ hands.” He nods to the USB.

Simran stole...evidence? “How’d she manage that?”

“No clue,” Nick says crisply. “But it’s working. As soon as we got the ledgers back, Manny locked them away. Last I heard, he was on the phone with the other godfathers, debating whether they should burn them.”