Page 27 of Savage in the Streets

“But it does, and it should,” he says softly. “Do you visit her grave?”

I snicker. “What grave? You mean the coffee tin dad put her in?”

His eyes grow round with shock.

“Eventually, I let her ashes loose in a stream we used to visit and replaced them with wood ash. I just couldn’t stand the thought of her trapped in that little tin can.”

“I’m sure she would have appreciated that.”

“What about your mom?” I ask

His handsome face darkens. “She was a lush who married for money.”

“And your father?”

“He beat me if I brought home anything less than an A-plus. It would have been easy to maintain a high average, except that he also required I do equally well in sports.”

“Oh…I’m sorry.”

“It is what it is, and I choose to think that because of his firm hand, I have all this.” He gestures around the room.

“Any siblings?”

Instead of answering, he sits there, staring off into space.

I take another bite of cookie, wishing I had asked for the Halloween candy.

Ashton grimaces. “I have a sister, but we aren’t very close.”

Again, I wonder what it is my brother has on him. He’s all work and hardly has any real vices from what I’ve witnessed. Not that I’ve known him long. Just a week.

I’m about to thank him for the cookies and company when I realize he’s looking at me. Not a polite exchange you give to people. But really looking. Intensely. Hungrily.

Now you’ve damn near gone insane. Ashton wasn’t just born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He had the whole tray of silverware in his damn crib. A man like him would never look at you that way.

But that’s not entirely true. Rich boys like a wild ride, but that’s all they want—a ride. And I am not a girl that does casual. That’s too chaotic for this exhausted soul.

As if he realizes what he’s doing, he looks away.

“Oh, ahhhh, forgot to ask,” he says quickly.

“What?”

“Any boyfriend I should be made aware of?”

“What, you think I’m going to invite him over or something?”

“So he does exist.”

“No. He does not.”

“I’m just covering all bases for the case.”

“Ahhh…”

“So from when your father came back into your life up until now, have you had any boyfriends?”

“I was seeing a guy for two weeks back in March.”