Page 99 of The Fractured

“Hey, babe. I’ve got that gun your dad wanted me to get. I know you were shot by one a few months ago, but hey, protection, right?”

Yep. Boyfriend of the fucking year.

None of this was good.

I headed for the exit with Seb and Roxy. For a moment, I was with my thoughts as we walked through the restaurant — I kind of wished I could empty said thoughts into the gutter and drive away. The bad thoughts anyway; the ones that reminded me of my shitty past; the ones that reminded me of my dim future. It was getting harder to stay in the present when my head was being torn in every direction.

“Why’d he give you a gun?” Roxy said, pulling me from my head.

“Protection.” I held the door for Seb and her.

“Well, obviously. But why else?” she persisted.

“Can’t say.”

Seb, knowing exactly what the gun was for, pivoted as we stepped outside and pushed his fists into the pockets of his jacket. A cloud of breath escaped his mouth as he spoke into the cool night air. “Read the situation, Roxy. Maybe we should all get guns, considering how fast everything went south.”

Roxy’s eyes narrowed, and she curled her top lip. “You better not be blaming me for this.”

Seb lifted his hands in defense. “Oh, I wouldn’tdare.”

She scowled at him and hugged her arms around herself to keep warm.

“I’m parked this way so I will see you guys when I see you.” Seb tapped my shoulder by way of goodbye, and then sarcastically waved at Roxy as he strode down the sidewalk on our left and rounded the street corner at the end. All the while, casually scanning his surroundings.

It was safe to say we were all on edge.

“It’s for Little Miss Goodie-Goodie, isn’t it?” Roxy said from where she leaned against the pizzeria windows.

“Don’t.” I started walking.

She scoffed.

I agreed to walk her to her car after the meeting. That didn’t mean we had to speak.

“You’re hot when you get all protective over the Goodie—”

I abruptly stopped and deadpanned at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

I continued forward, keeping an eye on our surroundings. Unlike the night Roxy and I exited Castello di Vetro together, our cars were parked further away from the pizzeria. Therewere more dark alleys and empty shop fronts, creating plenty of hiding places for an ambush.

Or I was being paranoid.

The purr of a bike engine followed by several beeps pulled our eyes to the road as Seb rode by. He gave us a casual salute, leaned into his bike, and then sped off down the street in a blur of matte black.

Roxy sighed. “Long gone are the days of you fucking me over my kitchen counter, I guess…”

“I’m not even gonna respond to that.”

She pulled out a flask from her suit jacket pocket and took a sip. Only to pause when she noticed me watching. “What? Our lives are in danger. May as well fucking live it up while we still can… Want some?”

“I’m good.” I pushed my hands deep into my pockets. “Would kill for a cigarette though.”

“Ha! I knew old Dean was in there somewhere.” She pocketed the flask again and folded her arms, rubbing her hand up and down her biceps. “We were good together, you know… Well, the sex was.” She paused to think before she continued. “I still don’t understand how it washerover me.”

“Better morals?” I drawled.