Page 95 of X's and O's

I’d shoved X over to the passenger seat and was uselessly flicking the on/off switch on the dash when a motorcycle turned into the street, the roar of its engine mixing with the painfully cheerful ice cream music. In the rearview mirror, I watched Levi park his bike and pull his helmet off. He squinted at us curiously as he came to stand beside me.

It was hard not to notice his hair all mussed up from his helmet. Or the intricate tattoos that covered his biceps and forearms and the side of his neck.

Or the way his knuckles were still busted up.

Prick.

An attractive prick, admittedly. But still a prick.

“Want a Snickers?” X reached behind us to grab a fun-sized chocolate bar from the pile of them he had stocked back there. He tossed it at Levi before he could answer.

Levi caught it easily with one hand. “Thanks.” He glanced between the two of us curiously. “What are we doing?”

X threw another Snickers bar into his mouth. “Feeding my sugar addiction.”

Levi squinted. “I thought we were having a meeting.” He glanced around at the quiet street. “I think your neighbors are wondering what’s going on.” He waved at the woman peeping her head around a heavy curtain twodoors down. “Nothing to see here. Just a few criminals and an ice cream van…apparently.”

I sighed and jerked my head toward the back. “Get in, would you? We don’t need my whole street identifying you.”

Levi peered at it distrustfully. “Or you could just turn the music off and we could go inside?”

I glared at him. “What does it look like I’m trying to do? I’m not exactly sitting here with a glass of wine and the Sunday fucking paper.”

I flicked the switch a few more times to no avail. Irritation rolled down my spine. This guy pissed me off. My face still fucking throbbed because he had no self-control, and now I was stuck with him on a job I’d rather do alone. He was a fucking liability I didn’t want. X was bad enough, with his complete lack of focus. And his bloody ice cream van drawing the attention of anyone within a five-mile radius. I didn’t need another pain in my ass.

Levi leaned on the doorframe. “Move over. Let me look at it.”

Despite the fact I knew nothing about cars or vans or fucking ice cream music, some stupid macho part of me wouldn’t admit defeat. Especially not to him. “Don’t need your help, asshole.”

X raised an eyebrow at the scene Levi and I were creating and tossed another candy bar in his mouth. But he didn’t say a word. For once. Which was blissful.

But Levi frowned at me. “Man, come on. I know cars and bikes. I can get the fucking music to stop. Just let me help.”

“If I wanted your help, I’d ask for it.”

Levi’s expression darkened. “No, you wouldn’t.”

I sat back in my seat, folding my arms across my chest. “You’re right. I wouldn’t, because I don’t want you here. You’re a loose fucking cannon with no self-control, and that’s the sort of dumb shit that gets people killed or caught by the cops. And frankly, I’m not interested in either.”

X cleared his throat and looked across at the two of us glaring at each other. “So what I’m hearing is Whip feels upset that you picked a fight and created a scene at Sinners the other night.”

“I’m not fucking upset,” I muttered. “I’m pissed off. There’s a difference.”

X grinned. “Does somebody want to hear an apology?”

I opened my mouth to tell him to shut his but then realized I actually fucking did want an apology. I turned to Levi.

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you want me to say? Sorry for punching you?”

“Yeah, well, maybe that would be a start!”

His eyes darkened. “You had your hands all over my girl.”

X choked on his latest Snickers bar. “Hey, hey, hold up. I don’t think the issue of whose girl she is has actually been resolved.” He narrowed his eyes at Levi. “But just so you know, out of you, me, and Whip, it’s definitely not you.”

X held his knuckles out to me to fist bump.

I ignored him, my gaze stuck on Levi. “I don’t know if you noticed, but shelikedmy hands on her. You blew yourshot with her and you took it out on me. Like a fucking toddler who didn’t get his own way.”