“I think we need to discuss it more.” Jules sounded very calm and rational, annoyingly like a lawyer. “I’m not just gonna go off half-cocked and get married in secret. Wyatt would flip his fucking lid.”
“Who gives a shit about Wyatt?”
“I do,” Jules said with a laugh of disbelief. “He’s my brother, Romeo. I care what he thinks. That would hurt his feelings.”
“Maybe you should marry Wyatt then.”
Jules eyes narrowed to icy slits. “Get off me.”
Romeo groaned, knowing he’d struck a nerve. Everyone including Jules seemed to think she was going to spend her days with only her twin for company. “Juliet—”
“I said get off me,” Jules said slowly, her voice low with fury. “I don’t wanna hurt you, but I will.”
Romeo rolled off her, and Jules immediately got out of bed and started searching for her clothes. He groaned. “Come on, don’t leave. I’m sorry. I’m just stressed out.”
“I don’t give a shit,” Jules said as she pulled on her panties with sharp, jerky motions. “Join the club. This is my busy season. I’m tired and worn thin, and I dunno what’s going on with you, but it ain’t really a shock you don’t wanna talk ’bout it.
Unless it revolves ’round sex, you ain’t got much of anything to share with me.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means, Romeo,” Jules said as she fought with her bra. “That I’m not marrying a man who can’t even talk to me when he’s having a bad day, and I sure as shit ain’t marrying one who won’t tell me why he spent two years in prison.” A wave of sickening betrayal washed over him as he looked at her in horror. “You did a background check on me?”
“That’s not the point.”
227
“That is the point!” Romeo jumped out of bed and glared at her. “Why didn’t you just fucking ask if you wanted to know so bad? Instead you went behind my back and investigated like you suspected I was a thug all along?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I know you! I know you’d think I wasn’t good enough. You’re a cop.
You see criminals first and human beings second when it comes to shit like that. It’s all black-and-white, good and evil. There is no gray area, and you would just naturally assume the worst.” Romeo snarled and then threw up his hands. “Obviously I was right. Good enough to fuck, not good enough to marry. I get it. Why not leave cash on the nightstand if you’re gonna treat me like your whore.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Jules gave him a look of disbelief. “I read the report, and I’m still here. Assaulting an officer, that’s a serious offense, but I didn’t judge you. I was waiting for you to tell me what happened. To confide in me.”
“Like hell.” Romeo laughed cynically. “You fucking judged me. You’re doing it right now.”
“Where does all your money come from?” Jules asked out of the blue. “I wanna know where you get so much of it if you grew up poor. It’s more than fancy sponsors.
A lot more. Clay’s got six championship belts, and he ain’t got half as much disposable income.”
“Where do you think it comes from?”
“Well.” Jules shrugged and tilted her head to study him. “It ain’t really a secret that your brothers got some shady connections.”
Romeo snorted. “Is that your way of asking if my money’s dirty?” Jules folded her arms over her chest for one long moment before she finally said,
“Yes, it is.”
“Then fuck you.” Romeo turned around and walked to the bathroom before slamming the door hard enough to make the frame rattle.
228
He dealt with the condom and washed his hands; all the while his heart was beating hard and furious against his ribs and the dull buzz of anger was pulsing at the back of his brain.
Feeling betrayed and exposed, he rested his hands against the sink and took several deep breaths. He tried to remind himself that he’d suspected she knew about his prison time. If she hadn’t look him up at some point, he was certain Wyatt had and shared the knowledge. It wasn’t a secret the sheriff thought Romeo was trouble. Even if he hadn’t come out and accused Romeo of being a criminal, Wyatt’s dark looks and general defensiveness said it all.
It was Romeo’s own insecurities that made him so angry, mixed with the mind-numbing stress of knowing he either had to throw a fight and seriously damage his career with two losses in a row or he could win and put a target on his back instead.