The Sterling Boys(71)

I'm almost to the end of the fourth book, and while I appreciate having a recap of our night together in Cancun—especially since Rain loved every second of it, apparently—I don't have any answers. I've spent a full night and most of today locked up in my room. Damn long books. I even missed the big band that came to my club because I was busy reading. I barely slept—three hours at most. But I need answers more than anything else in the world right now.

My heart stills when I reach the time in our past that doesn't make sense. Something that never happened, when the rest of the book was exact.



I held my breath as I put the letter in Dean's car, locking the door the second I was done. He loved me for one night, but could he love me forever? I wanted to think so, but I was always better at speaking on paper than in person. And if he said no, I didn't want him seeing my heart break in front of his eyes.

But he had to say yes. A life without Dean Easton seemed unimaginable, and even though I didn't want to admit it, if he said no, I'd lose him forever. I was risking everything we had because I wanted more.



I emerged from the book because I had the first answer of the puzzle. A fucking letter? She gave me a letter? I would have known if... No. Fuck. No!

My bed gets its first reprieve in hours as I leap off of it and grab my keys. I don't even bother changing out of my wrinkled suit as I head out the door, ready to rip someone in two.

I break every speed limit on the road and take curves without tapping my brakes. My tires squeal when I screech to a halt in the driveway of the massive house on the beach. I don't bother knocking as I barge in, nearly knocking the door off its hinges.

"Whoa, Dane! What the hell?" Dale asks, seeing the murderous glint in my eyes as I close in on the son of a bitch behind him.

"I'll fucking kill you. How could you, you bastard!" I snap, lunging at Kode and taking the first swing.

My fist connects with his face, and something crunches. Kode falls backwards as blood spews.

"You stupid motherfucker!" he roars. "What the hell?"

I lunge again, but Maverick and Corbin come in from both sides to wrangle me backwards.

"The letter, you fucking prick! What did you do with it? What did it say? I know you fucking took it. You went to grab your sunglasses from my car. Why, Kode? Fucking why?"

The anger in me breaks as my world suffocates me, but the fury boils over in him as he yells, "Because I loved her, you stupid ass! You were too busy fucking anything that walked to notice her. But I loved her. I wasn't going to let you break her. I didn't have to read the letter to know what it said. I ripped it to shreds and buried the confetti in the sand."

My anger returns, and Maverick and Corbin aren't strong enough to hold me back. I sling them off, and Dale ducks as I charge Kode. I tackle him at the waist, and shit breaks all around us as we fall to the floor.

More than once my fist connects with his face or body, and he doesn't hold back either. One shot to my mouth stuns me long enough for him to knock me off him, but he backs up instead of coming after me for more.

"I loved her, you stupid motherfucker!" I bark, spitting out my blood while wiping my mouth.

Kode staggers, his face bruised and beaten. The only shot at my face he took was the one that split my lip. He doesn't speak, and I don't hold back.

"I loved her. I wasn't fucking anyone. Rain was the first—my first. When do you think I was fucking anyone? I was always with her unless I was at practice or in class. I rarely even slept at our fucking house because I was in Rain's bed. How could you think I was screwing around with anyone else?"

Everyone around me looks stunned, and Kode drops to the couch, shocked. Britt comes into view, and I grimace. Fuck. I forgot Maverick said she was going to be here.

"Fuck, Dane. I didn't know. I wouldn't have... Shit! I'm sorry. I just thought..."

He can't even finish as he grips his head, and the guys exchange a look of confusion.

"Dane... I really am sorry. Had I known—"

"Just shut up and tell me what you did this time. She took off without telling me why again. What did you fucking do?"

Kode's eyes go wide as he frowns. "I didn't do anything. You loved her this time... I didn't know you loved her last time or I wouldn't have done anything then. I'm not that much of an asshole. I just wanted her to be happy. This time she was. Or at least, I thought she was."

I scrub my face with my hands as I drop to a couch, close to sobbing like a baby. I could have had her six years ago. Kode... stupid, ignorant asshole.

"You listened to me when I told you how I felt. I fucking told you everything."

"Not until two years ago, Dane. You didn't say a word about it until then, and you were drunk when you finally told me that you loved her. I felt like a douche then, but what was I supposed to say?"