Thief:A Bad Boy Romance(102)

 

Hunter, of course.

 

He brings a cigarette to his lips and flicks the lighter in his other hand, bringing it to the end as he inhales.

 

“You know, as your soon to be stepsister, I have to tell you that's a gross habit.”

 

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, thanks.”

 

“And dangerous.”

 

“Hey, my brother joined the Marines, I smoke. I’d say the life expectancy of my escape is leagues beyond his.” I raise an eyebrow at his shitty choice in wording, but he stops me with a shrug and a raised hand. “And yes, I’m always this difficult, before you ask.”

 

I grin. “So why did he join the Marines? Your dad?”

 

Dexter snorts. “Hell no. No, no way. If anything, he’d have not joined just to throw it in the Major’s face.” He slumps back against the window frame, blowing smoke outside into the chilly January afternoon. “Probably my mom. I dunno, I was young when she died, but I know Hunt took it bad.” He takes another pull of his cigarette. “She was pretty awesome though, I remember that.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Well, shit happens, right?” Dexter shrugs. “How about your dad, you ever see him?”

 

“Only in the papers, occasionally.”

 

He grins at me. “He seems like a tool, no offense.”

 

“None taken, he is.”

 

Mom and I don’t actually really ever talk about my dad, because we don’t need to. We don’t need to remember someone who left us like that when I was so young, and especially someone who’s never really made the effort to be a part of either of our lives.

 

My dad is basically a trust-fund kid run amok. A young hot-head my mom met when she was in law school and fell for. He pretty quickly fell for someone else, or rather many someone elses and left her with law school debt and a four year old. Basically all I know about him is that he spends most of his time in Europe, dates the occasional far-past-her-prime socialite, and sometimes makes appearances in shitty tabloids.

 

Beyond that, I don’t really need to think about him.

 

“I can’t believe your mom won not only as a woman but as a divorcée. I mean, I voted for her, but this country is full of douchebags.”

 

I shrug. “Pretty sure it’s why she won.”

 

And it is. Single mom? Divorcée? A take-no-shit attitude? Yeah, you better believe that rang true with her core demographic. And really, I get it, and I get why me leaving school the way I did grates on her gears. I also get why even if she wants to marry him, she’s loathe to make the whole thing with Alec Ryan public. Because she’s strong on her own, and she knows it.

 

I immediately want to change the subject.

 

“So that’s why Hunter joined the Marines? Escape?”

 

Dex snorts. “Dude, he and dad both needed to not be around each other; big time.”

 

“Do either of them know you’re smoking?” I say, nodding with my chin at the smoke curling up from the cigarette between his fingers.

 

He eyes me, like he’s trying to read me. “Not unless you squeal.”

 

“What if I do?”

 

“I think that’d make you a pretty shitty stepsister.”

 

I laugh. “Agreed. Look, just — I don’t know — cut back or something, okay?”

 

“Deal.” He grins at me. “You know, you’re not so bad.”

 

“Oh, gee, thanks,” I say sarcastically.

 

He laughs again. “No, dude, I mean — I don’t know, you’re not as stuck up as I thought you’d be.” He grins. “Plus it's awesome to have another college reject around to take some the heat off me.”

 

I flip him off as he laughs in the window. “Hey, I’m just taking some time off. I had a pretty shitty semester last year, you know,” I add, suddenly frowning as I think about Harry. “You should go back and finish your undergrad, you know.”

 

“Yeah, she says the same thing.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Dexter quickly frowns as shakes his head. “Nothing.”

 

“No, who?”

 

“Just this girl,” he says with a shrug.

 

I smirk as I raise my eyebrows; how the heck is Dexter sneaking around?

 

He snuffs out his cigarette on the windowsill outside and flicks it away before he closes the window and reconnects whatever he undid with the wiring. “Anyways, sorry you’re stuck with Hunter twenty-four-seven.”

 

“Eh, it’s not so bad.”

 

“Nah, he’s not bad at all.” He shrugs and flashes that Ryan-brother grin again. “I mean, a huge tool after the military, but he’s a good guy.”