Thief (A Bad Boy Romance)(29)

The girl I told “forever.”

The one who said it back and then let me walk away.

I take a long, slow pull of my beer as I stare out over the harbor.

“I need answers.”

And suddenly, her voice isn’t just in my head, it’s right here and now. I jerk my head around and look down at the dock from my perch.

Ivy.

I shake the lingering thoughts from my head as I raise a brow at her.

“Looking to come aboard?”

“No.” She shakes her head, her face angry as she jabs a finger at me.

“No cute talk; no games, Silas. We’re done with that.”

I frown. “Should I put Monopoly away?”

“Silas.”

“Okay, okay.” I hold my hands up as I slowly stand and turn to get a better look at her.

She’s fury personified, her now golden hair flamed out around her face, her eyes flashing green fire.

I cross my arms across my chest as I nod. “Come on up.”

She stumbles as she clambers over the side onto the boat, swearing under her breath in the semi-dark of the twilight.

“Those heels aren’t going to do you any favors on the ladder.”

She glares at me as she kicks them off onto the deck of the boat, muttering under her breath as she makes for the ladder up to the roof. I finally relent, kneeling and giving her a hand up as she finishes the last few rungs.

She brushes her skirt down, furiously pushing hair out of her face.

“Beer?”

“Why’d you leave.”

Oh, we’re having that talk.

Wonderful.

“Ivy-“

“No-no.” She shakes her head, her eyes still blazing as she swallows heavily. “No. Answers, Silas; you owe me that much.”

I bark out a laugh. “I owe you?” I roll my eyes. “You told me to leave.”

“The hospital, you asshole!” She yells, far louder than I’d have expected.

“I asked you to leave the damn hospital, not the fucking country!”

I hold her gaze. “It’s complicated.”

“Un-complicate it.”

I shake my head. “It’s things you don’t want to hear, I can promise you that.”

“No, I can promise you that it damn well is!” Her chest heaves, her shoulders shuddering as she looks at me in the faint glow of the harbor.

“Eight years, Silas.” Her hand darts into her tank top and yanks the necklace out, her face tight. “Eight years.”

She shakes her head, her eyes full of all the sadness I know I put there.

“Look, you want answers?” I shake my head as I step towards her, commanding her attention.

“Then ask the questions.”

She swallows, her face fierce. “Fine. The truck robbery that night.”

I wince.

“Why?” Some of the fire seems to go out of her eyes as she retreats. “Why’d you go?” she says, quieter this time.

“You know why,” I say softly.

“My brother?”

I nod. “Couldn’t let him fuck up his life like me.”

She shakes her had. “Silas, your life wasn’t-”

“Ivy I was nothing like you and your siblings, and you know that.” She looks up into my eyes, blinking.

I shrug. “That’s just the way it shook out. Fate, karma, history, whatever you want to call it.

I step closer to her, and before I can stop myself, I’m reaching out and cupping her chin in my hand. “You know I always had a cloud following me.”

“What really happened that night?” She looks at me pleadingly, not making a move to step away from my hand on her cheek. I stroke her jaw softly before letting it drop.

“I mean, I basically know, but what really happened? Dad’s always been vague, and I don’t think Rowan totally remembers.”

I turn, looking out over the water and the breakers crashing softly on the moon-lit horizon.

“I got a call from one of Declan’s guys the night of the hit.” The memory of it start to come creeping back, the cold, bony hands of it clawing at me.

“I had said no to the job, but I found out with that call that Declan had offered it to Rowan.” I can feel the same rage burning up inside that I felt that night.

“But he didn’t go on the actual job?”

I shake my head as I turn back to her. “I swapped back in. Declan wanted me anyways, and truth be told, I almost wonder if he offered it to Rowan just to get me to do it.” I look into her big green eyes.

“I called Rowan and told him to fuck off, and then I…” I trail off.

“You did the job.”

I nod and she looks away, swallowing heavily.

“You know that guard was Jimmy Doyle’s father, Silas,” she says quietly, her voice broken. “We went to school with him.”