Epilogue: The Dark Duet Read Free Page B

gripped the door handle
     as the car roared to life and the engine caused our seats to vibrate.

    I smiled at the knowledge her pussy had
     received a little tickle. My balls appreciated the RPM too. I pulled away from
     my parking spot and tried to concentrate on navigating our way out of the
     tourist-filled traffic. In the pit of my stomach, my anxiety churned and
     threatened to ruin my dinner.

    “Okay, I’m all
     yours. Ask me anything you’re prepared to have answered.” From the corner of my
     eye I could see a smile tugging at the corners of Livvie’s mouth.

    “You’re all mine?” she asked.

    I looked in her direction.

    “Are you
     serious? That’s your first question? This might be easier than I thought. Yes,
     Livvie, I’m all yours.” I winked at her for good measure. My stomach felt a
     little better when I saw her smile.

    “And
     you’re mine, only mine.” The void fed on the memory.

    “Good to know. But it won’t be that
     easy. When you offered to take me home, did you mean my house?” Her tone hinted
     at her unease.

    I suddenly knew where this conversation
     was going to go. However, I’d promised to answer her honestly. I always kept my
     promises. All, except one. I pushed the thought away.

    “You didn’t
     want to go to mine, so I thought yours might be better.”

    “Do you know where I live?” she
     accused.

    I rolled my eyes.

    “Yes.”

    She was quiet for a while, but I
     couldn’t really gauge her thoughts because I had to focus on the narrow,
     disjointed streets.

    “Okay,” she
     said resolutely. “It makes sense you’d know where I live. I’m sure it took you a
     while to find me.”

    “It did.” I smiled again, but I can’t
     be sure it was genuine. I don’t like answering questions, especially ones that
     sound like a trap.

    “How long have you known where I am?”
     The tone of her voice was less than friendly.

    “Livvie, I—”

    “Caleb. You promised.”

    I gritted my teeth.

    “I’ve known for
     a few weeks.” I slammed on my brakes to avoid hitting a group of drunken idiots
     crossing the street. Fucking teenagers, they thought they owned the world. I
     rolled down my window without thinking and yelled at them. “Get the fuck out of
     the road!” One of them gave me the finger and called me a fag in Spanish. “I’ll
     show you a fag, you little bitch. I’ll fuck-start your head!”

    “Caleb!” Livvie cried out and gripped
     my arm. I snapped my head toward her and I could see she was more than a little
     frightened. It irritated me more than I understood at the time. I watched as
     the group of soccer idiots kept walking down the street. They were still
     laughing and shouting at me. I wanted to shoot each of them in the kneecaps.

    A horn blared behind me. I stepped on
     the gas and propelled us into a roundabout a bit too quickly.

    “This isn’t
     going the way I hoped, Livvie. You’re obviously scared of me and I’m just
     getting irritated. Maybe I should take you home.” I felt a pang in my chest as
     I spoke. I didn’t want to take her home, at least not to drop her off. But I
     couldn’t take much more cat and mouse. It’s just not who I am.

    “If that’s what you want, then I think
     you better.” She was definitely angry.

    “No. It’s not what I want. I wouldn’t
     have gone through all the damn trouble to find you if that’s what I wanted.
     Please be rational.”

    “You be rational, Caleb. You show up
     out of the fucking blue and just expect me to fall on my back and throw my legs
     open for you? No! Not until I know what the hell you’ve been up to for the last
     year. Not until I know why you’re back in my life and what you expect from me.”

    Okay, that made sense. I knew it did. I
     didn’t have to like it. My entire life had changed. I’d given up everything I
     knew and the last thing I wanted to do was talk about it. Why do women have to
     do so much talking? If you’re hungry, eat.