“Are you fucking kidding me right now, asshole?!Nowyou decide to show your goddamn face?” a familiar voice shouts from the elevator.
I look up to find a very pissed-off Troy charging toward us. He’s glaring directly at me, likely murdering me in six different ways right now.
“I’ve missed you, too,” I drawl, unbothered by his anger. I haven’t had the chance to get a new phone yet, and I’ve been a little busy getting acclimated to being home again.
When I had called him from the hospital to get Senile Suzy, he about blew out my fucking eardrum with his ranting. It was a small miracle that I was able to shut him up long enough to convince him to get the van.
We only just got home yesterday, and the both of us are still exhausted and need to heal. I hadn’t planned on staying here long, but I knew that Troy was losing his mind without me here, and frankly, I was beginning to lose my mind without my job.
“You’ve been gone near a goddamn month, and I get one phone call to go get a hippie van, and then nothing?”
“My phone is currently at the bottom of the ocean,” is my response. “And the van was more important at the time.”
Clearly, it’s not a suitable excuse for Troy based on the snarl that overtakes his face.
The second he’s within arm’s reach, I’m preparing for him to cock back his fist and send it flying into my face, but instead, he grabs me by the shirt and tugs me into his embrace.
I sigh and slap his back in greeting, but I’ll admit I missed the fucker, too. He’ll just never know it.
Troy releases me, then turns to Sawyer. “You came back with a girlfriend, too? Where the actual fuck have you been?”
She gives him a toothy, awkward smile.
“Her name is Sawyer,” I supply. She looks to me in shock, a flash of fear in her blue eyes. But she’ll never need to worry about him.
He’s the only person I’ve ever trusted, and despite how he loves to run his mouth, he also knows how to keep it shut. And if he doesn’t, he also knows I’d kill him.
“I’m Troy,” he introduces, holding out his hand to my girl. “Zo’s best friend. He’ll tell you that I’m not, but he’s just being coy.”
She grabs ahold of his hand. “He’s also just astronzo,” she tacks on with a smile, a glimmer in her eye.
My eyes widen briefly, astonishment and something absolutely primal mixing in my bloodstream. I can’t tell if I want to spank her or fuck her for insulting me in my language, but I do know that I love her for it.
She meets my burning stare without a concern in the world, a smirk on her pretty lips. I’ll correct that later.
A booming laugh bursts from Troy’s throat, his head tipped back. It’s scarcely enough to pull my attention away from her, my fists and jaw clenched with the desire to take her where we stand.
“Oh, I like her,” he chuckles.
Sawyer’s mischievous grin widens. “Thanks for rescuing Senile Suzy. I’m not used to driving on the opposite side of the road, so maybe you can teach me,” she offers, and by the glint in her eye, I know damn well she’s doing it to get under my skin.
It’s fucking working.
“Not happening,” I growl, pinning her with my glare. “Careful,bella.I’m not afraid to murder him, too.”
Unfazed, Troy winks at her, silently mouthing, “I’m gonna teach you so hard.”
These two together are going to be the death of me.
Snarling, I point at the elevator, already annoyed. “Walk. I’ll tell you what happened on the way.”
“Damn, Sawyer, you’re kind of a badass.”
I gave him a quick rundown of the shipwreck, a short explanation of Sylvester, the lighthouse, Kacey, and ultimately, why Sawyer’s name and who she really is must be kept under wraps.
I aim a glare in Troy’s direction, but he’s too busy staring at my girl. I’m seconds from ramming my fist down his throat, but he must sense his impending death and looks away.
On the way down in the elevator, Sawyer’s face was plastered to the all-glass windows, watching our descent into the ocean with equal parts fascination and terror.