Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mason left Vantage, ignoring the call from Miles.
He caught Miles looking at him twice earlier, and he knew Miles had noticed something was different.
He wasn't sure he was ready to say anything, especially given Vivi's reticence. Part of him wanted to tell his brother everything. Miles was his twin, the only person in the world that he could typically count on. He texted Miles to let him know he was headed out for recon and that he’d talk to him later.
That at least would buy him a little time to decide whether or not to tell him.
He swung through a fast-food joint and ate as he drove over to meet up with Jaxon.
For the next hour, they watched their mark.
And he stewed over his situation with Vivi.
Why was she so afraid to tell her brother they’d hooked up?
He didn’t think she was afraid of him, exactly.
It seemed like she was more… embarrassed.
And that stung. He didn’t want to be anyone’s second choice, and he refused to be some dirty little secret.
Was she ashamed of him, of the time they’d spent together?
He wanted to corner her and ask, but every time he got within ten feet of her, he lost his head.
It was like the chemistry between them took over, and he had the urge to push her up against the wall, take her like he had in the hotel. He wanted to feel that one more time—a hundred more times. He didn’t know what it was about her, but he couldn’t get enough.
“You good?” Jaxon threw a curious look his way, and he nodded.
“Yeah. Sorry.” He shifted in his seat, cracking his neck to relieve some of the tension there. “Just… a lot on my mind.”
“You seem a little on edge,” Jaxon remarked.
If he only knew. “A little,” he admitted.
“If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
He appreciated the offer, but Jaxon had female troubles of his own. “I’m good. Thanks, though.”
His brother called just as he and Jaxon were packing it in for the night, and he thumbed the screen to answer. “Yeah?”
“Meet me for a drink.”
That was the last thing he wanted to do right now. “Nah, I think—”
“Come on. Meet me at Van’s in thirty.”
The line went dead, and he rolled his eyes. He threw a look Jaxon’s way. “Wanna grab a beer?”
“I would, but I’m headed to Adalyn’s.”
Part of him wanted to ask how that situation was going, but the tone of Jaxon's voice stopped him. He couldn’t tell exactly what he detected there. Maybe the same possessiveness he felt for Vivi. He thanked Jaxon as he dropped him back at his bike, then headed toward Van’s Bar downtown.
He scanned the room, and his eyes were immediately drawn to his brother sitting at the corner of the long bar, a dark brown bottle in front of him. Winding through the maze of tables, he approached and slid onto the stool next to him.
Beer bottle to his lips, Miles sent a little half-nod his way, then wiped the moisture from his mouth. “Hey, man.”
“Hey.” He flicked a look at the bartender and gestured toward the bottle in Miles’s hand. The younger guy nodded and reached into a cooler, then cracked the top before passing him the bottle.
He could feel his brother’s eyes on him as he chugged half of it before setting it on the bar. “You been stressed lately?”
It was more of a statement than a question, but he nodded regardless. “Just a lot on my mind.”
Namely the gorgeous little brunette he’d fallen into bed with a week ago and hadn’t been able to get his mind off since.
He saw her every single day at work, but she avoided him like the plague.
It left him frustrated and, ironically, even more crazy for her.
The woman knew exactly what she was doing, making him work for it.
Why he was going along with it was beyond him.
That wasn’t true. She drove him crazy—in the best and worst of ways. She was quirky. Crazy. But she intrigued him. There were so many layers to Vivi that he wasn’t sure he’d ever reveal them all.
And the craziest part of this whole thing was that he actually wanted to. He wanted to know everything about her. He wanted to taste her again, feel her soft skin under his hands. There was just something about her that revved his engine, and he wanted more of it.
“Well,” Miles said, pulling him from his introspection, “plenty of ways to forget it tonight.”
He followed Miles’s line of sight as his gaze swept hungrily over the single women sporadically placed throughout the bar. He grunted. “Not in the mood.”
“Since when?” Miles lifted a brow his way, and he rolled his eyes.
“I don’t need to get laid to make myself feel better.”
“Never hurts,” Miles countered.
Months, even weeks ago, Miles probably would’ve been correct.
He enjoyed having fun, especially with women.
He enjoyed everything about them, from their sweet lips to their soft skin.
But he couldn’t remember a single woman he’d slept with in the past. Their faces had all been replaced by Vivi’s bright countenance, her dark eyes and sweetly curving mouth.
“Maybe,” he replied, but his tone held no conviction. He had no intention of pursuing anyone but Vivi.
Miles stared at him. “What’s going on?”
He picked at the label on the bottle, scraping at the glue with his thumbnail. “I’ve kinda been seeing someone.”
“No kidding?” Miles tipped his chin. “Where’d you find her?”
“The hotel.”
Miles grinned. “I knew there was something up with you. So, what’s the deal?”
“I’m not sure.” He sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“You like her,” Miles said slowly.
“This girl is…” Beautiful. Smart. And amazing and so perfect it was like she was made for him. “God, I don’t even know how to explain it.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Most immediately?” He lifted a brow. “Her brother. She doesn’t want to tell him about us, and I… I get it, but I hate it.”
Miles stared at him. “Why doesn’t she want him to know?”
He drew in a breath. “Because we work together.”
He watched the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, and Miles’s eyes widened. He dropped one foot to the floor and leaned forward on his stool. “Vivi?”
He nodded, and Miles shook his head a little. “How?”
He told Miles about meeting Vivi at the hotel while he was tailing Morrison, and everything that had happened since.
Miles blew out a breath. “So Knox doesn’t know?”
“Not yet.” He pinned Miles with a hard stare. “She wants to tell him, so I swear to God I’ll throttle you if you slip up and say something.”
Miles waved one hand. “I won’t say a word.”
“Thanks.” He felt immensely better telling Miles about them, and they sipped their beers in silence for a few minutes until Miles changed the subject.
“Talked to Dad last night.”
Not at all what he wanted to discuss. He couldn’t help the sarcasm dripping from his voice when he responded. “Good for you.”
Miles studied him. “You should call him—”
“No, thanks.” He cut Miles off before he could finish whatever well-meaning thought was going through his head. “I took his advice years ago and took off without a backward glance. Not gonna start now.”
“Come on, man. I’m sure he’d like to see you.”
“Well, I don’t want to see him. And I’m pretty sure he couldn’t care about me one way or the other. In fact, I’m almost positive those were his words to me the day I left.”
Miles sighed. “You guys have never seen eye-to-eye.”
Their father never had any criticism for Miles. He saved that for him. “No kidding. You were always the golden one. I was the stupid one, the screw up.”
“You’re not stupid.” Miles’s eyes flashed as he stared at him.
He shrugged. “Doesn’t change the past. You were smart and talented. I wasn’t. At least he got one good son.”
He’d shed the insecurities of his youth—mostly. But sometimes they rose up, threatening to choke him. He’d never been good enough, smart enough. While Miles had aced his classes and played first string football and baseball, he was the failure.
Though he now understood why learning had been so difficult, he’d been frustrated by his lack of progress.
He hated school and had passed his classes by the skin of his teeth.
After a while, he’d stopped trying to impress his father.
All he wanted was to graduate and get out of the house the minute he turned eighteen.
Miles could have gone to college—he should have, with his grades. Instead, he’d followed him to the military. It was kind of a twin thing. He felt better with Miles by his side, the way it’d always been. Miles was a huge pain in his ass, but he was still his brother, his flesh and blood.
There was a connection between them that few people understood.
They were different as night and day, but as he grew, he discovered that they each had their strengths and weaknesses.
While Miles was good with the analytical stuff, Mason had been an outstanding Marine.
He loved the physical aspect of it, and Miles had helped him pass all the tests he needed to get into the military.
“I was no better than you. I just argued less,” Miles responded.
He snorted. “That’s an understatement.”
“He’s not doing so great.” Miles raked one hand through his hair. “He won’t say anything, but I think it’s serious.”
“Yeah?” He took a swig of his beer. “Well, that’s what happens when you chug a twenty-four pack every night after work. The bastard’s lucky he’s lasted this long.”
“I just…” Miles hesitated, looking torn. He knew Miles hated having to choose sides. “I don’t want you to regret not talking to him while you still have the chance.”
He knew where Miles was coming from, and he appreciated his concern, even if he knew there was no hope for the situation. “I’ll think about it.”
“I’m going to see him next week. Maybe you can come with me,” Miles offered.
“Keep me posted.” He drained the rest of his beer and pushed it away, then fist-bumped Miles. “I’m out. See you in the morning.”
With that, he slid off the stool and headed out into the humid night. He rang the bell a little after ten, and Vivi swung the door open with a smile. “What, not going to break in this time?”
He offered her a half-hearted smile, and her face fell at his lack of enthusiasm. Vivi closed the door as he stepped inside and shoved his hands into his pockets. “What's on your mind?” he asked.
Vivi fiddled with the hem of her shirt, looking uncomfortable. “Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I just… He’s my brother. I feel like I owe it to him to tell him personally.”
“I hate sneaking around like teenagers.” He sighed. “Why don’t we just tell him?”
Her teeth dug into her bottom lip. “I'll tell him soon, I promise. I just… With everything going on recently, it hasn't felt like the right time.”
He studied her for a moment. “The longer we wait, the harder it will be.”
“I know. But… For as long as I can remember, Knox’s been like a parent to me. Even before our parents passed away, they were never really… active in our lives. I spent time with Knox when I was little, so much so that I hardly remember my mom and dad. He’s all I have left, and I just…”
He could understand that. He even respected her choice.
He knew how much Knox cared about her, so he completely understood her need to tell him personally.
He also knew that his actions the other night had set them back a few steps, and he hated himself for that.
He wanted to show her how much he wanted to be with her, and the best way he knew to do that was to come clean and tell everyone she was his.
“I know, babe. But keeping it a secret is going to make it a thousand times worse. Trust me. He’s gonna flip out if he thinks we’ve been hiding it from him.”
He dropped his hands to his sides. “Just promise me you won't wait too long.”
She shook her head. “I promise.”
He held out a hand to her, and she moved into his arms, automatically tipping her head up for a kiss. He cupped her neck, sliding his thumb under her jaw. “I meant what I said. I won't run out on you again. All I want is a chance to find out where things can go.”
“I know,” she whispered. “Me too.”
Her mouth twisted in consternation, and he pulled her into him. “I can take care of it if you want. Or we can do it together.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I want to tell him myself. He needs to hear it from me.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.” Vivi let out a little sigh as she pressed her face to his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.
“For tonight, let’s just forget about everything else.”
Her brown eyes lifted to his, full of heat. “I can do that.”