Rule #5: You Can't Trust the Bad Boy (The Rules of Love)

by Anne-Marie Meyer

  “What the hell was that?” Jet asked when he reached Crew. He pushed Crew’s shoulder, making him stumble.

  Crew cursed under his breath and turned. Even from where I was standing, I could see the fire in Crew’s eyes. He parted his lips as if he was going to let Jet have it, but then he clenched his jaw and shook his head.

  “That was money my family needed,” Jet said. “Why did you do that? Again?” Jet ran his hands through his hair as he began to pace. He kept his arms up, his elbows pointed toward the sky as he entwined his hands behind his head.

  Crew chucked a handful of rocks into the bushes and sighed. “I’m sorry, man. I just...” His gaze flicked over to me and then back to Jet. “Who’s the girl?”

  Jet’s gaze snapped over to me. He looked startled, as if he hadn’t expected me to be standing there. Then he glanced back at Crew. “Leave her out of this. She’s a friend.”

  Crew scoffed as his gaze roamed over me. “Since when does a friend of yours wear pearls?” His gaze lingered at my neck, and out of instinct, my hand moved to cover my necklace.

  Jet slapped Crew’s face. “Hey. Eyes over here. Ignore her. I want you to tell me how you’re going to pay me back.”

  Crew growled as he whipped his gaze over to Jet. They stood there, in this strange, challenging stance. As if they were sizing each other up.

  Thankfully, Jet was a few inches taller and wider than Crew. After a few minutes of this head-to-head stare down, Crew sighed and his shoulders relaxed. “I’ll pay you back.”

  Jet nodded. “I’ve heard that before. Do you have an idea as to how you’re going to do that? Last I checked, you were broke.”

  Crew glanced over at me for a moment and then leaned toward Jet. “Not when a girl who looks like she belongs in a rich teenage sitcom is standing right there. Last thing I need is for her to be spilling my secrets to her daddy.”

  I glanced down at my clothes. I thought they were normal, but now I was starting to doubt my fashion sense. Did I dress rich?

  Jet shook his head. “You can’t start that again. We’ll find another way.” He reached out and rested his hand on Crew’s shoulder. It seemed as if his frustration for his friend had died down and all that was left was a strange sense of understanding.

  I watched them, wondering what their story was. Wondering if Jet would ever tell me.

  Crew raised the same arm and held onto Jet’s shoulder. “I’ve got your back like you’ve got mine. I’ll fix this.”

  They stood in silence for a moment before Jet nodded. “I know.”

  An uncomfortable feeling grew in my stomach as I watched them. It was like I was intruding. I swallowed as I dropped my gaze. I felt like an idiot. I didn’t belong there.

  My stomach twisted with an ache I knew all too well. I didn’t belong there. I didn’t belong anywhere. Maybe I was a fool to push myself on Jet like this. After all, when everything was said and done, where was I going to end up?

  Right back where I started.

  Jet and Crew stepped back, and, after a bro-shake, Crew promised to call and then took off down the road. It didn’t take long before he disappeared down a side street, leaving me and Jet alone.

  So many questions plagued my mind as I watched Jet study the ground, pushing a rock around with his shoe. He was lost in thought, and I almost didn’t want to disturb him.

  But I didn’t want to stand there and stare at him any longer, so I walked over and stopped next to him. He didn’t acknowledge me. I softly cleared my throat and peered over at him.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  Jet glanced at me as he let his breath out slowly. Then he shoved his hands into his jacket and shrugged. “This is my life. If you can’t handle it, you can always go home.” He turned and made his way over to his bike.

  My feet felt rooted to the pavement as his words washed over me. What did that mean? Why would he assume that I couldn’t handle it?

  Sure, Mr. McCabe was a little unnerving, but I hadn’t freaked out. I was used to strange, older men. In my experience, to be a billionaire you had to be somewhat of a social outcast. And the fact that Jet thought I was going to crumble at the first sign of struggle made me mad.

  I wasn’t weak.

  Frustration raced across my skin and heated my whole body. I wasn’t going to stand by and let someone dictate what I could or couldn’t handle. He didn’t know me, and it was laughable that he thought he did.

  “Excuse me,” I said as I stood in front of his bike so he would have to look at me.

  He reached out and rested his hands on the handles of the bike. He glanced up at me with an exasperated look. It only made me angrier.

  “You don’t know me,” I said, leaning in as my voice lowered.

  He quirked an eyebrow. “What?”

  I waved at him. “This? Whatever this is? Don’t think for a second, I can’t handle whatever your world throws at me.”

  A soft smile twitched his lips as he leaned back and folded his arms. “My world?”

  The fact that he was entertained by my frustration just made me more upset. “This gangster, Godfather world you live in.” I pointed at him. “Don’t treat me like I’ll break. I won’t.”

  His gaze trailed over to my finger and then back up to meet my gaze.

  “Godfather?”

  I threw my hands up in the air. “Is this how you fight? Repeat whatever the other person says?”

  “We’re fighting?”

  I growled as I shot him my best death stare and folded my arms. I stalked over to the side of the parking lot where the grass grew uninhibited. I really didn’t want to look at Jet right now.

  If I was honest with myself, my little fit had nothing to do with him. I was just tired of being told what I could or couldn’t handle. My parents spent most of my life treating me like I would break. That I would make the wrong decisions if given the chance. That it would somehow reflect badly on them in the end.

  They decided everything for me. And I never had a say.

  For the first time in my life, I was choosing something for myself, but now Jet was taking that away from me. I needed freedom, and it wasn’t until I got a taste of it that I realized how much I’d been craving it.

  All the frustration and disappointment that I’d felt over the years settled in my throat. I swallowed, hoping to dislodge it. I couldn’t break down. Not now. Jet would definitely think he’d saddled himself with a crazy girl and drive me right back to the hotel. My moment of peace would be over before it started.

  The crunching of gravel sounded behind me, and I shivered at the thought of Jet coming for me. It excited and scared me at the same time. Then I remembered the wad of cash stuck in my bra, and I realized what he was really coming for.

  I was his payday. He wasn’t going to drop me off anywhere until he was guaranteed his money.

  Great.

  I cursed the butterflies that were racing around in my stomach. They were annoying and definitely didn’t belong there. I was losing my focus and I couldn’t have that happen.

  “You okay?” Jet’s soft voice settled around me. I glanced over to see him standing next to me, his shoulders inches from mine.

  I pinched my lips together and nodded. “Yeah,” I whispered.

  He peeked down at me. He had a slightly amused, but mostly genuine look in his eyes. Like he was asking me to forgive him without actually saying it.

  “My world...it’s complicated.”

  I turned and parted my lips, but he must have anticipated my pushback, because his hands were up as if to stop me.

  “And I’m sure yours is complicated as well.”

  At least he’d picked up on that. I nodded as I pinched my lips together. I was interested in what he had to say and felt somewhat confident that what I’d said was sinking in.

  “But my kind of complicated”—he sighed—“I can’t get you mixed up in it.”

  I could understand that even if I didn’t want to. I was being selfish as wel
l. I was mixing him up with my kind of complicated. I’m sure Dad wasn’t going to take the news that I’d left lightly. And the person caught with me...well, that was a gamble I was making him take without him really knowing he was taking it.

  “I understand,” I said as I studied the ground. How had my life come to this? This wasn’t the way I’d seen my future going. I feared the passing of time. Every minute that ticked by was a minute closer to me leaving.

  And as much as I wanted to stop the forward movement of the present, I couldn’t. Time was going to pass if I was standing here in the parking lot with Jet or in my hotel room with Stefano. Right now, I just wanted to be in charge of that time. If only for a few more hours.

  I deserved this.

  So I turned and gave him the biggest smile I could muster. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” I said as I dipped down to meet his gaze.

  He glanced up. “I know.”

  “Besides, it’s only for a short time. I’m sure you can handle me for a little while longer. Then I’ll be out of your hair.”

  He squinted an eye as he studied me. “Is that a promise?”

  I held up my left hand and nodded. What I really wanted to say was that it was a guarantee, but that was a thread I didn’t want to pull at. He didn’t need to know I was leaving in a few days. And I didn’t want to be reminded.

  This weekend was about forgetting my life. Living it the way I wanted to live it.

  And I was going to make sure that nothing stood in the way of that.

  Jet studied me for a moment before he laughed and nodded toward his bike. “Come on, let me take you somewhere.”

  I quirked an eyebrow. “Where?”

  He shrugged as he walked backwards toward his bike. “You’ll just have to trust me.” But then he held up his left hand in a teasing way. “But I promise it will be less...what did you say? Godfather-y?”

  I shook my head as a laugh escaped my lips. Jet seemed to take that as agreement because he turned and threw his keys into the air in a smooth, swift movement.

  Just as I took a step toward him, my phone vibrated. I turned and slipped it out of my bra. My heart stuttered to a stop when I saw the name sprawled across the screen.

  Mom.

  Chapter Seven

  I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of the fact that Mom could simply call me during my ridiculous runaway plot. I guess I had been too busy enjoying myself and trying to forget the world I was running away from.

  I had no room in my head for thoughts of Mom and Dad.

  But here I was, staring down at my phone in the middle of a parking lot in a part of town that would make Mom would faint if she heard I was here.

  It buzzed in my hand. The vibration slowly pushed its way into my head, forcing me to acknowledge the fact that my parents were on the other end.

  Right. Mom was just going to keep calling until I answered. And her worry and suspicion would only increase each time she called.

  I pressed the button and brought the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Well, I hope you’re finished with your tantrum and are ready to come back up.”

  I stared at the trees in front of me, shifting in the breeze. Did she seriously think that I was still standing downstairs? Wow.

  “No, I’m not,” I said with the calmest voice I could muster.

  She scoffed. “Are you here? In the suite?”

  I heard some shifting. I could imagine exactly where she was. Sprawled out on her cream couch with her legs up. Not bothered enough to stand to see if her daughter was in the house.

  “No, Mom. I’m not home. And I’m not coming back until Monday.”

  “Brielle!” she yelled, followed by a bunch of sputtering.

  “What’s wrong?” Dad’s booming voice sounded through the receiver.

  “Brielle is running away.”

  “What? Is she a child?”

  I sighed. I hated when they talked like I wasn’t there. I was always a second thought, even during their fights.

  “Young lady, enough is enough. We promised the Espositos that we would go to dinner with them, and you will be there.”

  I pinched my lips together and shook my head. I felt a bit stupid, but the movement helped me feel in control. “No. No, I’m not. I’ll be back after the weekend. I’m going to spend some time on my own before I start my meticulously planned life.”

  “Planned? This is for your future. It’s your duty.”

  I swallowed. My parents hadn’t always been like this. It must be the stress of running a huge hotel that had turned them into these monsters. But as much as I wanted to excuse my parents’ terrible behavior, I couldn’t. They weren’t the loving people I remembered, and right now, I wanted nothing to do with the life that they felt was so important.

  I wanted freedom and I was going to take it.

  “Fine. Then it will be my duty on Monday. For now, I’m going to be me. I’m going to live.” I took in a deep, shaky breath. I wish I sounded stronger. Perhaps I was in denial. But right now, denial sounded pretty dang good.

  Mom was sputtering again on the other end of the phone. She was muffled by Dad’s deep sighs.

  I waited, hoping to see if I could appeal to the softer side of the Livingstones.

  “I’ll be safe and sound at home by Sunday night. I promise.” I’d been nothing but an amazing daughter to my parents since I was old enough to have an opinion. They had no reason to distrust me.

  The phone fell silent and I could practically hear the wheels turning in Dad’s mind. From his hesitation, I could sense that he was weighing the pros and cons. Definitely the businessman in him.

  He was trying to figure out if the work it would take to fight me on this was worth it.

  “You promise?” he asked. His voice had grown softer. His telltale sign that he was about to give in. Good. This was where I wanted him.

  “Cross my heart.”

  “Fine. Back home Sunday night.” He paused. “Who are you with anyway?”

  I glanced over at Jet, who’d settled back on his motorcycle and was fiddling with his phone. There was absolutely no way I could tell him about Jet. Dad would swallow his tongue and still find a way to demand that I return home.

  “Kate.”

  Note to self, call her and tell her she’s my scapegoat.

  I hated lying, especially when I dragged my friend into it. But I needed this, even if it wasn’t rational.

  “Fine. We’ll see you on Sunday.”

  A slow smile spread across my lips as I fought the urge to pump my fists in the air. I had actually won—which in the Livingstone world was a rarity. I never won.

  “Be safe.”

  “I will.”

  Dad mumbled something that sounded like “love you,” but before I could confirm, the call ended.

  I stared down at my phone as I took a deep breath. Well, at least that had ended in my favor. I didn’t have to worry about my parents calling the cops on me and my weekend ending very differently than I expected.

  I now had my freedom for twenty-four hours, and I was going to bask in every single second. This all I had left of my life before Mom and Dad took it over, and I was going to live it.

  I slipped my phone into my back pocket and made my way over to Jet. He glanced over at me.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  I nodded as I reached out and grabbed the motorcycle helmet that was resting on the back seat. “Yeah. Just my parents wondering where I am.”

  I tried not to notice the look of relief that flashed across his face. “Everything okay? Do they want you home?”

  I glared at him as I slipped the helmet on and buckled it. “Sorry. They gave me permission to stay out as long as I want, so...” I sucked in my breath and shrugged. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

  Call me crazy, but I didn’t want to see the look on his face as my statement settled around him. I held onto his shoulders as I swung my foot over the motorcycle. Once I was settled, I
wrapped my arms around his waist.

  The first thing I felt was the soft rattle in his chest as he laughed. Heat pricked my skin as he peered at me from over his shoulder.

  “Why are you laughing?” I asked.

  He shrugged as he started up the engine. “It’s just strange. Someone thinking my life is a vacation when they come from what you do.”

  I pulled back. Jet didn’t know what he was talking about. Sure, from the outside, my world looked amazing. When you had money, you had everything, right?

  Wrong.

  There was so much responsibility wrapped up in keeping the wealth, and people had a tendency to forget that money was hard to keep. Some people spent their entire lives as slaves to the dollars in their accounts.

  And that was exactly what I was. A slave to the Livingstone name. There was no vacation there. I had responsibilities. “Duties” as Dad called them. And no matter how far I ran, I was never going to be able to shake them.

  Right now, Jet’s life felt free, and I was desperate for that freedom.

  “We live different lives,” I said as I leaned against him.

  He hesitated. “We sure do.”

  I didn’t have time to respond. He revved the engine and took off out of the parking lot. I held onto him as he sped down the road. The feeling of the salty air on my face made me close my eyes and take in a deep breath.

  Even though Jet couldn’t believe that I would consider his life free, I did. In my world, there weren’t any motorcycles. No sun shining down on your skin, warming your soul. There was no hitting the road and going anywhere you wanted.

  For now, his life was my escape, and I was going to enjoy it.

  Ten minutes later, he pulled into the driveway of a small, white two-story house. The paint was dingy and chipping. The grass out front needed to be cut—it hit me about mid-calf when I climbed off his motorcycle.

  Toys littered the yard, and bikes leaned against two trucks that looked as if they hadn’t budged in a decade. The garage door wasn’t closed all the way. There was about a foot between the bottom of the door and the ground.

  I unbuckled my helmet and glanced over at him.

  His skin looked flushed, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of embarrassment or the late-afternoon sun.