Jay Crownover - Better When He's Bad

“I can see that causing some problems between two hardheaded guys like that.”

Testosterone wasn’t something I was lacking in my life for sure. Between Bax, Race, and now Titus, who was always popping in and out, I had never felt more secure, more protected, and never more loved and valued than I did now. It wasn’t always an easy road to travel. There was a lot of testosterone, a lot of attitude, a lot of quiet conversations that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, but there was also a sense of moving forward. It was with eyes on the future, and what could be, and not on the past, and what all of us had left behind.

“Life is rarely boring, that’s for sure.”

She gave me a little grin and climbed to her feet to collect her things. She was already enrolled at the university and only had a year left before she got her degree. Occasionally, she liked to drop in and study because she said living at home as an adult was ridiculous. I didn’t get the whole story, I knew she worked, had her own money, but for some reason she still stayed at her parents’ fancy house at the base of the Hill. I liked Brysen a lot, we spent more time together now that I wasn’t living in the inner city, but I didn’t know her all that well and I was starting to think that was by her design.

“Well, you look really happy and I’m glad everything worked out for you. I’ll see you at work tomorrow, okay?”

I nodded and walked her to the front door. I saw her gaze slide over the sexy muscle car parked in the driveway and she gave her blond head a shake.

“I can’t believe he gave you that car. If a guy handed me a ride like that, it would earn him blow jobs every night for a year.”

I laughed and tilted my head to the side. “He said everyone knows it’s his car, so no one would mess with me if I was driving it. It’s also fast . . . like crazy, scary fast. He told me I attract too much trouble and I need to be able to outrun it all.”

She laughed a little and walked to her own BMW that was parked behind the Runner.

“Silly. Doesn’t he see you ran headfirst into the biggest trouble you could find and then never wanted to let it go?”

I just shrugged in response and waved at her as she turned around and headed back down the road. I loved the car, loved that it showed how much Bax cared about me, and I had indeed thanked him quite vigorously in the front seat, in the backseat, and maybe again on the hood. I liked driving it, it made me feel like I had a part of him with me, surrounding me. I also got to give Marco his promised ride, which only kind of thrilled him because he told me I drive like a girl. The kids at the group home also loved that I could tool them around town in the sleek and loud car, so it was thrilling for more than just me.

Giving me the Runner meant Bax was working on building his own new car. He had commandeered the Hemi ’Cuda Gus had left him and was working overtime on building it into a black-on-black, chrome-dipped monster of engine and steel. It was twice as loud as the Runner, looked twice as mean, and I knew the motor in it was nowhere near street legal. It was a car that screamed “Bax,” but it was also a project that he was using to honor his mentor’s memory and legacy.

We had talked briefly about Gus passing away, but as with everything that happened in the Point, Bax just took a deep breath, let it out, and moved on. I knew he missed the old mechanic, knew he was hurt by the loss, but on the streets, living this life, there was no time for grief, so I cried for both of us and let him hold me until it passed.

I was walking back into the house when my cell rang. We still used disposable phones, still paid for everything in cash, so even though we had a house in the burbs, safe at the end of the Hill, we were still living like we had our backs to the wall and things could go bad any second. I didn’t know if it was always going to be that way. I liked to think after some time things would settle down, some of Bax’s edge would dull, but I loved the man for who he was, so if pins and needles were what it took to be with him forever, then I was signed on to suffer.

“Hello?”

“Dovie Pryce?”

I looked at the number because I didn’t recognize it or the older woman’s voice on the other end. “Yes?”

“My name is Maggie Dawes and I’m the managing partner of the Kids’ Crossing housing project where you work. I’m one of the liaisons for Social Services.”

My stomach dropped. I was thinking she knew about my ties to Bax, about what my brother was up to, and was going to fire me. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out between my teeth.

“Sure, what can I do for you?”

“Well, we just had a full-time position open up. We need someone to be an advocate between the kids and the workers coming in from the city. The group home where you work so far has had one of the highest success rates of placing troubled kids with appropriate families. According to your directors, all of the kids’ success can be directly related back to you. The kids trust you, they are honest with you, and as a result, we feel you would be a perfect fit for this new position.”

I pulled the phone away from my ear and just blinked at it. “Uhh . . . I’m still in school. I don’t have a degree in social work or anything yet.”

“You’ll be working under a certified counselor. It’s a great opportunity, you can use the job as part of your clinical hours once you start working toward your actual degree.”

I gave my head a shake. It was what I always wanted, to help others, to save them from the circumstances that I had almost been lost to. “How would my schedule change?”

“Nine to five. No more overnights at the home. You would be involved more on the administrative end, but still have plenty of face time with all the kids . . . too many kids, frankly. Take a few days to think on it, and get back to me.”

I just gaped like an idiot, glad it was a phone call and she couldn’t see me looking like a fool.

“Oh, and Ms. Pryce . . . I should mention it comes with a fairly substantial pay raise. Have a nice night.”

I just stood there inside the door, numb and shocked. I thought I had gotten everything when Bax finally came home, thought all the sacrifice, all the bad things, had led to him and me being together, and that they were the price we had to pay to find just a smidge of happiness in a world that could be so ugly and cruel. This opportunity to give back, to make a difference, was so much more than that.

I wanted to jump up and down, wanted to scream and dance around the house as pure, unfiltered joy started to flow through me. Really I wanted to celebrate, and the only person I wanted to do that with was all the way across town. I bit my bottom lip and thought about him telling me he had the garage to himself tonight, and that Race was out doing something that would probably end him up in jail or dead. I let my gaze drift over to where Bax stashed all of his hoodies. An idea started to percolate, words from another night, words breathed across my skin, and I grabbed one off the hook.

I wasn’t bold enough or blatant enough to put the hoodie on with nothing underneath. That pushed my good-girl boundaries too far, but I did ditch my jeans for a cute pair of boy-cut panties and nothing but a stretchy tank top to keep some modesty. I figured my Chucks would just have to do and it wasn’t like I was going to have to work that hard to seduce Bax anyway. That was one of my favorite things about him. He took me any way I came, and always seemed to treat me like I was his favorite present of all time. It would be fun to surprise him, to make his dark eyes glow in appreciation. It wasn’t often I felt like I had the upper hand with him. This was a good way to remind him I could give as good as I got.