Page 111 of The Bitter Words

I laugh. “That’s all I know what to do.”

The guy rushes to assist Sebastian as I try to breathe. My heart is jackhammering so hard I can feel it pressing on my ribs with each heavy thump it makes.

Bren pokes me in the center of the chest, showing me his teeth. “You dumb prick. I should give you exactly what you gave.”

“If you knew what I know about him, you would’ve done the same thing.” I try to kick pebbles at Sebastian, but Bren’s in my way. I glare into his eyes. “He wants to?—”

“Shut your fucking mouth, Cash.” Bren shoves me. “During your tirade, you hit Livianna. I told you to stay in the goddamn house.”

The blood drains from my limbs as I search for her. I accidentally did this before and she could’ve died.

How and why did I do it again? She disappears into the house, holding the left side of her face.

I trip backward and turn my guilt-ridden gaze to Bren. “Guns, you know I wouldn’t hurt her. You know I’d never touch her.”

“Yet you have, and not only once. You did this before when you went after that guy on set.” He takes a swing and it lands right on my cheekbone. “You’re lucky the cops are on the way.”

I wince and shake off the sting. “Guns, I’m sorry. Punch me all you want, but you know I’d never intentionally do anything to her.”

“Fuck off, Cash. I can’t even look at you right now.” He stomps away and slams the door once he’s inside with Livianna.

I raise my gaze to the sky. “You must really fucking hate me because you just won’t give me a fighting chance.”

The police arrive moments later, right along with an ambulance for Sebastian. I’m arrested on suspicion of battery and hauled away.

My life can’t get much worse than this. Or maybe it can.

Chapter Twenty-Four

CALLUM/CASH

Then

Papers Bleed & Bottles Don’t Lie

The door shuts, the room slips, and somewhere between the pills and the lyrics, I forget who started the fire.

My ma places her car keys and purse on the dining room table after picking me up from the police station. “You’re lucky the DA declined to file after Sebastian wouldn’t cooperate.”

I plop down on the couch. “I knew Sebastian wouldn’t make those charges stick. He knows I have information about him that I’d gladly hand over.”

“What kind of information?” She turns and faces me.

“Leon showed me a video of Sebastian trying to go for Livianna while she was passed out. I know he wants to do things to her and I’m not gonna let him.”

“Oh, Bubba. I’m sorry.”

“Be sorry for Livianna, not me. I have no regrets about hitting him.”

“Why not give what you have to the cops now and let them handle it?”

“We have an agreement.” I rest my head back to stave off my never-ending headache. “He stays away from Livianna and I keep my distance from him.”

“And that’s enough?”

“It has to be. If I tell the police about the video, all the other stuff will surface, too. I can’t take the chance that any of that gets out.”

“Agreed.” My ma sits next to me and moves my hair off my forehead. “Do you think Guns and Livianna will forgive you for this?”