Free Slate (Breaking the Declan Brothers #2) by Kelly Gendron Page A

high, Rayna, not play fucking cards.”
    “What about the PlayStation? We could do that.”
    I drop my head to the side. “Really? You play?”
    “You could teach me. I’m a fast learner.”
    “I can’t stand still. How the fuck am I supposed to have the patience to teach you anything?”
    “Okay.” She nods.
    I do another circle around the room and stop. “What happened last night?” It’s driving me crazy. I need to know. “Did I...I didn’t hurt you or anything, did I?”
    “No, Slate. You hallucinated a little, got the shakes, and threw up, but you didn’t hurt me.”
    “Fuck!” I hate that she saw me like that.
    “It’s okay, we are going to get through this,” she says, and I see the sincerity in her eyes. She really wants to help me, but I don’t understand why. She’s been gone for six years, and I’ve been nothing but a dick to her since she’s been back.
    “Sit down and try to relax,” she softly says.
    “I can’t. This is why I fight. When I feel like this, I just want to break something.”
    “Well, go ahead. I’ve been waiting for it. Jax warned me that you like to break stuff. And I checked with him, he said there’s nothing more valuable down here than you. So, go for it.” She waves her hand out in the air. “Break anything you want.”
    I stare at her. Jax is a hard-ass. He gives me shit all the time, and we never see eye to eye. I get it. I’m his younger brother, and he’s frustrated with the way I’ve been living my life, but he doesn’t understand. He’s strong. He’d never give in to drugs instead of dealing with his shit. All that he’s done for Zeke and me, all that he’s given up, I have nothing but respect for him. The stubborn fucker that I am though, I’d never tell him that. Zeke, he tries to soften the strain between Jax and I and, for the most part, he levels us out. I really do love both of my brothers. Since our parent’s death, all we really have is each other. It’s why I’d never leave the Bayou. Hell, I couldn’t even do it for Rayna. So, I had to let her go.
    And here she is, trying to save my sorry ass. Fucking hell, I need to get the fuck out of here. I have to get away from her. My damaged walls are up, but those beat-to-shit barriers are weak, and she may very well succeed in bringing them down. She might just break me. Then what? She walks out of my life again. Fuck that. If she’s going to put me through this hell, then I’m getting something in return. I’ll tear her walls down, too. It’s not the same as breaking shit, but it might resolve some of the rage in me.
    “I’m not going to break anything,” I say. “I have another plan in mind to get rid of this aggression.”
    “That’s good.” She grins up at me. “I didn’t really want to have to clean up after you anyway. So,” her brow rises, “what do you want to do?”
    “Well-” I take a step closer to her, watching her chest rise and fall. I make her nervous. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. “Think I’m gonna go lie down on that couch over there, unzip my jeans, reach inside, and try to relieve some of this aggression.”
    “What?”
    “Oh, you heard me.” I take another step toward her.
    “What the hell!” Her chest rises and her perfect lush tits stay elevated. “You can’t jerk off in front of me.”
    “Hey, I’m just telling you what I’m going to do. You don’t have to stick around and watch, but if you decide to, then you gotta lose those boxers.”
    “You’re unbelievable! Do you really think I’m going to do that?”
    “Did you really think that you were going to lock yourself down here with me and somehow come out of this unscathed?”
    “I didn’t think you’d ask me to strip and watch you play with yourself!”
    “Told you, you ain’t gotta stay. But I need to burn some of this aggression and that’s the only way I can think of doing it without breaking some shit. So, are you stayin’ or goin’?” She bites