Free Uncover Me by Chelle Bliss Page B

paused and hung his head again. “Jesus, I’m sounding all soft and shit. I love her. I fucking love her!” He drew in a quick breath as he finished his confession.
    Letting the smoke escape through my nose, I asked, “Have you been seeing her since the wedding?” I still needed details, but the thought of James being in love with my sister didn’t piss me off—it was the lies. It was better to know the type of man she was with than the unknown and uncertainty of her being with a stranger. I knew James would never intentionally hurt her.
    “No. Dude, she fucking vanished. She’d left me without even saying goodbye.” His mouth hung open. “I mean, what other woman does that shit?”
    I laughed, throwing back my head and thinking of James finding that Izzy had ditched his ass in the middle of the night. There’s nothing that hurts pride more than shit like that. James was a cocky motherfucker, so it must’ve wrecked him, even if it was only for a short time.
    “That sounds like Izzy.”
    “I know. I’ve never met a woman and felt connected to her immediately. She’s my kryptonite, man.” He laughed, and I joined him.
    “God, you’re such a pussy, James. I thought you were tougher than this shit.”
    “I was, but Izzy fuckin’ ruined me.”
    “Don’t mention Izzy and fuckin’ in the same sentence.”
    “Oh, sorry,” he said, his face growing sober as he bit his lip to stop the laughter.
    “I’m serious, fucker.”
    “So am I.” He smiled, the tension between us easing as the air felt lighter.
    Jesus, maybe his pansy ass had rubbed off on me, or maybe it was spending time with Roxy. I was as pussy-whipped as he was, but the big difference was I had no future with her, unlike James with my sister—if she stuck around long enough for there to be a future.
    “So, you saw her at the wedding and then when did you see her again?”
    Upon standing, he walked to the counter and grabbed a pack of smokes. I never knew James to smoke unless he was drinking, but I was sure the severity of the entire situation had started to wear on him much as it had on me.
    “I didn’t see her again until you called from Daytona.”
    It all started to click in my brain. Izzy had freaked out when she’d heard that I was calling James. I hadn’t been able to figure out why and had assumed she was just being her usual headstrong self. Man, I had been so fucking wrong.
    The air was so fucking thick when James and Izzy had seen each other again. She had been panicked and not herself. I’d thought maybe it was because of the situation she’d been in, but now, I realized she’d been acting like she’d gotten caught. No one wanted to have to face the person they’d ditched without a word, but she hadn’t had a choice.
    “Are you seeing her now?” I stubbed out my cigarette after having let most of it burn down without taking but a couple of drags.
    “Not right this fuckin’ minute,” he teased, a slow smile spreading across his face.
    “Asshole. I mean have you been seeing her since Daytona?”
    “Yeah, man.”
    “Expand on that answer.” I wasn’t in the mood for short and sweet.
    “Every chance I get, I go see her.”
    “That shit is risky, James,” I hissed, wondering what would happen if someone followed him.
    “It’s not. I’m always careful. I make sure you have backup and that I’m not followed.” He smashed his cigarette in the ashtray, having barely smoked any of it.
    “Spend time with my family?”
    “Yes.” He tried to hide his smile, but to no avail.
    I felt a pang of jealously that he had probably spent more time with them in the last couple of months than I had in years. “Tell me what’s going on with them.”
    “City and Suzy are expecting in a couple of months—”
    I interrupted, jealousy growing inside me. “I still haven’t met my sister-in-law. There’s so much I’ve missed out on because of this job.”
    “You have an amazing family, Thomas. I don’t know how you can be