Convict: A Bad Boy Romance by Roxie Noir Read Free Book Online Page A

keeps talking. I sneak another glance at the spot where Luna and her date were standing, but they’re gone. I look through the thin crowd, still nodding at the blond, trying to spot them.
    Don’t , I tell myself. Nothing good is gonna come of this.
    Then I spot her, moving through the crowd quickly, her mane bouncing, the guy she’s with trailing her by a couple of feet.
    She looks pissed , and for a second, my heart beats a little faster. Maybe it’s just a date that’s not going well, I think. Maybe he’s not her boyfriend, just some guy she’s decided she doesn’t like .
    I look away. Then I look back as she walks by the bar, just in time to barely catch her eye as she leaves.
    “—symbol that looks exactly like an UFO in one the tombs,” the girl says.
    I look at my purple drink. I’ve been savoring it because I’m not in the mood to get drunk. I want to stay in control so I can get this girl into bed, get off, and then leave. And now that Luna’s gone, there’s zero chance of anything happening with her.
    I wonder who the guy she’s with is. Whether they’re dating, whether he’s her boyfriend . Whether she’s angry at him, or at something else. Whether they’re going to go fight and then have makeup sex.
    “And so the only — what’s wrong?” the girl says, looking down at the bar.
    My hand is clenched into a fist, the knuckles white. I relax it consciously and tap my fingers on the wood.
    “Nothing,” I say, even though the thought of Luna with someone else, with that skinny tie-dye wearing asshole, is still echoing through my brain and I can’t stop it.
    It’s insane. It’s irrational. I’ve only had a handful of conversations with Luna but the thought of someone else touching her makes me see black, a deep, primal, growling jealousy that I can’t shake.
    You’re not suited for the outside , a voice in my head whispers. This isn’t how you’re supposed to react .
    I think of her clinking their glasses together. I think of her laughing at something he said.
    “Are you sure you’re okay?” the girl asks.
    Now I’ve got both fists clenched on the bar.
    “Just finger exercises,” I say, unclenching. She looks skeptical, but takes another drink, her glass nearly empty.
    Now’s as good a time as any, I guess.
    “You want to get out of here?” I ask.
    She smiles in a way that’s probably supposed to be coy but just looks drunk.
    “Let me powder my nose first,” she says, and walks toward the bathroom. I get off my bar stool and walk toward the door, tired of sitting.
    Some couple is arguing outside, and I pull out my phone, trying not to eavesdrop. Probably some drunk guy looked at some woman and now his girlfriend is pissed, or the other way around.
    The voices get louder. It gets harder not to eavesdrop.
    “—don’t want you to call, I want you to not do this shit,” says the woman’s voice.
    My head snaps up. It sounds like Luna.
    “Tell me when you’ve invented a time machine and I’ll fix it,” a man says.
    “This is the third fucking time,” Luna says. “Why do I ever trust you with anything?”
    I know it’s none of my business, but I can’t stop listening.
    “Yeah, because you’re so perfect,” the guy says, his voice closing in on a shout. “You’ve never fucked anything up.”
    That’s it. I don’t give a shit what their relationship is, I can’t stand here and listen to him shout at Luna. I shove my phone back in my pocket and walk out the door.
    “I don’t ruin other people’s nights by making them wait two hours in a parking lot for Triple A!” Luna shouts back.
    “Of course having to spend a couple hours at a bar is having your night ruined,” the guy says.
    He’s got his arms crossed over his chest, a sulky look on his face, and he glances at me as I walk toward him but doesn’t take much notice.
    Big mistake, I think.
    “You’re completely missing the point,” Luna says, exasperated. She’s got her phone in one hand and she’s