Incendiary by Kathryn Kelly Read Free Book Online Page B

up at the return of his emotional pain.
    “Crowell,” I whisper, and sniffle, his hurt so hard to hear. “You love me?” I can’t reciprocate. Though I care about him, vows of love would be a lie. “I—”
    “Yes, I love you,” he declares in a steadier voice. “Can I come over? We can talk. I want to make love to you the way I should have before.”
    No way will I allow Crowell to touch me. He’s handsome, sexy and familiar, but he isn’t Sloane. The man who has fucked half of Europe and been linked to an actress, reportedly his girlfriend. His. Girlfriend. The distinction I believed I held.
    A tear slips down my cheek. One of us has to show loyalty to the other. Eventually, he’ll remember me. If I sleep with Crowell, and Sloane finds out whenever he returns, he’ll be livid.
    I slap another tear away. I’m living in a dream world. Sloane’s gone. My only memento of our time together is our daughter. A small sob escapes me, my heart shattering.
    I miss him so much. He anchored me.
    For him, I was just another girl to fuck.
    “George, baby,” Crowell croons. “I know you’re at Helen’s.”
    “Mom told you that too, I guess,” I respond glumly, tears punctuating my words. Sometimes, I think I’ll lose my mind if I don’t hear Sloane’s voice. I stay away from the Internet, most of the time. Googling him now also lists the new woman in his life. Everyone reaches a limit. When I do and want to jump out of my skin if I don’t hear his voice, see his smile or those blue eyes full of intensity, I cave.
    God, I’ve got to stop this.
    He’s gone, Georgie!
    Crowell isn’t, though. He’s on the phone, wanting to see me and confessing his love for me, after months without contact, thanks to my desertion of him. “H-have you talked to Josh?”
    Hopefully, this question removes our awkwardness. Without drugs and oral sex in common, we don’t have much to discuss.
    “Josh swore to pull my guts out through my navel if he runs across me.”
    I lick my lips and wipe the back of my hand across my nose. “Josh?” Such a dirty threat from my brother doesn’t sound right. What Crowell is suggesting is plain gruesome. Josh wouldn’t want his designer suits spattered with gore and guts. “Are you sure you aren’t talking of my half-brother? Cash?”
    “Jesus Christ, George. Don’t ever speak the biker’s name again. Fuck, let me clear my ears. He showed me boxes. Fucking boxes . Small, fucking, little boxes he’d use for my eyeballs—” He stops and swallows audibly. “No. Josh’s threats are…are…My God, just don’t.”
    I roll my eyes. “You’re so dramatic. If you’re so frightened, you wouldn’t call me now or ask to see me.”
    “Dramatic? Scared shitless!” he admits in the same breath. “Still, I’ll risk anything to gaze into those gorgeous purple eyes of yours.”
    Laughing nervously, I consider his fear. Crowell is as cocky and arrogant as Josh and Cash, so he wouldn’t readily confess to fright unless there’s a valid reason. My brothers were furious about Crowell’s physical relationship with me, but the extent of their anger escaped me. For him to admit he’s afraid is telling. My brothers threatened the fuck out of him. Totally unfair because I willingly participated. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I knew they were angry. I’ll talk to them—”
    “NO! No. Are you fucking crazy? I’ve spent enough time in ICU.”
    “I thought they only threatened you.”
    “ They did. Your baby daddy nearly beat me to death,” he grumbles.
    I’m so shocked I almost blurt Sloane’s name, but I rein in my surprise and shout, “ What?” instead.
    “Sloane beat the fuck out of me. For the slap I gave to you. For keeping you strung out. For our sex. Why do you think I didn’t visit you in the hospital?”
    I can’t believe Sloane fought with Crowell! At one time, silliness made me think he was jealous. Still, he was territorial. While I was with him, he was also protective of me,