Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)

“No, stay. I won’t get lost.”


At the hospitality table, I filled a crystal glass with ice water. Disappointing not to find snacks there, since the waitstaff had stopped circling with tidbits and I was starving.

“So you’re Boone’s girlfriend.”

I slowly faced the woman with the sneering tone. “Yes, I am. Who are you?”

“Janell. I’m here with Cody. These guys don’t bother introducing their dates.”

But mine did. “Cody works with Boone?”

“Only in the broadest sense. It’s a little freaky to see them all in dress uniforms. Usually they resemble bums when we’re hanging out at Spike’s.”

The old “I know them, I’m part of the group” tactic to make me feel like an outsider. Hah. Too late. I already felt as if I’d stepped onto a movie set and it appeared I’d found the villain. “Boone hasn’t mentioned Spike’s.”

“That’s weird. That’s where I met him. At least a couple of years ago.”

Nice follow up with the “neener neener I’ve known him longer” shot. I said nothing.

So she kept on. “DT said they were all at Spike’s earlier in the week. Boone went along but he didn’t say anything about a girlfriend, which was why DT was so surprised tonight.”

“Oh, right. When Boone called me Monday night he did mention he’d gone out for a beer with the guys. He didn’t specifically say DT was there, so I don’t know what they talked about.”

“Did Boone mention Katherine being there too? She’s been pretty close to him.”

Why didn’t she just hand me a list of the chicks Boone fucked? But now I was curious about her end game so I’d play…dumb at first. “I just met DT. We didn’t talk long enough for him to say anything about a Katherine, so I don’t know how close they are.”

“I didn’t mean DT and Katherine were close, I meant Katherine and Boone were close.”

“Ah.” I nodded. “I wouldn’t know that either because Boone doesn’t talk about his work in Fort Hood or who he works with.” I waited for steam to come out of her ears.

“You’re not the brightest bulb, are you?” she sneered.

“I’m perfectly bright. Here’s a thought. Since you want me to know that you fucked Boone and your friend Katherine fucked him too, just say it outright instead of adding in all of the bullshit and expecting me to dig through it.”

“Me and Katherine weren’t the only ones,” she retorted.

“Again, what is the point of this? To make me jealous? To make me mad? To get me to pick a fight with Boone about his past that has nothing to do with me?”

“Why don’t you just admit you’re not Boone’s girlfriend? That you’re just some random chick he brought as his date to save face.”

“Why would he need to save face?”

Her eyes lit with triumph. “Because before he left for godforsaken Wyoming or wherever, he was complaining about having to attend this party, because he’d been told by the colonel he couldn’t skip it. He said he’d just pick some random chick off the street as his date. I’m betting that’s you.”

I smiled with complete condescension. “If I’m a random chick, you think you still have a shot at him? Really? With all that you’ve told me about how very many women he’s… close to?”

“You don’t know—”

“Oh yes, I think I do. Boone fucked you once. You wanted more, even when you were aware he’s the quintessential ‘one and done’ guy. Maybe you fantasized he’d ask you to this event. So it pissed you off that he admitted he’d rather show up with some ‘random chick off the street’…than with you or any of the other base rats who’ve hit the ‘one and done’ threshold.”

“You think you’re so smart but you don’t know shit.”

“No, you don’t know shit. So I’ll let you in on a little secret, Janell. I am Boone’s girlfriend. I was his first girlfriend and I’ll also be his last girlfriend. See, we met in godforsaken Wyoming years ago. We lost track of each other. But we found our way back to each other. So I’ll admit the irony that ‘one and done’ applies to me too—but it’s like this; I’m his only one and he’s done with everyone else. I don’t care that you fucked him in the past. But I do care if you put your fucking hands on him now. Because if I see you lay a single finger on him? I will come after you with everything I have because he is mine. Get that? Mine.”

Not so ballsy, now, are you Janell?

I got right in her face. “Nod your head if you understand.”

“Yeah. I get it.”

“Good. Feel free to pass that around to any of your fellow base rats who have visions of Sergeant West’s combat boots under their bed.”

She practically ran away.

Right then I believed that blood could actually boil; mine rushed hot and fast and angry. My lungs were heaving. My heart raced.

I needed that glass of water. With a goddamned Crown chaser.

Strong arms circled me from behind, trapping me.