Page 55 of Spies Like Us

I roll my eyes as Max scoffs angrily, and I’m done. “What the fuck is your problem?” I ask Max, turning to face him.

“You certainly have worked your way through my team,” he says aggressively, and I see Anders and Dayton exchange a worried look.

“Is that a problem for you? They are grown-ass men and have the opportunity to say no if they aren’t interested. I don’t think I forced them.” I think about it for a moment. “Well, okay, maybe Anders was forced, but both Dayton and Lathan were willing participants.”

“I was willing and able,” Lathan chimes in, glaring at Max. Dayton doesn’t even dignify Max’s comment with a response.

“Hey, I might have been forced, but I enjoyed every fucking second of it and can’t wait to repeat it in our own time.” Anders winks at me, trying to soften Max’s tirade.

“How about instead of slut shaming Mac, which is fucking below you, you tell us what’s really wrong?” Dayton leans forward, resting his elbows on the kitchen table, his gaze steady on his teammate.

“Fuck!” Max shouts, slamming his fist against the table before throwing his chair back and getting up to pace. His movements are so violent that the chair tumbles backward, hitting the floor hard. The guys all jump, seeming surprised that Max is acting like this. I don’t know him well enough to discern if this is normal, but I’m guessing by their reactions that it’s not.

He goes to his briefcase, pulls out an elaborate envelope, and tosses it onto the table. Anders grabs it before anyone else can, and he pulls out an invitation as well as some candid photos. He studies each one closely, smirking as he looks at me over the top of them before passing them to Dayton.

“What is it?” Lathan asks what I’m dying to know, but I’m pretty sure I can guess.

“Our invitation to a special club night at Primal Release, including a little note blackmailing me. If I say anything or don’t attend, they will release images of me fucking a student over my desk at work which, of course, will ruin my dad’s career.”

“Eww, that club name is gross, but this is what we wanted,” I point out as Dayton slides the images over to me, and I hold them out far enough for Lathan to see them while I look. Sure enough, there I am, bent over the desk. You can’t actually make out my face, but you can see for sure that it’s Max.

Max bends down and picks up the chair. “I know, but this is enough to end my dad’s career. We have to get this wrapped up before they use those images to blackmail him. At the moment, they are happy keeping Ry and me on a leash, but that’s not going to last.”

“Yes, but we knew all that. Your dad is aware of the situation. That’s not what’s bothering you the most. What is it?” I press.

“Brock, who is the one who gave me those, implied that Mac and Miller will be paid entertainment on Friday night, available for anyone to hire. He was hoping he would get his chance at her.” His dark eyes churn with anguish as he looks at me, and I cringe.

“I don’t want to, but I’ll do what I have to so we can end this mission,” I tell him without flinching, though the thought of fucking anyone else now is repulsive. In the short amount of time I’ve known them, these guys have shown me that I want something else for my life, and that being a ghost agent is no longer satisfying like it used to be.

“Easy enough. You and Ry hire them for exclusive use for the night. Offer them an amount they can’t refuse. Percy will approve the expense,” Lathan replies like he isn’t worried in the least.

“That’s not all. Damn it, Max, what’s bothering you? You said you wanted to pursue whatever this is we have with Kensington. Are you changing your mind? We said all in or all out. Miller was the only one holding out, and he’s on board now. Have you changed your mind?”

I’m unable to stop my flinch at Dayton’s words. I guess they had a conversation when I wasn’t around, I would have liked to be included, but at least I know why Miller has suddenly changed his tune. “So glad you all had a conversation that didn’t include me,” I say sarcastically, crossing my arms defensively. “It might have been nice to ask what I want.”

I mean, I’m very interested in exploring my relationship with this team. Despite my earlier reluctance, I’ve come to the realization that I’m tired of being alone and using my body to trap the bad guys. I want to use it for my own pleasure. I’m not ready to give up the spy game, but I’m very ready to be a part of a team. Knowing they’ll always have my back in a tight situation is so reassuring. I haven’t had any moments of panic during this mission, and it was a common occurrence when I was on my own. Thinking on the fly became my modus operandi, and it’s exhausting. The fact that I want to bang all their brains out is just a bonus, but it is nice to be included in conversations.

Chapter 25

Iwatch as guilt floods three out of the four faces in front of me. Max is still too pissy to care about what I want. “Mac. I, ah… Shit.” Lathan runs his hands through his hair before taking his glasses off and cleaning them on his shirt—his go-to fidget move.

“Don’t be too hard on us. It was a moot point if we didn’t get the whole team on board. We’ve come too far, and it was either all or nothing. Our team wasn’t willing to put up with another problem child like Bishop, no matter what your dad insisted,” Dayton says calmly, and I don’t take offense.

“Okay, I guess I can understand that, but it would have been nice to be included in the conversation once you came to a decision,” I argue.

“We were waiting on a decision from Miller. I guess he decided but didn’t bother to inform us, if his behavior in the cupboard is anything to go by.” Lathan sounds excited, and I can’t help but smile at him. So adorable!

“I think we should all hold off on making any decision until this mission is complete,” Max announces, crossing his arms and glaring at us. I guess the other guys are shocked, if the looks on their faces are anything to go by.

“What the fuck, man?” Anders demands loudly.

“I think everyone is getting their feelings mixed up with the mission, and I worry that when it’s over, we’re going to realize we made a mistake.” He looks directly at me when he says this, and I have a feeling he means me specifically. I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the heart. The hurt is so acute, I’m kind of speechless.

“You’re a fucking asshole.” It’s Lathan who explodes, and I feel my mouth drop open as he whirls on his teammate. “Just because you’re feeling left out and are annoyed at having to pander to Stella, that doesn’t mean you get to take it out on us, especially not Mac.”

“He’s right, man. We’ve all had to do things we’re not happy about for a mission, so what’s so different this time? What’s making it worse?” Dayton asks calmly as Anders puts his hand on Lathan’s arm and drags him back into his seat.

I’m still speechless and have no clue what to say to any of this. Maybe I made a mistake. It’s my first chance at a little bit of something for me, and I latched onto it like a bloodsucking leech without thinking it through clearly. Have I made a massive mistake? I kind of just want to leave and go back to Serenity house and wallow in my misery.

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