Page 16 of The Heart

I know Colton isn’t being serious, but the way he manages to so thoroughly piss off Sebastian is a sight to see. In fact, I find it incredibly amusing. So does Luke, who is giving me a knowing smile as Sebastian makes his way around to the driver’s side. Luke helps me step up into the van, and I slide across the bench to sit next to Colton before Luke squeezes in next to me.

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Even though I’m jammed between three men, by the time we pull up to the bar I somehow manage to get my hair looking like I wasn’t just fucked by two of them on the floor of a van.

Luke helps me get out, then lets his hand rest on the small of my back where my hair now falls in waves. He guides me toward a run-down building where there’s a flashing neon “Roadhouse”sign mounted above a couple of doors that are barely seated on their hinges.

When the four of us step inside, it doesn’t take long to locate our group. Because even over the noise of voices, the DJ in the far corner and the sound of pool balls clattering together, our group is still the loudest.

They always are.

It’s Ava’s laugh that I hear first, which surprises me. I glance over, finding our twenty-two year old intern, sitting on a table with a beer, her legs swinging, surrounded by at least eight men from our security detail, their suit jackets strewn on every surface. The stark contrast between her stature and the men around her is hilarious, but it’s just how it goes in this line of work.

Muscles make for good bodyguards.

She’s the same age as my sister, and as different as they are, I can’t help but think of Kathryn. Even though we don’t generally get along, she’s the only family I have a relationship with. Though, I haven’t seen her since I moved in with the guys.

I miss her.

But it’s less than two weeks until Christmas, and we already have dinner plans for her to meet the guys on Christmas Eve. Only… I haven’t exactly told her about them yet.

I wasn’t surehowto tell my sister over the phone that I’m in a loving relationship with thetwobodyguards dad hired to stalk me for a year and a half.

I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

I look back at Ava in her white tank top and at how her baggy pants are tucked into her black steel-toed boots in a haphazard way, making her look like she doesn’t give a shit. She looks tough. It’s so different from how she dresses back at the office, but it suits her.

She laughs, so do all the guys around her, and my eyes trail over to where they’ve all been watching a very tipsy Jace trying to teach an already drunk Ryan how to play pool.Oh boy.

Ryan pulls back the cue carefully, then closes one eye, the stick wavering as he tries to focus. Jace is leaning casually against the table nearby, a drink in one hand and pointing with the other as he mutters detailed instructions. When Ryan shoots, he barely taps the white ball. And even though it does manage to bump into the ball he was aiming for, it moves exactly nowhere.

Jace bellows, as if Ryan just made a touch-down, giving him a high-five then running around the table and over to clink glasses with Ava and the other guys. The drinks spill fucking everywhere, which makes Ava burst out laughing again, clearly amused at seeing Jace this wired for the first time. I can’t help but smile. If I was worried about her fitting in, I’m not anymore. She seems to be right at home with this crowd.

“If you think it’s so easy,” Ryan slurs, “then why don’t you get over here and try it, ma’am.” He challenges Ava.

“Oh, I like the ma’am. So professional, Ry. Now give me that stick, I’ll show you how to play like a girl.” She strides over to him, her walk anything but lady-like in those boots.

“Huh, I’d like to see you try,” Ryan says, shoving his already smudged glasses back up his nose with one finger. He scratches the back of his neck, his brows furrowed as he tries to work out what she just said.

“Well, look what the cat coughed up! If it isn’t our fearless leaders!” Jace raises his glass and several people cheer. “And fuckingColton,”he cackles, followed by a “Booo!” from the entire team of guys behind him.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, very funny.” Colton smirks, waving them off as he strides over to steal one guy’s drink, downing it in one gulp before pointing the glass and his finger toward the lot of them. “I’ll remember this moment. Don’t think I won’t.” He raises his eyebrows, and a few of the guys, Jace included, suddenly look a little petrified. They all shut up immediately, and I’m left trying to piece together what the fuck would merit that type of reaction.

Before I can think about it too hard, my attention is drawn back to where Ava is leaning over the pool table. She has the cue stick behind her back as she lines up the shot, and I’m not even sure which one she’s aiming for, until the white ball jumps over the one in front of it, then taps the eight ball into the corner pocket. Every single guy cheers, except for Ryan who is staring at the table as if he’s trying to debunk her magic trick.

After a few high-fives, Jace and Ava leave the table to the next name on the chalkboard, helping Ryan over to one of the large half-booths nearby. They are laughing and falling all over each other as they work to get him on the bench seat while a very astute bartender places a large glass of water in front of him.

When I turn to Sebastian, he’s removed his suit jacket and it’s draped casually over his arm. He didn’t bother with the top few buttons of his shirt and I try not to stare as I envision the hard muscles barely hidden under there. The man really knows how to wear the hell out of a dress shirt.

He notices, smiling back at me, then lowers his voice so only Luke and I can hear him. “Don’t look at me like that, sugar. Unless you want to find out if the lock on the bathroom door works.”

I smile sweetly back at him, because I don’t think he would actually do that.Would he?My eyes go wide as I glance back at Luke who isn’t giving me a very reassuring look.

Sebastian wraps an arm around me, pulling me toward the table with him, then tosses his coat onto the bench. “I’ll get drinks,” he says, and I almost stop him to tell him what I want, but then I pause, smiling when I realize he already knows.

“Oh, and grab Ry some french fries or something,” Luke shouts after him.

“Got it,” Sebastian responds with a dismissive wave of his hand as he continues toward the bar.

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