Page 9 of Mischievous Lies

“You girls don’t fuck around,” Posie says, throwing back her drink as Hope does the same. I try not to laugh as I finally respond to Hope.

“I like to toy with him, and he does the same in return,” I tell her with a shrug of my shoulders. It’s not a total lie. I do love to toy with him.

“Looks like I’m not the only one playing games,” I say as I look pointedly at her detective, who’s pushing his way through the crowd.

Hope pauses when she sees Braxton. I can’t help but smirk as I look back up at Eli and Dutton, who are staring at him. He’s welcome here, to a degree, but everyone is still on edge about Hope’s new boyfriend. He’s shown his loyalty to her father, but respect has to be earned amongst these ranks. Macho shit, even though I’m certain they have already accepted him, they like busting newcomers balls.

I sense Hawke’s approach and put my hand up in his direction before I even face him, knowing him well enough. Hestops in his tracks, always overtly protective of the women in our group, like a big brother. He scowls at me, and I make a shooing motion with my hands.

Braxton joins us, and I can’t help but feel overjoyed for Hope and the way she looks at him. She’s found someone who accepts her exactly how she is. Yet there’s a small part of me that feels like I’m being left behind. Basically, everyone is part of a couple now, and I still can’t understand the appeal.

But that’s above my pay grade. I grab another drink from the tray and hand it to Braxton. He frowns at it, but I encourage him to take it. “What’s wrong, detective? A little sugar gives you heart palpitations?”

“I’ve been warned about what nights out with you can be like,” he says with a charming smile as he accepts it.

Hope tries not to grin as he scoops her in for a kiss.

“It’s not me you might have to worry about tonight,” I say as I take another sip, my hips finding the rhythm again as I dance.

CHAPTER 6

Hawke

Avision in fucking pink, that’s exactly what she is. She has curves for days that can hypnotize any man. The way she moves, the way she dances. Fuck, the way she dances. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her on the dance floor, even with another woman in my arms. That’s the hold Ivy has over men, and I’m but a mere mortal.

Hours of drinking and the countdowns begin. I wanted to give this party a theme of resetting, and have a countdown at midnight so everyone has a reason to take another shot and make out. And I love the way it makes the birthday boy uncomfortable. He’s used to controlling everything, but he certainly doesn’t seem to be complaining as Posie grinds against him. He whispers something in her ear, and she giggles. And in the next minute, they can’t be found.

Billie and Ford came back for a little bit but have once again disappeared. I swear, my brother’s new addiction would concern me if I didn’t see the way Billie looks at him. I was in denial about the two of them when I first caught them in the act. I didn’t want my brother to get hurt or for me to be forgotten on the wayside. I’m a selfish prick, I know that, and it seems ever since that day he got poisoned…

I throw back another drink. No matter how much I try to block out that day and the all-consuming grief around it, it repeatedly bubbles up. It doesn’t matter how much I drink or how much sex I have. None of it is enough to push away the demons from that day.

I hear Ivy’s laughter before I see her, which snaps me out of my depressing thoughts. I haven’t opened up to anyone about that day I found Ford and Billie in the bunker, my brother fighting for his life. I haven’t expressed that the dead, staring eyes of the woman I put a bullet in as she tried to escape the scene after attempting to kill him still haunt me.

We vowed never to hurt women.

And yet I had.

I follow Ivy’s laughter from the bottom of the stairs back to the VIP area as it inevitably brings me back from those harrowing thoughts. They don’t often appear when I’m out partying, but sometimes, like tonight, they do.

The woman I’ve been making out with all night went to join her friends for a bit. I could’ve taken her back to my place hours ago, but I didn’t, choosing to stay here instead.

My eye twitches as I spot the detective with my cousin, Hope, perched on his lap. I don’t like him. He pisses me off… much in the same way I piss other people off, I suppose. But he makes her happy, supposedly, but the moment he hurts her, I’ll happily break his legs.

Ivy goes to stand, but I block her path. She opens her mouth to curse, but when she notices it’s me, she looks away. I push farther into her space so she can’t focus on anyone but me. I can’t help but tease her. Lately, she feels like the only one left who wants to have fun. And that’s what I need right now.

When she looks up at me, those gorgeous blue eyes find mine, and I can’t help but reach out and place a finger under her chin. I can tell the others are watching our interaction, butI don’t care much for what anyone thinks. Ivy scowls at me, and the disapproving glare makes my cock twitch.

“Why so sour, lover?” She hates it when I call her that, and I love it. She is by far the best I’ve ever fucked, and the only one I would gladly keep going back to. Over and over again. Not that she’s ever given me the chance. “You sure did give me a show.” I wink at her. “When you were rubbing up on him, did you think of me?”

She places her hand on mine and smiles. That vicious little tug of her lips is more enticing than it should be to any sane man. Which I am certainly not. “Not much to think about is there?” she replies, staring directly at my cock.

I rub my thumb against her bottom lip contemplatively. She’s at the perfect height to blow me, and her eyes dance with mischief as if she knows exactly what I’m thinking. “You didn’t deny it, so I guess that was a yes.”

“Eww, not in front of me,” Hope squawks, and I laugh as I give Ivy space.

“Like you’re one to talk, little red,” I say as I sit across from Ivy and glare at Braxton. The fucker has the audacity to smirk at me as his hand slips under my cousin’s top.

“I’m surprised they’ve left you unwatched,” I growl at him, and Hope reprimands me immediately. I put my hands up in defense. How the fuck am I the bad guy for looking out for her?

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