Page 102 of His to Bedevil

I look at my liquor choices, and I cringe when I realize that I do have a lot of single barrel and top shelf liquors, not really anything you would take a shot of. She plucks the tequila bottle from the bunch. “Do you have salt and limes?”

“For?”

Her eyes bug out. “For tequila shots…?”

I frown for a second. “Oh! Right!” I’ve seen people do that whole thing with the salt before the shot and biting into a lime after. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s in that order.

I grab a lime out of the fridge and cut it into wedges and nab the salt shaker. I let Kate take over from there. She shows me what to do, and we do the shots. She cringes and practically chews on her lime whereas I savor the hundred-dollar-bottle-of-tequila taste in my mouth for a moment before swallowing it and licking the lime a little. “Have you really never done a shot of tequila before?” she asks.

No.“It’s just been a while.” I shrug and place the shot glasses in the sink and reluctantly walk away from it.

“Weirdo.” She smiles and rolls her eyes. “All right, show me your room and let’s get ready. I hope you don’t take forever because everyone’s already there.”

So, Boulder is populated with a younger crowd, being so close to the state university. The ages here range mainly from eighteen to twenty-four. I’m assuming that’s why Alejo put me here. Depositing a bunch of money into my bank account, paying for a lavish apartment, and giving me a bulletproof car doesn’t exactly scream normal though. He’s obviously just as clueless as I am when it comes to that word.

Thinking back to after the plane explosion, my first real brush with death, we were in the shower in Aspen when Alejo asked me if I ever wanted a normal life. I guess he was already thinking about getting rid of me back then. He probably only kept me around out of appreciation because I saved his life.

“Your life will always be in danger when you’re with me. I am a dangerous man, and my life is dangerous.”

“I’ve never felt so safe in my life, Alejo. Before you, I led a dangerous life as well. I put myself in very dangerous situations. If you recall, it’s how you came to possess me.”

“But would you go back to that life if you had to? If you could start over, what would you do?”

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking me.”

“If you could just forget the past, all of it, and choose your own life, what would you do with it? Would you go back to school? Get a normal job and have normal friends?”

“I mean, if I were to choose a normal life, I guess so. I’d first get my GED and probably work somewhere as a waitress. Then go to college or something. But that’s if I even wanted a normal life.”

“Don’t you?”

“I want a life with you, Alejo. I wasn’t ever meant to lead a normal life, I’ve told you that. No, I don’t want it.”

“Hey, you okay?” Kate asks, breaking me from my flashback.

I give her a smile. “Yup. I’m good.”

Kate changes into some skinny jeans, heeled booties, and a cute top. Her blonde hair was in a side braid at work, so she took it out, and it’s all wavy now, falling to the middle of her back. I’m wearing some dark skinny jeans with some wedged platform booties and an open-back sweater. It’s only May, so it’s still pretty cold out. I hadn’t planned on going out after work, and we have to wear our hair back there, so I just redo my hair in a topknot on top of my head. I put on very light makeup and paint my lips red.

When I turn around, Kate looks at me with wide eyes. “Wow, you clean up nice. I mean, you’re freaking gorgeous with no makeup, but with makeup you’re annoyingly gorgeous. And thank God you don’t take long to get ready. Brandy takesforeverto get ready. She spends, like, thirty minutes alone on her makeup.”

I feel my cheeks heat a little at the compliment. I’m used to guys thinking I’m hot, but I’m not used to a girl saying I’m gorgeous. Aren’t girls usually super jealous of each other and all catty?

We grab our jackets and head out to wait for the Uber that’ll be here soon. I’m actually nervous about going out tonight. The other two shots we took definitely help a little, but not entirely. I’ve never gone out with friends before. I’ve only gone out alone to pick up a guy when I was bored and lonely… and horny. Or if I was doing a little recon for whatever job or assignment I had.

We arrive at the bar less than ten minutes later and hop out. When I pull out my license to be carded at the door, it’s kind of exciting to know that it’s real. Well, I mean kind of. My identity was a little falsified, but I actually earned that driver’s license. Another stupid reminder of Alejo. He signed me up for driver’s ed. As well as nighttime classes to get my GED. If he wanted me out of his life, then he needs to stay out of mine.

I thought about not touching the money he was depositing into my account and refusing to live in my apartment, but it’s not like I ever earned money the old-fashioned way to begin with. I had always stolen and conned my way to wealth. Why stop now? Maybe one day I can completely cut ties with him and walk away from everything that he has ever provided, but not now. I’m just not ready. Even though Alejo hasn’t stepped foot inside my apartment, everything there still reminds me of him. Giving all that up would mean completely giving him up, and I’m not strong enough to do that yet.

We walk into the crowded bar, and Kate grabs my hand to pull me through. “I know where they are!” she shouts over the loud music.

I ignore all the stares from guys as we brush by them and head toward the back. Finally breaking through the crowd, we find a bunch of our coworkers at a high-top over in a corner. Once they see us, they all shout our names and wave us over.

“Wow! You actually got Fynn to come out?” Brandy says, and I see what Kate was talking about. Brandy is really pretty as it is, and at work she wears some makeup, but nothing like the amount she’s wearing tonight.

“Here. Sit here.” Trevor, one of the bartenders at work, offers me his seat.

I give him a little smile and accept it. “Thanks.” I hop up, and Trevor stands beside me.

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