Page 26 of Pretend
“Step-daughter,” I snap at him quickly, like I’ll bite his head off if he ever refers to me as his daughter again. “He’s just Admiral Ravenmore to me, Hannibal. And yes, I like to come here. Tonight is my last night out.”
“Yeah, I’m going to miss this gremlin. She’s the sweetest customer.” Gabe ruffles my curls in a playful manner, and I politely shoo him away, biting my lip. Gabe knows me well after countless girl’s nights.
“Where’s Graves at? I haven’t seen him here in a while. I haven’t seen you both…since Dario—” Gabe lowers his voice as if he regrets his question. Daegan’s hauntingly dashing smirk fades, and he stiffens.
His eyes widen, but then they slowly turn into a soft glare. “He’s busy. Always busy…as am I.”
So he has been here before. I’ve just never seen him.
Daegan lifts a glass full of amber liquid, taking a long swig, but something flashes behind those eyes when Gabe mentions Dario’s name, almost as if it’s painful for him to talk about.
I watch his Adam's Apple bob up and down as he swallows, and I’m not sure why, but he even makes drinking so captivatingly hot.
I assume he’s drinking whiskey. That’s all that they tend to order when they come in.
“Who is Dario?” I lift an eyebrow.
“Uh—“ Gabe starts but gets cut off.
“Alessia, cutie pie. Why did Jack leave so suddenly? Why would he leave his girl in a bar full of men?” A drunken, slurred, high-pitched voice interrupts our conversation, sending a ripple of discomfort and the hair on the back of my neck to stand.
Frankie.
I grit my teeth, and my body tenses when he says my name. I grip the counter tight with my fingers until my knuckles turn white. I can’t believe Jack is friends with this guy.
But Frankie isn’t alone. Zeke stands behind him, grabs a chair from a nearby table, and sits on it.
“He’s tired,” My voice pitches with a forced friendly tone as I turn to Frankie, and he palms his heart like he’s hurt.
Daegan turns to his right, just enough so that he studies him for a second with a tightened jaw. He flexes it twice before his eyes are on me again. Frankie is so drunk that he doesn’t notice Daegan glaring daggers at him.
9
ALESSIA
“What canI do for you, Frank?” Gabe asks, clearly aware of his history.
The way Frankie looks at me makes me want to crawl out of my skin.
“I’ll take some wings, man,” Frankie tells him innocently, the smell of alcohol already seeping out of his pores and into my nose.
“Coming up.” Gabe smacks the counter and disappears.
Daegan continues to look at Frankie like gum under his shoe.
“It’s a little crowded here, don’t you think?” Zeke pulls Frankie away from Daegan and me. Frankie’s cocky wicked grin lingers as he licks his bottom lip. He blows me a kiss, and I immediately cringe, contorting my face.
Thank God Zeke gets the hint and pulls Frankie away.
The aura of dread melts away, and I sigh in relief. My shoulders relax.
“Why do I get the feeling you don’t like Ravenmore?” Daegan probes.
Another bartender stops in front of us and serves Daegan another cold drink with ice.
“Bourbon.” A tall, beautiful, dark-haired woman tells him. She’s gorgeous. Her hair is flattened so straight, and it glistens under the neon lights. She winks and brushes her hand over his, letting her fingers linger longer than usual. I pretend not to notice the way she flirts, but I do.
He doesn’t react. He deadpans, and I’m unsure if he’s welcoming her overly friendly demeanor or despises it. She blushes, biting her lip seductively as she walks away with more sway in her hips than before.
