Page 75 of Heroes & Hitmen
CHAPTER 24
Miley
The laughthat bursts out of me is real– full-bodied, a little breathless, and so unexpected that I slap a hand over my mouth like I can stuff it back in.
Spoiler: I can’t. It keeps escaping, the sound of it mingling with the rumble of Ares’ laughter beside me.
We’re tucked in a booth opposite his friend Will, Ares’ arm slung lazily over my shoulders and my fingers curled around a fruity cocktail. The drink is ridiculously sweet to mask the alcohol, like candy in a glass.I love it.
The company isn’t half bad, either. Will is deep into his retelling of a story about getting chased out of this very bar by a jealous ex, and I’m trying not to spill my drink as my shoulders shake with laughter.
“Wait, she actuallythrewashoeat you?” Ares snorts, gawking at his friend.
Will winces, rubbing at the back of his head like he can still feel the pain of where it struck. “Like I said, she went crazy, bro.”
“I’m surprised you dared to show your face in here again,” I tease, shaking my head with a giggle.
Will makes a show of looking around nervously, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth as he leans in conspiratorially. “Just give me a heads up if you see a pissed-off brunette coming this way so I can make a break for it.”
“Before or after she kicks her heels off?” Ares asks, smirking.
“Before, preferably,” Will snorts, taking a long swig of his beer like it’ll erase the memory.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I said yes to dinner and drinks tonight, but I had a feeling it’d involve forced small talk, awkward silences, and the constant anxiety of our secret being discovered. Instead, I gotthis. Laughter. Easy conversation. A glimpse at a world that doesn’t revolve around control, contracts, or countdowns.
Dare I say I’m having a good time?
Ares has surprisingly good taste in friends. Will is great– fun to be around, easy to talk to, and apparently a magnet for dramatic women with good aim.
“There seem to be some holes in this story,” I muse, narrowing my eyes on Will as I take a sip from my drink. “Girls don’t just go around throwing shoes for no reason.”
Will’s face reddens and he downs another gulp of beer, swallowing it before murmuring, “Well, she might’ve caught me hitting on her best friend.”
Ares barks a laugh while I narrow my eyes on Will, cracking a smile of my own. “So, what I’m hearing is you deserved it.”
“Doesanyonedeserve to have a shoe lobbed at their head?” He asks, wide-eyed.
I flicker Ares a sideways glance, a smirk pulling at my lips. “Debatable.”
Ares shakes his head with a chuckle as he turns toward me, lips brushing my temple like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “You’re supposed to be on my side, sweetheart.”
His use of that pet name usually makes me roll my eyes, but it lands differently while we’re deep in this dangerous game of pretend. Instead of biting out a comeback or pushing him away, I sink further into the crook of his arm, the heat of his body bleeding into mine.
Will’s eyes dart between the two of us, a smile pulling at his lips. We must look pretty damn convincing as a couple right now. Then again, I suppose that’s the whole point of this charade.
The bar we migrated to after dinner is pack-owned, meaning there are plenty of curious eyes on us warranting the need to keep up appearances. This place is loud and rowdy, the kind of atmosphere I’d have hated a month ago. I probably should hate itnow, but sitting here, half-tipsy under Ares’ arm, I don’t feel at all out of my element.
Maybe it’s the drinks. Maybe it’s the company. Maybe it’s the fact Ares’ hand hasn’t left my leg since we sat down.
Every so often, his fingers flex just enough to remind me they’re there, brushing the bare skin where my skirt rides up and gripping my thigh with casual possessiveness. I haven’t made any move to stop him. I’m enjoying this whole act a littletoomuch, laughing at his friend’s stories and not bothering to move away when Ares tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I think some tiny, masochistic part of me wishes this performance was actually real.
His hand slides higher on my thigh, slow and deliberate. I freeze with my glass halfway to my lips, skin prickling with electricity. I know he feels the way my muscles tense, the shift in the electric current that always seems to be running between us. I try not to react, but Will notices the slip in my composure, his lips pulling into a teasing grin.
“I know you two are disgustingly in love, but you don’t have to rub it in everyone’s faces,” he jibes.
Ares just smirks and squeezes my thigh like he owns it. “Can’t help it. Gotta keep her sweet so she doesn’t get any ideas about running off with someone else.”
I arch a brow, glancing around the bar. “Well, there are plenty of options…”
