Page 81 of Heroes & Hitmen
“Can’t believe you got yourself mixed up in this shit,” Archer groans, shaking his head in disapproval. “Actually, nevermind, I can. This is completely on-brand for you.”
“What can I say, I like to live life on the edge,” I snicker. “You should be proud.”
Arch cards his fingers through his dark hair with a heavy sigh. “Honestly, I am. But also, you’re a fucking idiot.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I chuckle, glancing out the window as a motorcycle barrels by, then returning my gaze to the phone screen. “So, what do you think? Can you help me out?”
There’s a long pause, and for a second, I wonder if they’re going to say no. If I’ve finally used up all the lifelines I’ve been thrown over the years and landed myself in such deep shit that there’s no way out of it.
Archer slowly leans back in his desk chair, folding his handsover his abs and arching a dark brow. “What’s so special about this girl?” he questions.
“Besides the fact she’s my mate?” I scoff.
“Fakemate,” Nash clarifies.
“Technically, yeah,” I mumble. “But just because the moon hasn’t confirmed it yet doesn’t mean it isn’t true. I think she might really be mine.”
“You used to say that about Avery Kessler,” Archer points out, snorting a laugh.
“This is different,” I growl. “Avery was just a stupid teenage crush. But Miley…”
“Actually likes you back?” Nash asks, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.
“Well, no,” I frown. “Maybe. Sometimes.” I shake my head in an attempt to clear my scattered thoughts, struggling to articulate what I’m actually trying to say. “That’s not the point. I just feel it in my gut, like an ache that won’t go away. It’s different.She’sdifferent.”
The two of them exchange a look, a beat of silence descending before Archer turns back to the screen.
“And you want to let her go?” he asks, eyes narrowed.
I huff out a breath, stabbing my fingers through my hair. “It’s whatshewants. To be free.”
Another long pause settles as the two of them engage in some sort of silent conversation with one another, my brain running a mile a minute.
Archer and Nash both have fated mates. The surly fuckers would never let them out of their sights, but if they were in my shoes, I know they’d choose their girl’s needs over their own every damn time. I’m a little obsessive, sure. Possessive, definitely. But I’m also fucking realistic. We’re currently in a lose-lose situation, so it’s really just a matter of choosing the best path forward.
Helping Miley escape to Stillwater wouldn’t mean letting go of her forever. Just for now, until I can get back there in a year and pick up where we left off.
“So, what do you think?” I ask when the silence becomes too much.
“Of course we’ll help you out,” Archer replies readily, as if it wasn’t even a question.
I exhale slowly, shoulders sagging in relief. Not that I evershould’ve doubted my brother. We might bicker, we might rarely see eye to eye, but loyalty runs deep in our family. We’re always there for each other when it counts.Especiallywhen it counts.
My gaze slides from Archer to Nash, clocking the tense set of his jaw and the scowl twisting his lips. “Nash?” I prompt, hoping like hell that he’s on board, too.
His eyes ping to the screen and he jerks a nod. “Yeah, of course,” he says, and that last knot of anxiety in my gut unravels. “It’s dangerous as hell, but what isn’t these days? As long as we have a solid plan in place so this doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass.”
“Right,” I agree, nodding. “I owe you guys big time.”
“Nah,” Archer scoffs, waving a hand dismissively. “You already stepped up to take my place in Chicago. I suppose this is the least I can do since I’m partially responsible for getting you in this position, eh?”
“Something tells me you would’ve skated by here with a lot less drama,” I chuckle.
“That’s the fuckin’ truth,” Nash snorts.
Archer rolls his eyes at that, reaching out to deliver a playful jab to Nash’s bicep before turning back to the screen. “So, it’s just the girl and her sister, right?”
“Right,” I confirm.
