Page 16 of Beneath the Surface

“Why the hell would you two come to a bar on a Friday night if neither of you drink?” Natalie cuts in.

“Because we were invited,” I say. “And like I said… I’m the life of the party. Whowouldn’twant me here?” I wink, trying to avoid the heat of Alex’s stare, but my eyes are drawn back to him anyway.

He didn’t have to speak up when he did, and maybe it’s a coincidence, but I can’t help feeling like he was trying to make things more comfortable for me. Pinpricks of energy lance off my skin and race down my spine as I hold his gaze. It’s uncomfortable, and I want to look away but… I can’t.

Turns out, I don’t need to.

Because he does.

And then his big hand reaches out, the lights bouncing off his jewelry as he grips Annabelle’s upper thigh. Just like that, all the electricity is zapped from my body, and I’m left feeling cold, and wanting to go home.

8

Mason

Swear to God I was planning to leave town. I took everything Don said to heart, reminding myself of all the reasons why staying was a colossal waste of time. Astupiddecision. I got as far as picking up the phone and calling Chase, ready to let him know everything.

I found her.Boom. Done. That’s it. Time to collect my money and leave, the way I do with every other job.

But Chase didn’t answer, and by the time his voicemail beeped, my attention was stuck on the TV, bile burning the back of my throat while flashes of a previous life played on the screen. A life that I would rather die than live again. And that made Lily and her kid run through my brain, wondering if she feels the same.

So I stayed. Because for some reason, Ican’tjust hand her over without knowing why she ran.

A hand trails up my thigh, and I smirk when Annabelle’s fingers rub against my cock under the table. She’s brazen, and honestly, a little fucking annoying, but in the grand scheme of things she’s harmless. She knows not to expect anything other than a free ride on my dick.

Besides, being close to Annabelle means being close to Lily without her questioning why.

I lean in, brushing my lips against Annabelle’s ear. “Watch those hands.”

She blushes, but her hand drops.

I’m into a lot of shit, but voyeurism is not my kink. And even if it was, having a hookup jerk me off while the girl I’m stalking sits across the table isn’t something that appeals to me.

But is it really stalking if you’re getting paid for it?

My gaze snags on Lily’s. Her head is tilted as she stares, curiosity brimming through her eyes, but I can tell that she’s still cautious. Sheshouldbe wary of me. I’m not the good guy in this scenario.

I haven’t been the good guy for a long time.

My chest pulls tight and I reach in my pocket for a toothpick, unwrapping the plastic and rolling it between my lips.

Damn nicotine cravings.

I wasn’t sure about coming tonight, Phoenix is about thirty minutes out from Raindale, but when Annabelle mentioned she had convinced Lily to go... the rest is history.

Lily sips from her water, her thick silver bracelets clacking together with the movement. If I were a chick I’d say they were fashionable, but I know why she’s really wearing them.

Sometimes we cover our skin to hide the sins of our past.

She’s practically vibrating in her chair, dark hair bouncing off her shoulders, an anxious energy seeping from her pores. I find myself wondering if she’s always been this energetic, or if it’s a recent development. A bird flapping around her self-imposed cage, wanting to spread her wings and soar, but knowing she can’t.

My eyes glide back down to her bracelets. To the tattoos covering her arms.

Or maybe she already did.

“Well this is way more boring than I thought it would be,” Annabelle’s friend, Natalie, complains. “I thought we’d be at a club, not this lame-ass bar.”

Annabelle shrugs, pushing her auburn hair off her shoulder. “I don’t like clubs.”

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