Page 23 of Heresy

She laughs at that, and somehow, the sound eases the tension from my shoulders.

I often envy Ames for her freedom.

She’ll never be a girl burdened by a world swallowing her whole.

She’ll never be trapped by a life where you can’t turn a corner without feeling like you’re being watched.

Ames gives life the finger and laughs in the face of everything people take seriously.

Maybe it’s not the most responsible way to live, but somehow, she manages to make it through.

She’s brave like that.

And in moments like this, I wish I could be just as brave as her.

“Don’t worry about it, Brin. It’s not like there’s anything you can do about it. Kane and Chris are the best at what they do. Even if Chris is so young. The little asshole is a genius, just like Kane. It’ll work out. So until then, we’ll have fun and do what we do best.”

Glancing at her again, I grin at the wiggle of her eyebrows.

“I’mbestat school,” I remind her.

Already I had to cram a weeks’ worth of work into a single night. Ames had Sunday off, which gave me time to focus on my assignments. But she is back to work tonight and needs a ride.

“And I’m damn good at shaking my ass.”

My expression falls.

“You’re also good at other things.”

The confidence in her expression fades, her blue hair falling down to shield her face.

She turns to stare out the window.

“I know.” Her tone is anything but convincing.

Despite her ballsy behavior, I suspect Ames has many insecurities that need to be addressed, ones she hides behind a wild mask. She doesn’t care about much. I know that to be true. But inwardly, I wonder if she doubts herself more than she’ll ever admit.

We pull into the parking lot of Myth before I can confront her about what she’s feeling. Making a note to address it at another time, I scan the parking lot for Everly.

Not knowing whether she arrived before us, I ignore the knot in my throat and plaster on a fake smile once we leave the car and rush toward the front doors.

Patrick, a man who is as tall as he is wide, glances at his watch and laughs to see us walking up. He’s the best bouncer I’ve ever seen and has single-handedly broken up fights involving more than two men.

“Granger is going to nail your ass to a wall, Ames. You better hope he’s in a good mood.”

His deep voice reverberates across the parking lot, his short, dark hair matching the pure black of his T-shirt.

Patrick opens the door as we approach, a smile cutting across his face when Ames reaches him.

“Is he ever in a good mood?”

Patrick shakes his head.

“Good luck to you, woman. You’ll need it. He’s been out here five times already, asking if I’ve seen you.”

Worry douses me, both of us coming to a skidding halt just inside the doors to see Granger leaning against a wall waiting for us.

Dismissing me as nobody important, his dark gaze slides to Ames, that same gaze sweeping down her body then back up again.

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