Page 106 of Ensnared

Grimacing,Ipick up my pace just slightly, wanting to hear what they’re saying.Imanage to get closer, close enough thatIcan see the stubble onDom’sjaw when he turns his head.Ilower my foot... only to feel the fragile indent of a twig against my boot.Catchingmy breath,Iglance down and move it to a safer patch of dirt before putting my weight down.

Myheart pounds giddily in my chest.

“Yeah, well, if you didn’t want to talk then you shouldn’t have dragged me out here,”Beausnipes in a toneI’venever heard from him before.Hisaccent sounds softer too, for some reason.

Islip between two trees, following.

“Heatherwouldn’t have done this.Youout of all of them have to know that.Youknow what she was like.”

There’sa silence, andIedge forward, wanting to hear more.Luckywouldn’t give me any details onHeather, butI’vegathered enough to know thatDomwas hung up on her and she left with some guy calledThomas, who used to be part of their team.Ihaven’t been alone withBeaulong enough to ask any questions, andDom, well, there’s no wayI’mgoing to askDomabout her.

Butwhat has she done now?Ithought she was out of the picture.

“What?”Domprods.

“Justtrying to figure how to answer that without getting my ass kicked.”

Istruggle to split my attention between my feet and the conversation, but they’re not moving too fast, at least.

“Justsay it.”

Beauhuffs. “Fine.Heatherwas a lot.Sure, she was brave as all hell—I’llgive you that.Butshe also had a knack for hitting a guy below the belt that you either didn’t see or didn’t want to.”

“Shewas tough,”Domsnaps.

Iblink.Hesounds so defensive of her.Uneasinesssifts through my gut.Itdoesn’t sound like these are old, dusty feelings at all.

“Shewas a dick, andIcould never tell if it was intentional or not.There’sa reason the other three hate her,Dom—they didn’t just wake up one day and decide it.Shewas always different around you andThomas.Softer.Therest of them...”Beautrails off.

Ishouldn’t be listening in like this.Thisis not the wayIshould be hearing about them.

ButIstill don’t make a sound.

“It’snot like the others are innocent.Luckyput a snake in her bed, for fuck’s sake.”

Ibite down on my lip hard to stop a giggle.Lucky’snever put a snake inmybed.

Well, not the fanged kind anyway.

Beausnorts. “Itwas a garter snake.Completelyharmless.Andyou know he only did that because she kept saying that he was too soft to watch anyone’s back.Shetold him flat out that he should stay back with the women and children while she andThomaswent out on raids.”

Domstops abruptly, andIonly just catch myself beforeIstep into view.Myheart hammers, then twists a little asIthink ofLucky.I’veseen him in action, and he’s as fierce and capable as any of them.

“Shewas joking.Shehad a mouth on her, but she was only joking,” he says, though he sounds uncomfortable.

Beaumakes a derisive sound. “Yeah, real funny.Ilaughed a lot whenIsaw him hurting after that one.Idon’t even know how she always found the exact softest spot to hit on a guy, but she was a real pro.IthoughtJasperwas going to murder her on the spot.”

Domblows out a long breath. “Andyou?” he asks in a low voice. “Shedo that with you too?”

“She—”Beaugroans. “Look, she never wanted to push me too far because she knew we were tight.Butas charming and fantastic in the sack as she was when it was both of us, it hit me like a brick to the face when she turned around and made it clear she wasn’t interested in me.Shewanted you,Dom, andThomas, and as soon as you weren’t around, she made the lines pretty damn clear.”

Thequeasiness in my stomach worsens.Fantasticin the sack.Well, that’s just... great.Ibet she knows all kinds of fancy tricks.

Maybeit’s for the best that my night withBeauwas interrupted.Damnit, why didn’tIspend more time makingJaykorLuckyshow me how to be amazing?Iwas so caught up in just being with themIdidn’t even think abouthowIshould be with them.Ishould have taken notes.It’sunlike me not to have studied.

I’mstarting to seriously regret coming out here, and not for the reasonsIworriedIwould.

There’snowayIcan reveal myself now.

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