Page 43 of Dissent

“Yeah,” Rincon piped up. “Because there’s the stuff with the queens…” his sentence dropped off.

I looked between the two of them before finally looking across the table at Wes, who was staring right at me. A curl took the corner of his lips, popping out only one of those mischievous dimples, giving him the most deliciously devious look. We held each other’s gaze, my heart skittering in my chest as his eyes glimmered before he shifted them to the table. Leaning forward, he grabbed his hand and held his cards up, examining them. “Are we going to play Go Fish, or what?”

My cheeks tingled with my growing smile. Tipping my chin to my chest, I hid my face behind my fanned out cards.

“Yeah,” Simon agreed, “Let’s just play.”

“What’s the bet?”

Rincon clicked his tongue. “We’ll figure something out.”

And so we played.

***

“And that makesmethestallion,” I said, loving how it felt to conquer them all for the sixth time. “And I believe that makes you all my harem. Or rather, mybitches,” I went on playfully.

Rincon plopped his face in his arm on the table, groaning, as Simon threw his cards onto the pile of discarded diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs. “Man…how the hell you doin’ that? You cheatin’?”

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms, and smiling. “No. Are you saying that the only way a girl can be the stallion is by cheating?”

“Well…a…” Simon stumbled.

Rincon lifted his head, exasperation on his face. “I think I’m done with this game.”

And then, for the first time since I’d met him, Wes laughed. Like, actuallylaughed. And it was deep, and full, and really…well, really kind of sexy sounding. It completely threw me off guard, and I looked at him in utter shock. “Well,” he said, “looks like we all just got ridden home by the President’s daughter.” He tossed his cards onto the table as a grin slid into place. “Go figure…” His eyes lifted, looking at us all. “What? What are you all staring at?”

It was true. All three of us were just gawking at him.

“What?” he said more forcefully.

“Dude,” Rincon treaded, “that’s like, the first time I’ve heard you laugh since…”

He didn’t finish. He just fell quiet, not wanting to put it out there. But it didn’t take a genius to know what was supposed to fill in the blank.

“Since Chase died.” I said it. I said what no one else wanted to mention, and I didn’t regret it. But that didn’t stop a shiver from curling down my spine as Rincon and Simon both reverted their eyes to their hands. Their anxiety was palpable, and the tension that was building in the room could have suffocated a bear, but I dared to look at Wes. His eyes were firmly planted on me, and I saw…

Nothing.

Nothing but the hard, smooth lines of his sharp features and eyes that held emptiness. He was like stone. Like perfectly chiseled marble that held no emotion, no heart. Nothing but cold and unrelenting rock.

I held his gaze, not wanting to back down, and he held mine. But then they flickered. Pushing the chair back from the table, he stood up. I sensed Rincon and Simon stiffening on either side of me, shifting in their chairs with nervous energy, but I kept my gaze on Wes. He took a step back, brows furrowing, before turning on his heels and walking out of the tent.

The energy in the room was stiff and suffocating. Realizing I was holding my breath, lungs aching for release, I let out a long exhale.

Simon cleared his throat. “Well, that was intense.”

“Where do you think he went?” I looked at both guys, who both looked at each other before speaking in unison.

“The Rock.”

“What’s that?”

Rincon answered this time. “It’s his place. He and his brother used to go there all the time.”

“It’s at the top of the switchbacks on the way to the training center,” Simon added.

“The Rock…” I mulled a thought over in my head. As much as Wes reminded me of Chase, he scared me. But I knew he was also hurting. That was clear as day. And I felt like I owed it to him…and to Chase. “How do I get there?”

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