Page 88 of Pretend Wife
“Gosh, I can’t believe I fell for someone as crazy as my brothers.”
“I don’t like people looking at what’s mine.” His words sent a thrill through me that probably should have been concerning. I’d always thought I was more levelheaded than the rest of my family, but I apparently liked possessive assholes just as much as my sisters-in-law.
“Try to behave,” I begged.
“What will I get in return?”
I gave him a bright smile. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Tease.”
“I never promised to play fair.”
“Does anyone else know you have an evil streak?”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to punish me for it later.”
“Fuck, Dani,” he groaned.
Eventually the other women showed up, and Hayden relaxed a little bit. The lunch was actually one of the most enjoyable events I’d been to since becoming Hayden’s wife. I talked with Isabelle and Freddie’s wife about our jobs, dress styles we liked and whether we thought they’d look good on us, and plans for the future. Both women were sweet with auras of warm, happy emotions around them.
Overall, the afternoon was a nice break from all the things I had to worry about. I did my best to soak up the girls’ happiness and positive emotions while I had the chance.
But all the time out in the world only delayed the inevitable.
I still had to set up a meeting with Hayden’s and my families to tell them about my deal with Beelzebub, andthen it would be a matter of racing the clock to stop him before he could follow through on his threats. And I didn’t even want to think about what the Blakes’ reaction would be to not only learning the truth but realizing I’d kept it from them for two years.
The idea of burying my head in the sand and pretending my house of cards wasn’t about to fall around me was tempting, but that housewouldfall, and hiding from that fact wouldn’t protect the people I loved from the destruction.
I had to choose honesty even if I ended up losing everything. It was the only way I’d have any hope of being free again.
“You’re late,”Sam said when I walked into the gym at Youngblood Tuesday afternoon.
“Sorry, I was working on something and lost track of time.”
“Working on what?” Sam’s eyes narrowed, and he studied me like he was trying to read my mind. Thankfully, his ability to see souls didn’t include being able to read minds. I wasn’t sure exactly what information he could see, but it was obviously limited since he’d never learned about my deal with Beelzebub.
“Just some research at the moment. I’ll let you know more after I talk to Micah.”
“You know if you need help, you can ask, right?” Nate said from his spot against the wall near the row ofdummies. He was already shirtless, and his red wings extended proudly from his back. He looked ready for a fight, one that probably wasn’t going to end well for me.
“I know. And I will. I just want to talk to Micah first.”
He nodded. “Okay. Are you ready?” He pushed off the wall and dropped his gaze to my top and skirt, which left a strip of my stomach bare. “Please tell me you brought something to change into.”
I shook my head. “I don’t wear fighting clothes on a regular basis, so it makes no sense to train in them. If I have to fight a demon, I’m most likely going to have to do it in a skirt or scrubs.”
He sighed. “All right. Let’s do this.” He dropped to one knee on the mat in the middle of the room and pulled one of his knives from its holster in his combat boot.
Sam stood at the edge of the mats, still fully clothed in a button-down, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched us intently.
I let my own wings spread and reached for the bow strapped to my thigh. It took me precious seconds before my bow was extended, an arrow of heavenly fire poised to strike. I let the arrow fly, aiming for Nate’s shoulder where it would be easy to heal him.
Not that it mattered since he twisted out of the way, moving so fast he seemed to blur. Nate was born into the sixth order—he’d been bred to be a warrior—and his reflexes were much faster than the average angel’s.
He grinned at me as my arrow whizzed by him. “What else have you got, Dani?”
I cursed under my breath, knowing I had seconds, ifthat, before he reached me. I tried shooting him again, but I wasn’t surprised when he evaded the attack.
