Page 20 of Heroes & Hitmen
With that, I spin on my heel and walk out of the shop, refusing to look back.
Because if I do, I might start hoping he’ll follow me again.
And I really don’t need any trouble in the form of a six-foot-six Alphahole with the name of a Greek god and a perfect fucking smirk.
CHAPTER 7
Ares
“Damn,I still can’t get over how nice this place is,” Will remarks, making a show of glancing around my apartment as if he didn’t already do a full inspection right when he walked in. He takes a long sip of his beer and tosses up an arm to rest on the backs of the couch cushions, letting out a satisfied sigh like we’re relaxing in some five-star resort.
The apartment’s alright. Everything’s clean, well-appointed, and sleek. It’s decked out with high-end furniture, expensive art I didn’t pick, and some damn good whiskey was waiting in the cabinet for me as a welcome gift. I’m settling in. Slowly. But the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the city serve as an ever-present reminder of just how far I am from home, and my inner wolf despises the feeling of being trapped in a cage in the sky.
Will and I have been keeping in touch. He’s dropped a few not-so-subtle hints about wanting to see my new digs, so I finally took the bait and invited him over. What I didn’t expect was lobby security practically holding him hostage until I came down to escort him up to my apartment. Guess the Alpha doesn’t like surprises in his Tower.
“Come by anytime,” I say, settling back into the chair across from him with a fresh beer in hand. It’s some ugly, ergonometric design that I judged harshly on first glance, but I’ve gotta admit the chair is stupidly comfortable.
I didn’t invite Will here just to see the place and drink beers, though. We’ve been shooting the shit for a while, but I’ve beencasually guiding the conversation, waiting for the right opening to probe him for information. He’s the only friend I’ve made thus far, and therefore my best bet at gleaning intel on the inner workings of the Chicago pack.
“So, I met a girl,” I say casually, like it just popped into my head.
Will raises an eyebrow, smirking like he already knows where this is going. “Yeah? The one from the other night?”
“That’s the one.” I grin, and this ridiculous heat spreads across my chest at the thought of Miley. “She’s... something else. I like her, but there’s a complication. Turns out she’s the Alpha’s daughter, and apparently, he’s already arranged for her to be mated to some other guy.”
Will chokes on his beer, coughing and pounding a fist against his chest. “Tell me you’re staying far,faraway then?” he sputters, eyes wide.
I laugh, shaking my head. “C’mon. You know that’s not really my thing.”
He blinks at me like I’ve just grown a second head. “Bro… Nash said you were crazy, but I didn’t realize you were suicidal, too.”
“How bad could it really be?” I scoff.
“Bad,” he deadpans. “Really bad. You don’t screw with the Alpha’s daughters. They’re not family to him, they’reassets.”
My lips twist into a scowl in response to Miley being referred to as an ‘asset’.Fuck that.
“He arranges their mate bonds to seal business deals,” Will continues, his expression somber. “Getting in the middle of that would be equivalent to walking into a boardroom and flipping the table. It’s not just a bad idea, it’s dangerous. Alpha doesn’t take kindly to people fucking with his business, and he doesn’t give second chances.”
I hold up my hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay,” I chuckle. “Message received. I’ll steer clear.”
Will doesn’t look convinced– probably because I’m lying through my teeth. There’s no way in hell I’m staying away from Miley Beckett.
He drains the last of his beer and sets the bottle on the coffee table in front of him with a sigh. “Well, on that note, I’d better get going,” he murmurs, raking a hand through his blonde waves as he pushes up to stand. “Thanks for the beers. And the view. Just...promise me you won’t do anything reckless, man. I told my cousin I’d look out for you.”
“Me? Reckless?” I flash a grin. “Never.”
He gives me another look like I’ve gone insane, but I just laugh it off, easing to my feet and setting my beer bottle on the side table.
“I’ll walk you out,” I offer.
The two of us exit my apartment and make our way to the elevator, both quiet on the ride down. When the doors slide open into the marble lobby, I check my watch and have to fight the smirk tugging at my lips.
Right on schedule.
I’ve yet to receive my first job assignment from the Alpha, so I’ve kept myself occupied this past week by learning his daughter’s routine. I know what time she usually leaves campus, which yoga studio she hits on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and exactly how long it takes her to walk back from class. She’s a creature of habit. Predictable. And predictability makes these little ‘coincidences’ easy to engineer.
Will says goodbye and heads out with a wave while I hang back near one of the columns in the lobby, posture casual and eyes on the entrance.
