Page 213 of Heresy

Gabe walks into the foyer on his way back up the stairs.

“I see Shane survived, and all is back to normal. You two children try not to break anything during your little squabble on the floor.”

He moves the walk past us, but I’m faster.

Grabbing Gabe’s ankle, I trip him so that he falls on the floor with us, making it three grown ass men on the ground beating the crap out of each other.

Maybe Tanner’s wrong about who the adults are and which ones of us are fuck-ups.

Gabe’s laughing just as much as Damon and me when he catches me in a head lock and asks if I give up.

Brinley

It’s like I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Nine men.

All donning expensive suits that are impeccably tailored.

Each one seated in a leather executive chair around a large conference room table.

It’s a picture out of a fantasy, really. Their looks alone are enough to make most women drool, but there is an air about them when they’re together that should make every person tremble.

But that’s not why I’m in heaven.

Despite how beautiful they are as a group, there’s only one man I can focus on at the moment.

Normally, you’d see him in worn out jeans, possibly a T-shirt or a button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

He looks good with callused hands from working with unforgiving tools. The grease, dirt and oil stains that frequently stain his skin only add to the artwork that’s tattooed all over his body.

But to put that same man in a suit, comb his hair back and clean him up? It’s like bringing to life another side of him that whispers dirty words in your ear while he leads the world to believe he’s the perfect angel.

Shane winks at me from across the table, his suit hiding the majority of his tattoos except for the very tip of one sneaking up his neck.

My eyes fixate on it, a small hint that beneath the fancy clothing and polished exterior lies a heretic who lives his life without rules and does what pleases him.

I understand why they call him that now.

Fuck what the world thinks.

And to hell with what’s considered polite and acceptable.

When it comes to the people he loves and what matters to him, that man will raze the entire world to protect what belongs to him.

And yeah, maybe it’s not always the best decisions that he makes, but it’s all heart that drives his actions, and for that … I might be able to forgive him.

To be honest, seeing him like this, dressed up and playing his attorney half in a law firm with his name on it, I can’t help but remember what is was like last night, trapped beneath him, his teeth trailing roughly down my neck as his—

“Brinley!”

Tanner snaps his fingers, and I almost wrench my neck looking from Shane to the front of the conference room. I hear soft laughter coming from Shane’s direction, and I glance over to see just the corner of his lip curled in amusement.

He must have known what I was thinking.

“Keep your head in the game. We’re plotting here.”

Eyes back to Tanner, I can feel the heat of my blush spread across my cheeks.

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