Two
God hates me.Solene stared at the bane of her existence as they entered Noel’s house, wondering how she’d made it the past four weeks without shooting or seriously maiming him.
Deacon Shaw had to be the most annoying, sexy, god-like Adonis of a man she’d ever had the misfortune to meet. It didn’t help that he exuded danger, could handle himself with his fists or knives in a fight, and could no doubt handleherall over the place. On a gym mat, in a sparring match, between her silk sheets…
She wanted to bang her head against the table. As usual, when dealing with Deacon, her mind immediately went to sex and thoughts of seeing him without those blasted pajama pants.
She just knew he was doing it on purpose, wandering around her house to “protect her” in nothing but soft flannel bottoms.Damn him.Those abs. That jawline. Those eyes.
“Solene?” Hammer sounded concerned, but when she turned to him, she saw him smirking at her.
“Oh, shut it, He-Man. Let’s get this over with. The sooner you guys fix this mess, the sooner we can get back to our regular lives.” And she needed that to happen fast, because as much as Deacon annoyed her, he’d been chipping away at her protective walls with humor and oh-my-God sex appeal.
Deacon waited for her to pass him and sit on the couch then deliberately sat right next to her. His muscular thigh pressed to hers.
“You know, there are two chairs and a lot of couch for you to sit on. You don’t need to be wedged against me.”
Hammer sat down on his other side. “I’m sure he was saving this spot for me.”
She sighed.
Noel entered the room with Addy next to him. With the school day out, Addy must have come right home. Not to her home next door, but this one she now shared with Noel. Talk about moving fast. Granted, Addy had known of Noel for years, but she hadn’t started dating him until the last few weeks.
Looking at the pair, Solene badly wanted to believe in the possibility of a happily ever after for them. Relationships were tough enough. Adding assassins and dead bodies to the mix didn’t make anything easier.
“Hi, Solene.” Addy beamed. Tall, beautiful, her Eurasian features striking, the love in her eyes so soft. She’d always been a romantic at heart, and Solene hoped she’d found The One in Noel.
They’d become best friends a year ago, two young, single women with a love of bad sci-fi movies and the island in common. Solene couldn’t imagine her life without Addy in it. Addy’s charm and naiveté complemented Solene’s more cynical world view. Plus, she felt a need to protect her younger friend from the harshness life had to offer.
A glance at Noel told her that she wasn’t the only one wanting to protect Addy. More aloof than Deacon and Hammer, Noel Cavanaugh had a large presence nonetheless. Handsome with dark, watchful eyes, Noel gave the impression of being less of a threat than he was. He didn’t overwhelm with charm or size, yet from what Addy had said, the man couldmove, and he had a thing for guns.
The pair kissed and sat together in an overlarge chair.
“Aw, Noel,” Deacon said, his voice overly sweet. “You don’t have to do that. Addy, you can sit in my lap, honey.”
“Get your own girl,” Noel said, his voice chilly. But Solene saw a glint of humor in the curl of his lips. “And speaking of girl, Vi had to leave. She’s heading back home for a short break then onto the next broken body.”
Hammer nodded. “Good. One less unknown to worry about.”
“I liked her,” Addy said.
“I didn’t trust her.” Yet Hammer looked a little let down, to Solene’s way of thinking. She’d seen the attraction between the pair, even if neither had admitted to it, too busy sniping at the other.
After Noel’s brutal fight with Brent, Violet had nursed Noel back to health in no time, then spent her days working with Addy, giving the poor woman much needed physical therapy with that leg. Addy had been shot in the thigh and stomach, but by the grace of God the bullets had missed hitting bone.
“Let’s be honest,” Deacon said with a wink at Solene before directing his attention to Hammer. “Vi didn’t look like anyone’s nurse to me. Not in those tight jeans and all those Bears shirts she constantly wore.”
“It was the Seahawks, not Bears.” Hammer flushed at the pointed look everyone gave him. “Hey, I pay attention to details. It’s in the job description.”
“Uh-huh.” Deacon had gotten the rise out of Hammer he wanted, apparently.
Then again, maybe it was a good thing Vi had gone. Solene had overheard Deacon telling Hammer to keep her close—just in case.
Just in case they had to send Vi back in pieces? Make her disappear? Drop her off a tall bridge? Frankly, she couldn’t see the guys doing that. But she didn’t want an answer regardless.
How the hell did assassins make bodies vanish, anyway? Acid? Graveyards? She’d wanted to ask Deacon but hadn’t yet summoned the courage. Dealing with his flirting, no problem. With his occupation? Best not to know some things. Yet for all that, she had never been scared of him.
Weird.
