Mave stifles a smile, and I relax, knowing I won’t have to pretend or lie to him anymore; knowing he’s here, and always will be. And, as selfish as it is, I’m glad about it, and him.
When he meets my eyes, I smile and mouth, “Thankyou,” to him.
He shakes his head. “You’re a menace,” he mouths back, making me chuckle.
Dorran nudges my shoulder with his. “Hey,” he says to me, then grins down at me.
I grin in return. “Hey.”
He bends to place a kiss on my lips. “You feel good, now that he knows everything?” he asks, nodding in Mave’s direction. “Or do you regret it?”
“It’s perfect,” I say. “I’m relieved, if that makes sense.”
“It does.”
“Thank you,” I tell Dorran. “For being patient and calm. I know it’s tough to trust people, especially someone who works for my uncle, but I’m happy you decided to take a chance today. It means a lot to me.”
“Come now, don’t go soft on me. He can still mess shit up, and when he does, I’ll be there, waiting to put an end to him.”
I raise a brow. “Ifhe messes up – which hewon’t.”
“Don’t be so damn sure about it. He’s only human.”
“And you–”
Someone clears their throat, making me look ahead.
It’s Mave, and the expression I notice on his face is one that’s very easy to decipher.
Envy.
I don’t know what to do with it, or how to counter it with something that might make it better.
When he sees me watching him, he quickly neutralizes his features, then looks at Dorran.
“I hope you know being with her has naturally put a target on your ass,” he says. “You can’t rest easy or get cocky; can’t even minutely trust Miranda to keep her mouth shut. She’s a fucking ticking bomb, that bitch, and Chase is just as vicious.”
Dorran puts an elbow on my shoulder and winks at Mave. “Oh, Iknow. This is, after all, just the beginning, and I’msoready to see what’s in store for me next.” He smirks down at me. “Forus, I mean,” he adds, then presses his lips to mine again.
The hard part is over – or at least I think it is. I could be wrong, though, but I won’t know what challenges await me until I actually step into the next phase. And even though it’s terrifying, I’m ready to see what the future holds for Dorran and I.
Part Two
38.
3 months later
Iduck in order to avoid getting punched by Jayce, slide under his arm, then turn around, just as he does, too, and jab him in the stomach.
His upper-body bends forward at the impact, and he hisses out a curse.
I tighten the tape around my palm and fingers as I wait for him to recover. “It’s beenmonths, Jayce,” I tell him, then shake my head. “You’ve gotta stop going easy on me. I know for a fact you could have stopped that blow. Come on, man; just fuckin’ let itgo.”
We’re both panting from being at it for over an hour now, and the sweat coating my body is just as inconvenient as Jayce’s stubbornness towards…well, letting it go.
He straightens, and the flickering overhead lights in the underground gym throw a brief spotlight on his hardened features.
“I dunno what you’re talking about,” he says a little hoarsely, then clears his throat before resuming his fight stance.
