"You're still showing me your favorite movie."
She tips her head back to squint at him. "You're not paying attention. Neither is Kaenon. So far, Asher is the only person who's going to remember anything about it."
"I'm going to remember that it's a bunch of horny dipshits running around and not communicating anything even though they have every chance to," the mercenary huffs. "Why do they make romance look so fucking complicated and painful?"
Heidi laughs and finally extracts herself from Zak's lap to stand in front of me, clearly nervous but happy to see me. She looks me over appreciatively.
"You look good in a hoodie."
"Thanks. Feel free to steal it later."
Her eyes sparkle at that idea. "Idolike stealing hoodies."
I know. I already plan on burning a couple tucked away in the back of Heidi's closet that I know for a fact belonged to one of her exes. I doubt she even remembers that they're in there or where she got them from—but from now on, she's only wearing our hoodies.
"Where were you? Hunting?" she asks.
She's still not used to being around legacies, so it makes me indescribably happy that she's already being so mindful about my diet with no judgment at all.
"That, and running a few errands," I shrug.
Heidi's gaze narrows as she rocks forward and back on her feet a few times, considering. I wonder if she realizes that when she rocks playfully like this, her tits jiggle slightly in a way that makes it pretty fucking impossible not to stare directly at them.
I just barely manage, but the three other guys in here are mesmerized. Not a single person in this room is watching the TV anymore.
"Did any of these errands have anything to do with my ex-boyfriend?" Heidi checks, suspicious.
"Nope."
There's no way in the world I am ever telling my sweet ray of sunshine everything I made that guy do to himself. In the end, I left him alive, though he'll probably live in a long-term mental health facility for the rest of his pathetic life, if he survives the recovery.
It's no less than a serial cheating, self-absorbed detriment to society like him deserves. Especially since he could have gotten my girl badly hurt or even killed today.
I can tell from her expression that Heidi doesn't really believe me, but her attention drops to my mouth for a split second. If my heart could beat again, it would be going wild at that slight hint of what's on her mind.
She quickly looks away, back at everyone else in the room. "Okay, I know this will break Asher's heart because he's enjoying this romcom so much?—"
"Every single character in it has the emotional intelligence of a spoiled kindergartener with way too much fucking time and money on their hands," the bounty hunter grumbles.
"Do not insult her favoritemove-ee," Kaenon scowls. "Heidi must enjoy it for good reason."
"In his defense, I mostly enjoy trashy movies," she admits, turning off the TV before facing us again. She chews her lip before exhaling in a whoosh. "Okay, I'm just going to say it. Kaenon mentioned that you guys kind of decided you all…belong to me. Or something."
None of us is about to deny it.
In fact, Kaenon and Zak are both nodding in agreement. Asher acts like he's checked out of this conversation, as if he's still trying to keep up the facade of maintaining professionalism as her bodyguard—but I'm pretty sure he's a hair's breadth away from snapping if she rocks on her feet one more time.
When Heidi's attention moves to me, a question on her face, I smile softly.
"I've belonged to you for a while now, Sunshine."
"But…how?" she frowns. "We haven't seen each other in almost a decade, Ian."
Deciding this is the right moment to get some things off my chest, I take Heidi's hand—relishing in the way her emotionscourse over me at once—and lead her out of here for some privacy, onto the back porch.
33
IAN
