Chapter Twenty-Seven
Addison
Loxley is giving me the third degree, and I feel like I’m going to combust under her scrutiny.
“If you keep staring at me, I’m going to punch you. Married woman or not, I was your number one first.” I push her shoulder teasingly, and she crosses her arms.
I still can’t believe she’s married!
Atlas is a total psychopath, but he treats her well if everything she told me is true. She really is living out our wildest book fantasies.
“You had me worried sick about you,” she fusses lightheartedly.
“It’s not my fault he kidnapped me,” I joke, but it falls flat as my friend sighs.
“I know that. I would never blame you for what Rowan did, but you can’t fault me for being angry with him.”
My shoulders curl forward as I turn to her. “No, I don’t blame you for being angry with him, but I gave him enough hell for the both of us.”
She finally cracks a smile. “I knew you would. I want details.”
Alana takes a long sip of her mojito, humming in approval. “Same. I need to know what you did to this man.”
“Have you seen the ass of his jeans?” I ask with a smirk.
Rowan passes by the bar, and both women watch him before Alana chokes on her drink and Loxley slaps a hand over her mouth.
“You did not!” My best friend wheezes.
“That’s golden!” Alana praises.
“All of his jeans look like that now,” I say proudly. “I may have also covered his monitor in stickers and scrapbooked in one of his precious encyclopedias.”
Loxley loses all composure as tears well in her eyes. She squishes me to her in a crushing hug. “Are you okay?”
I smooth a hand over her back, my eyes connecting with Rowan’s across the bar. Everything centers on him, and I smile bashfully. “Yeah. I’m more than okay.”
Loxley releases her hold a little as her eyes rake over me. “What happened? Are you two…”
“Together?” I ask.
“We’re curious,” Alana says.
“Yeah,” I blush, my heart slamming like a drum. “We are.”
“Are you happy?” Loxley prods with a stern expression.
“I am.” Saying it feels so freeing. No stress of the what-ifs. I’m letting this mature and grow on its own without worry for once, because Rowan makes me feel…secure. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this sure about someone, and while it’s all new, I can’t imagine anyone else.
Maybe my heart knows he’s it for me.
“Okay,” Loxley relents. “I’m still angry at him, but I’m happy you found someone. If he hurts you—”
“He won’t,” I reassure Momma Loxley. “Now let’s get fucking wasted. We secured our designated drivers, and I’ve missed gin.”
“Hell yeah!” Alana shouts, two drinks deep, as she moves with the music and holds her empty glass up. She cuts her eyes across the bar at her boyfriend before he orders her another round. “You two need to catch up. Also, has anyone seen Thalia?”
“She was holding a knife to some guy earlier,” I shrug.
Loxley groans. “Someone should probably find her before she drains his blood and watches him die on the dance floor.”
“Or we can let her live a little,” I suggest with a smirk.
“I need a drink,” my friend grumbles before tossing a look over her shoulder at us.
“Watch how it’s done.” She saunters around the bar before cupping Atlas’s cheek and turning him to face her.
She runs her hand over his stubble, smiling as they have a low, heated conversation.
He nips at her lips before raising a hand to the bartender and ordering her a drink.
Loxley holds her mixed drink high as she squeezes back through the crowd with a triumphant smile. “I told him to keep them coming if he wanted to sleep in the same bed tonight. I still can’t believe he didn’t tell me a thing.”
Alana nudges me with her elbow. “It's your turn.”
They don’t have to tell me twice before I head straight for Rowan. He turns in his chair as I approach, a thick brow lifted before I slide beside him.
“What are you plotting, Sunshine?” He purrs hungrily before brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I was sent here to sucker you into paying for my drinks,” I say coyly.
“No suckering required. What are you having?” He asks without hesitation.
“Gin and Tonic,” I beam before kissing his cheek. He grabs my chin before dragging my lips to his. The kiss we share is slow and possessive in every movement, and my body melts into him as I moan.
When he pulls away, he orders my drink before slapping a hand over my ass. “Have fun. We’ll be here.”
I take my glass from him, excitement buzzing through me as I rejoin my group.
“Here’s to our newest addition!” Alana raises her glass. “Welcome to the chaos.”
Loxley and I clink our cups with hers before we all drink. I catch a flash of long, dark hair in my peripheral vision before we all turn to see Thalia hunting down her victim through the crowd as he pushes people out of the way.
“Someone should probably stop her,” Alana says.
“Probably,” I agree.
“I’m on it,” Loxley sighs before reaching out and snagging the back of Thalia’s dress.
“Wait—” The assassin reaches for the man who slips away and ducks back into the throng. “Oh, come on!”
“We’re supposed to be having fun,” Loxley scolds.
“I am having fun,” Thalia argues as she fixes her dress and slaps my friend’s hands away.
“There won’t be any fun if you kill him,” Alana hisses. “I’m not helping you carry a body out of here.”
Thalia’s eyes trail to mine before I shake my head. “Don’t look at me. I’m not helping you.”
“And neither am I,” Loxley shrugs. “Get a drink, and be normal for once.”
The dark-haired woman grumbles before turning toward the bartender. “I’ll take a top-shelf whiskey. My name is Rowan Kingsley. I should have a tab open.”
The bartender narrows his eyes before getting to work pouring her drink. He slides it across the counter, and she takes it with a shit-eating grin.
I deadpan at her. “Seriously?”
“What?” She asks. “He’s my brother. I can torment him if I please. He owes me for staying quiet anyway.”
“You knew too?!” Loxley asks in disbelief.
“Guilty.” The assassin admits. “I offered my basement to Addie, but she didn’t bite.”
“Unbelievable,” Lox mumbles. “You’re all insane.”
“Not all of us,” Alana snorts. “Oh! Before I forget.” She shoves her hand between us, and we gasp at the massive rock sitting in her finger. The diamond is beautiful, catching the dim lights of the club as music pounds around us.
“Finally!” Thalia cries out. “I never thought you two would tie the knot.”
“When did this happen?” Loxley asks in excitement.
“After the whole South syndicate fiasco. Connor proposed again, and I couldn’t find a single reason to say no.
We’re both successful and exactly where we wanted to be in life.
Throw in a life-threatening situation, and I would have dragged him to the courthouse if I knew my parents wouldn’t throw a fit over not attending the wedding.
” Alana proudly observes the ring, turning it on her finger.
“We’re happy for you,” Lox says with a radiant smile. “This is something to celebrate!”
“You bitches will have to carry me out of here,” Thalia plots, a sinister gleam in her eyes.
“No, the guys will have to carry us out of here,” I correct.
They all agree before our night of fun really begins.
The drinks keep rolling, and I lose count of how many I finish as the songs blend together, and our heads buzz.
Alana and Loxley stick close to me, their smiles and laughter vibrant and alive as Thalia dips in and out of the crowd.
She’s still on her bullshit, but we don’t bother her as she experiences her fun for the night.
As the early morning hours roll around, I’m drunkenly propping my best friend up as we giggle uncontrollably. Alana is in just as bad shape, using the bar to hold herself up as she falls into a fit of laughter at Loxley hanging onto me like a lifeline.
“She’s wasted,” the intel expert guffaws.
Loxley’s head pops up, surprising both of us. “I’m not wasted, but I may vomit.”
“Oh,” I curl my lip, holding her at arm’s length.
She gives me a withering look. “I can still turn towards you.”
“Try me, Easy Bake,” I smirk.
She slaps a sloppy hand over my mouth, frowning. “Don’t make that a thing.”
“Too late,” Alana rolls her lips in, smothering her laughter.
“Alright,” comes an agitating, grating voice behind me.
I roll my eyes as the guys crowd around us like our sworn protectors.
Atlas is at the head of the group, his arms crossed, but a small smile on his face as he watches his wife.
“I think we’ve had enough tonight. Let’s get you home, Short Stack. ”
Loxley bunches the bust of my dress in her hand, clinging to me. “No, don’t let him take me!”
I shake my head, giving her a pouty face. “I’m sorry, my love, but you are, respectfully, shit-faced.”
She cries out as Atlas pries her hands off of me. “Don’t fight, baby. You’ll see her tomorrow.” He’s gentle with her as he lifts her into his arms bridal-style, and it makes my chest ache at the sight. In his embrace, she’s safe and comfortable. Something that makes me overjoyed for my friend.
Loxley wraps her arms around his neck before giving him a tipsy smile. “Hey, handsome.”
He smirks. “Hey there, pretty girl. Had fun?”
“Mhm,” she hums in delight. “Not as much fun as I’m going to have once you get me home.”
He chuckles. “We’ll see, Short Stack. How’s your stomach?”
“I’m pretty sure I’m gonna throw up,” she says ditzily.
He nods. “Yup. Let’s get you home.”
“Come on, gorgeous,” Connor says as he opens his arms for Alana.
She slinks off the counter before throwing her arms around his shoulders, and he lifts her effortlessly. “I have so much work to do.” She mumbles into his neck.
“Tomorrow,” he promises as he kisses her temple.
Rowan cocks a half-smirk before offering his arms to me.
I shake my head, spinning my finger in a circle. “I don’t think so. Turn around, Assassin Man. I want a piggyback ride.”
A weak cheer comes from Thalia as she stumbles off the dance floor. “Hell yeah! I want one too!”
“No,” Rowan barks at her. “You’re going home with Atlas and Loxley.”
“Oh, come on!” Thalia whines as Loxley reaches a weak hand out to her. Thalia takes it without argument, tucking my friend’s hand under her arm.
“Too loud,” Loxley frowns, her eyes closing.
“We’re going, baby,” Atlas reassures her before tugging Thalia along.
“See ya,” Connor calls as Alana groans into his neck.
“You came in separate cars?” I ask Rowan with amusement.
He shrugs. “We figured the night would end this way.”
I hop up on his back and wrap my arms around his neck. His hands come up behind me as he cups my ass. He’s subtle as he pulls my dress down, and covers my nearly exposed backside.
“Such a gentleman,” I purr before nipping at his ear.
He chuckles. “Can’t have anyone seeing my girl.”
My girl.
My heart slams as a breathtaking smile tugs at my lips. My arms tighten around his neck before I use my heels to smack his thighs. “Onward!”
He shakes his head, but I don’t miss the grin he’s sporting as he carries me out to the parking lot. I give one final wave to the girls before Lox cups her hands over her mouth and shouts at us.
“NICE PANTS, ROW ROW!”
There’s a whistle from Alana as Thalia cackles. I hear Atlas’s loud, booming laugh across the lot before Connor joins in.
“How… How did we miss that?” Connor wheezes.
“They look nice!” Atlas jokes. “I might need some matching ones with Short Stack’s initials.”
Rowan is holding his laughter in, but I can feel his shoulders shaking beneath me.
“These are originals. Nothing can beat them.” He calls back, sounding carefree.
It warms my chest as I place my hand over his heart to feel the rhythm of it beneath my fingers.
I commit it to memory, hoping mine beats just the same.
Rowan is a lot of things. He’s stoic, orderly, and sometimes an asshole, but he’s also kind and compassionate.
He feels deeply, even if those emotions are shoved away into the recesses of his heart.
He thinks he lost himself long ago, but I know that isn’t the truth, because the man holding me is someone special.
And I think he’s taken far more than me.
I think he’s stolen my heart, too.