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He looked at Jace and he saw someone too soft and sweet for this life. He saw someone who’d never had anyone in his corner. He saw the bruises and how Jace pretended they weren’t there. He never made a fuss or complained. He knew it would only get him on Ronin’s bad side and he was there often enough already.
Jace looked at him as if Ares was safe. He wasn’t. He really fucking wasn’t, but he’d be Jace’s safe space when he needed it, because he selfishly loved when Jace looked at him with pure trust in those hazel eyes.
CHAPTER FIVE
Jace
BEING A full-patch member of the Henchmen didn’t change how Ronin treated him. He’d stupidly thought that maybe, just maybe, it would change something. Anything. It hadn’t. The only thing that had really changed was that no one questioned it when he hung around Ares and Diesel.
He took advantage of that every chance he got. He wasn’t sure about Diesel, but he definitely felt safe with Ares. He knew Ares was looking out for him even if Ares did his best to pretend he wasn’t. It definitely wasn’t helping him suppress the crush he had on him. Quite the contrary, really.
Ares was… incredible.
He was probably the hottest guy he’d ever met. Ruggedly handsome. That’s how he would describe him. Those dark blue eyes always sent a shiver through his whole body when Ares looked at him with that soft smile he knew was only for him.
Ares was always kind and patient with him.
The sound of Ares’ voice had his heart jumping. He didn’t even hear what Ares was saying. He was too busy looking at the man as he walked into the room, his smile wide as he talked to Griff.
He felt eyes on him and glanced over his shoulder to find Diesel watching him with a curious look in his eyes. He hurried to look away. He didn’t want Diesel to look too closely.
“Alright. Let’s see it,” Diesel said, walking up to Ares.
He knew Ares had gotten a new tattoo. He’d overheard Ares mentioning that he was getting something done yesterday.
Ares grinned at Diesel and lifted up his shirt. Jace nearly died right then and there because those abs were literally to die for. Jesus. Ares had no right to look that hot. He ran his gaze across Ares’ chest, praying he wasn’t drooling ‘cause that would go over well with the others.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw the word tattooed across Ares’ ribs. Trust.
He looked up and found himself caught in Ares’ eyes, something almost magnetic keeping him from looking away. He could spend eternity getting lost in that blue.
A part of him was delusional enough to believe that tattoo had something to do with him. With them. As if there even was a ‘them.’
“You wanna go get something to eat?”
He was snapped out of Ares’ trance by Meghan, Razor’s old lady. She was watching him with her brows raised and it took him a moment to realize what she’d said.
“Oh. Uh. Yeah.”
She narrowed her eyes, then glanced toward Ares for a second before looking back at Jace. She gave him a knowing look that had him clearing his throat and grabbing her hand to drag her out the door.
They had never spoken about it, but she’d known about his crush even before he had. He’d never said the words out loud. Mostly because he’d be a dead man if anyone overheard, but also because… it would make it too real. Keeping his feelings to himself meant that he could pretend that Ares was just a friend. That way, he wouldn’t go and get himself hurt, because there was no way Ares was into him. No way. Except doubt and hope started to creep in whenever Ares looked at him like he did right then as Jace walked past him and their gazes clashed together, something almost dangerous in Ares’ eyes and yet, all it did was set Jace’s whole body on fire.
He had to keep telling himself that there was no attraction on Ares’ part, because if he started to believe that Ares might like him even just a little bit, it would make everything so much harder. Having something he wanted so desperately just dangling in front of him, so close, and not being able to reach it? It would be torture. He didn’t need any more of that in his life.
CHAPTER SIX
Ares
HE CURSED under his breath as he walked into the wooded area behind the club. He was fed up with Ronin. Ever since Ronin had killed Gears and declared himself president of the Henchmen, things had only turned from bad to worse.
Ronin was undercutting him. He was keeping secrets. He was starting to trust Ares less and less. Not that he truly believed Ronin ever trusted him. The only reason Ronin hadn’t taken him out along with Gears was because he needed someone who could rein in the guys who hadn’t been in on it with Ronin.
He’d felt something brewing in the days leading up to it and he regretted not doing more than warning Gears the day before. He should’ve fucking known Ronin would do something like that. He was that kind of crazy.
Moe had tried to walk away after, so Ronin had put him down, too. He’d set quite the precedent. No one got to leave. Not while Ronin was in charge.
He was fucking done with it all.
