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Ashe snickers and opens the doors behind us. “Give your brother our regards?” he asks, brows raised. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of you soon.”
“Undoubtedly,” Deacon agrees, raising one hand to wave at us as we walk out. “Have a nice afternoon. Oh–and next time you come, could you tell me your favorite restaurants in the area? I’ve been on the east coast for too long, so I don’t know many–” Ashe shuts the door before he can finish, but I swear I can hear Deacon laughing from the other side of it.
I don’t speak until we’re outside when Isaac moves to put a hand around my waist. It’s then that I whirl on him, eyes blazing. “Why the fuck would you do that?!” I hiss, knocking his hand away.
Immediately Isaac looks confused, his brows knitting in a frown as he looks from Ashe to me. “Dowhat?” he asks finally. “You said you wanted to go–”
“Why did you show him the fucking tattoo?” I sneer. “I don’tbelongto you, Isaac. I’m not a fucking brandeddogor some shit.”
“No, but you don’t want them thinking you aren’t with us.” Ashe steps between us, one hand on Isaac’s chest before he can respond. “Stop,” he says to the other Lost Boy. “Take a walk. She didn’t know, but you should’ve asked beforehand.”
Isaac looks like he’s going apoplectic with indignant irritation. He looks between us and then snorts, turning instead to go to the car and resting his arms on the hood.
“He’sdangerous, Ari,” Ashe explains, running a hand through his black hair as we move further away from the door.
“Isaac? Noshit–”
“Deacon. Isaac would never hurt you, which you know. Deacon looks for cracks. He looks for ways in and ways he can get you on his side. If he thought for amomentthat you weren’t with us one hundred and ten percent, he would’ve started to find a way to get you onhisside instead.”
“I’d never be on his side. I don’t evenknowhim.”
“The Rogers are powerful motivators,” Ashe shrugs. “I don’t know you well enough to know how he’d try to twist your perception of us. Or how he’d try to get you with him instead. But I know he’d do it. I’ve seen him do it before.”
“It’s still…” I trail off, sucking a breath. “I can’t be with you guys if you don’t respect me,” I say finally, and I hate how soft the words come out. “Or if you think you actuallyownme.”
“Oh?” Ashe quirks a brow and reaches out to tilt my chin upward with two fingers. “What’s so bad about usowningyou, Ari, when we just want to take such good care of you and show you just how fond we are of you?”
It’s not fair when he does that because it makes me want to lose the grip on my frustration. I push his hand away, shaking my head again. “Knock it off,” I tell him, but the words have so little heat in them that it’s barely worth it. “I said what I said, and Imeant it.”
“I’m sure you did.” He looks back at Isaac, who’s muttering something, though I can’t tell what. “Now, figure out if you’re mad at him or not, so I know how many people are coming to lunch, all right?”
As I get out of the car and see Ashe ruffling his hair near the door, posing like he expects a photographer to show up and start snapping shots, I snort.
“What are my chances of getting to ride on the bike sometime?” I call as Isaac locks the door and follows me toward the door as well.
“Pretty high,” Ashe says, gaze flicking lazily to mine. “So long as I’m not obligated to take you back to your apartment.”
Isaac’s words about breaking into Ashe’s place to play with his shit flash through my brain, and I shake my head to push them away.
“And where would you take me?” I ask, unwilling to commit without knowing a little bit more. Or at least without something to convince me that going with him wouldn’t be some kind of mistake.
“Hmmm.” He combs his fingers through his hair again before putting it back up into a ponytail. “It’s not very fun if I tell you, is it? And don’t you like some adventure,Wendy Darling? You are in Neverland, after all. And aren’t we the feral, animalistic Lost Boys like the ones in the story?”
“I don’t think the boys in the story wereanythinglike all of you,” I assure him. “Except maybe for beingdelusionalwhen they think that theyownsomething.” I throw Isaac a baleful look that makes him pause and grin apologetically.
“Sorry, not sorry,” he hums, reaching out to draw me back against him. He wraps his arms around my waist, sighs, and buries his face in my hair so that he can inhale deeply, shoulders rising with the movement.
“I shouldn’t have let you shower,” he murmurs unexpectedly. “I like it when you smell like sex. Especially when I know that it’s because ofme.”
“Adorable,” Ashe comments before I can say a word. “Really, Isaac. Shall we put a collar and a leash on her so that you always know where she is?”
“Don’t encourage him.”
“He doesn’t need any encouragement,” Ashe says, jumping on my words. “You’ve done more than enough in that regard.”
“You’re just jealous she likes it when I break into her apartment,” Isaac retorts. “And jealous she rolls over like agood fucking girlso I can pin her to the bed and fuck her as she deserves.”
“We’re in public,” I point out mildly, hoping my cheeks aren’t as red as they feel. I shift in his grip and finally push away, going to the door. “I’m hungry,” I tell them both, pushing my black hair back over my shoulder.
