AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m in no way, shape, or form used to this kind of attention. Plus … “I really don’t like my photo being taken.”
“I get that, but I promise you’ll look beautiful in it.” He gives a short, calculating pause. “Plus, you can have a photo to look back on the first party you ever attended.”
“I’ve been to one before,” I remind him, shifting my weight self-consciously.
He frowns at that then hastily collects himself. “You’ll have fun at this one, I promise.”
I chew on my bottom lip. “I hope so. I’m kind of nervous. Not just because I’m going to be at a party, but a party that’s full of mafia offspring.”
Hunter points a finger at me, smiling. “Hey, we never use the term mafia.”
“Yeah, but I feel like that might be sort of aFight Clubthing,” I quip. “Like the first rule of being a mafia offspring is that you don’t talk about being a mafia offspring.”
He grins. So does Jax. Then Hunter’s smile fades into a contemplative look.
“I have an idea.” He glances at Jax, and Jax looks at him. They trade one of those indecipherable looks. “What do you think, man? Should we break the rules and risk pissing off big brother, or play it safe and risk being bored out of our minds?”
“Well, I don’t think we’d be bored out of our damn minds,” Jax clarifies. Then he pauses, tracing the tip of his tongue along his pierced lip, his gaze straying to me.
I can’t take it anymore. “Dude, what’re you guys talking about? Because I’m feeling really left out right now, and it’s not fun … And who the hell is big brother?”
Jax cracks a smile. “Zay.”
“Oh.” More puzzlement webs through me. “What’re you thinking of doing that will piss him off?”
“Whatwe’regoing to do,” Hunter corrects, glancing from me to Jax. “You in or out?”
Jax considers this, but not for long. “In. But you better make it quick. He'll be suspicious if he comes down here and can’t find us.”
A Cheshire-like grin spreads across Hunter’s face as he looks at me. “What do you say? Are you in, baby?”
I quirk a brow at him. “Why would I agree to that when I don’t know what I’m agreeing to?”
A playful taunt dances in his eyes as he lowers his arm from Jax’s shoulders and steps toward me. “That’s a valid point, for sure,” he says, reaching out and tracing his finger along my cheekbone. “However, I have this feeling that you’re the kind of girl who might take the risk without knowing what it is.” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “What do you say, little daredevil, you in or out?”
I know he’s trying to bait me, but I can tell—or hope, anyway—that it’s all for fun.
“FYI, I prefer daredevil Raven over pretty Raven,” I say then grin. “But yeah, I’m all-in.”
I take the bait, hoping I’m not making a mistake.
THIRTEEN
RAVEN
Once I agree to whatever the hell I just agreed to, Hunter slips his fingers through mine and tows me toward the stairs.
“Where are we going?” I wonder, trying not to stumble in my platform shoes.
“To have fun.” Hunter throws me a smile over his shoulder as we reach the bottom of the stairs.
“You’re acting sketchy,” I point out as Jax steps up behind me and tangles his fingers with mine.
It startles the crap out of me. Not the fact that he’s holding mine hand—he’s done that a lot of times—but both of them are holding my hand. I almost feel like I’m getting in the middle again, and if Zay saw, he’d freak out. But pulling away seems like an asshole sort of thing to do.
Plus, I kind of like holding their hands, but that’s something I’m going to keep to myself.
We make our way up the stairs like that with Hunter in front, holding my hand, and Jax trailing behind me, his fingers tangled through mine. When we reach the top of the stairs, I peer over my shoulder at Jax. He’s already looking at me, and our gazes lock.
