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I barely heard her apology. My gaze had landed on Wolfe Hale. He stood across the room chatting with a small group. In a black suit, shirt open at the collar, he looked damn fine. Although he always had. His dark hair was short and trendy. The smile that lit up his face as he spoke warmed my belly across the distance. Still handsome as ever.
Feeling my heavy stare, he glanced over, catching me in the act. Knowing it was too late to look away and pretend I hadn’t been ogling him, I offered Wolfe a small smile. He was the only one of the four men that I’d remained in touch with over the years. I’m sure the knowledge would have sent Maddox into a tailspin.
Wolfe excused himself from the group and headed toward me. My heart picked up pace as nerves gripped me. Even though we’d kept it touch, it had only been once a year. On my birthday. I didn’t know what to say to him now.
Spying the approaching Wolfe, Rumer mumbled something about going outside to smoke a joint before disappearing into the throng. I stepped away from the buffet table, gripping my glass with a clammy hand as I drained its contents.
“Well, if it isn’t the beautiful Maven Hart.” Wolfe bowed in dramatic fashion, sliding me an impish grin. “Goddamn, you’re a vision. You haven’t changed a bit.”
My cheeks warmed as my smile grew wider. “It’s nice to see you too, Wolfe. It’s been a long time. How’ve you been?”
“Can’t complain. My night definitely just got a lot brighter. What brings you back to town?” Hazel eyes gleaming with intrigue, Wolfe plucked the empty glass from my hand and placed it on a passing server’s tray before grabbing a new one.
I accepted the fresh drink with a nod, wary of answering his question. “It felt like time to come back. My folks have been bugging me to come see them for a while.”
If Wolfe had any idea that I hadn’t volunteered the whole truth, he didn’t let on. “They’re not the only ones who’ve missed you. I hope you plan to stay. The city isn’t the same without you, Butterfly.”
His gaze dropped to my arm, searching for the tattoo I’d never removed. He’d also chosen his forearm for his Hale ink. We’d all been tattooed at the same time. It felt like a lifetime ago.
The open white shirt Wolfe wore gave me a tantalizing peek at his chest and the ink that disappeared from sight beneath his clothes. I remembered the howling wolf above his heart. It flashed me back to the last time we slept together. Before the worst night of my life.
It had started with the two of us outside by the pool at the Hale house. It had ended with Maddox coming home early and joining us. Nothing beat being filled with the two of them at the same time. If only I’d known it was the last time I would touch either of them like that.
Ignoring the nickname he’d always called me because of the blue butterfly tattoo on my ankle, I said, “I doubt the city noticed my absence at all. Tell me about you and Ace. I hear you two have really made a name for yourselves around here.”
“I guess you could say that. We didn’t really have a choice.” Wolfe offered me a partial shrug, like he didn’t want to get into the split with his brother. Holding my gaze, he said, “Look, Maven. I need you to know how sorry I am for what happened to you that night. If I could go back and do it all over again, I’d never have let Maddox leave the house the day of the funeral.”
Being the older sibling came with responsibilities that weren’t ours to manage. Like our younger siblings. I understood why he felt the need to apologize, but it wasn’t his fault.
“You don’t have to do that, Wolfe. Don’t apologize for him. I don’t blame you for what happened.” I sipped my champagne, finding myself calm in Wolfe’s presence. He was so unlike his brother.
He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by Ace who approached from behind. A strong arm slid around my shoulders, pulling me against a warm, hard body. A spicy citrus cologne surrounded me with the scent of Ace.
“Hey, Bright Eyes. It’s fucking good to see you. Did you miss me?” Ace pressed a loud kiss to my cheek before taking a drink from the highball glass he held. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief that spread to light up his face.
Dressed a little more casual than Wolfe, Ace wore suit pants and a white shirt open at the collar, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. One forearm was completely covered in ink, disappearing into a full sleeve of tattoos beneath his shirt. A rabbit wearing a magician’s hat, a four leaf clover, and a rose with bloodstained thorns were just a few of the images that stood out.
“Of course I did,” I answered honestly, unable to keep the smile off my face in his presence. Immediately comfortable in Ace’s company, I brushed a lock of short but shaggy blond hair off his forehead. “Your hair is longer now. I like it.”
Ace had always been the kind of guy one could go to when they needed a laugh or lighthearted moment. I hadn’t realized how much light he brought to my world until it was gone. Each of the guys had brought something different to my life. Ace’s lighthearted nature balanced out the heaviness of Maddox’s darkness. How they all managed to exist without each other, I didn’t know.
“Dance with me?” Ace asked, nodding to the far end of the ballroom where a band played for dancing partygoers. “I want to get a good look at you. Damn, look at these pipes.”
He playfully squeezed my bicep before passing his drink to Wolfe who rolled his eyes and accepted mine too. When I didn’t protest, Ace slid an arm around my waist and whisked me to the dance floor.
This was how a reunion should go. Good vibes and a genuine joy at seeing one another. Maddox could learn a lot from these guys. Too bad he’d cut them loose. Too bad his shitty ego had lost him all three of us.
CHAPTER TWELVE
WOLFE
I watched Ace guide Maven around the dance floor, leaning in to speak close to her ear. The man was a lush and a flirt. Not that I blamed him for wanting a few moments alone with her. Surrounded by people at some pretentious shindig wasn’t exactly how I’d expected to see her again after all this time.
Still beautiful as ever, Maven had no trouble holding me captive. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as Ace dramatically dipped her. She threw her head back, a carefree laugh spilling out that I couldn’t hear due to the music and raised voices. Try as she might to project a tough front, Maven’s eyes held the truth. She still carried the pain of that night.
Did Maddox know she was back? Probably not, otherwise the egomaniac would have her locked away in his house so she could never leave him again. My brother had gone down the slippery slope of madness after Maven left. We all knew he’d been the one to drive her away. Even though he’d never admit it, her absence gutted him. From what I’d seen, his drinking had increased as had his violent activity. The guy needed to deal with his shit.
A woman I didn’t recognize approached, thanking me for helping with her cheating ex-husband. As she spoke, it started to come back to me. It had been nothing to make a few calls that resulted in the emptying of his bank accounts. There were many things I could arrange for the right price.
