Page 30 of Deceptive Games

“Their job is to be polite to me, I don’t get paid to be nice to them. You can’t be fine, or you wouldn’t be here.”

“Is it that hard to believe I just wanted to get out of the house for the night?” I asked dryly as Lukas walked closer.

“Honestly? Yes,” Lukas muttered, boldly grabbing my chin to inspect my face. “What happened?” I batted his hand away with a scowl, and he snagged my wrist gently, his eyes on mine. “Relax.”

“Stop touching me then.” His hand instantly dropped and he took a small step back. “Nothing happened, I honestly just wanted to get out of the house. Skeet’s busy with Captain Asshole, and I don’t have many other options. I was sparring at the Shed this morning, so any marks on my face are from that.”

“I’m glad you messaged me,” Lukas said with a smile as Jensen wandered to the cupboard and grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

“Anyone want to swim and drink?” he asked, a snort leaving me.

“How do rich pricks live so long? You think drinking in the pool is a good idea?”

“I think one or two won’t hurt.”

“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”

“Just swim naked.”

“I’m getting deja vu,” I mumbled, noticing Lukas looking uncomfortable at that idea too.

I snatched the bottle from Jensen’s fingers and started walking outside, ignoring him as he muttered something about my ass.

Once I’d chugged some whiskey, I placed it on the small table by the pool and tugged my shirt over my head, shimmying out of my pants and leaving them in a pile on the ground. I was more covered in my underwear than I would’ve been in a bathing suit anyway.

I grabbed the bottle again and moved towards the pool, dropping down onto the edge and sliding in.

The cool water was almost shocking to my heated skin, but I didn’t react. It felt nice.

“You sure you’re okay?” Jensen asked as he sat on the edge in his boxers, my eyes absently wandering his bare abs and making his mouth quirk into a smile. “Don’t look at me like I’m a piece of meat unless you’re going to eat me.”

“I’m still pissed at you.”

“I know, and I’m still sorry,” he replied as he carefully slid into the pool beside me. I thought he was going to keep talking about it, but he started swimming laps, ending the conversation.

Lukas took the bottle from me as he slid in, taking a large mouthful before handing it back.

“Did you at least let Josie know where you are?”

“I left a note to say I was staying at a friend’s.”

“Good. I know you’re not used to a caring parent, but she really worries about you. Holloway said Skeet spent the night with you,” he said lightly, but I could tell it bothered him.

“Yeah, he snuck in late after you left.”

“Can you promise me something?”

“Probably not.”

He sighed, raking a wet hand through his hair. “Be careful. I can tell Skeet cares about you in a weird way, but he has a lot of enemies. It’s easy to get sucked into his lifestyle with the illusion of being protected.” He reached out and gently took my wrist in his grip to pull me closer, my hand shooting out to press against his chest to keep some distance between us while the other that was in his grip held onto the bottle. “I will do everything I can to make sure you’re safe, but I’m not stupid enough to think I can go up against someone with a gun.”

His eyes searched mine and I relaxed a little, taking the whiskey in my other hand to down some before offering it to him.

“Remember when we’d sneak out at night as kids and sit on the edge of my pool?” I asked softly, his eyebrow raising.

“I remember you pushing me in once or twice,” he chuckled as he released my wrist, sliding his arm around me to keep me afloat. “You were always a better swimmer than me back then.”

“Probably because I spent all my time outside in the pool to avoid hearing Mom and Max fight,” I said with a shrug, glancing over my shoulder to find Jensen watching us silently from his spot on one of the ledges. I hadn’t even heard him pull himself out of the water. “I bet the golden boy over here came out of the womb knowing how to swim.”