Page 11 of Pretend Wife (Angels of the Secret Order #4)

I rolled my eyes at him but slid into the back seat. Hayden followed after me and slammed the door shut behind us.

“You remember Caleb?”

I met Hayden’s driver the night Hayden first kissed me, and I’d seen him many more times over the course of our yearlong relationship. Other than Miles, he was the only person in Hayden’s life I’d actually gotten to know.

“Of course. It’s nice to see you again, Caleb.”

“And you as well, miss.”

“From now on, he’s at your beck and call,” Hayden said. “He’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Don’t argue with me, Danielle. You’re about to be my wife, and I take care of what’s mine. I’m not going to leave you at the mercy of random Uber drivers. Not only does it make me look bad, but it’s something I would never do to the woman I love.”

His gaze dropped to my hands and his expression immediately darkened.

“Where’s your ring?” he demanded.

“I…” How was I supposed to answer that? I didn’t really care to tell him it was currently in my bra.

“Where the fuck is the ring, Sunday School?”

“I didn’t lose it or anything, so you can calm down.”

“I’ll calm down when it’s back on your finger where it belongs.”

“Fine. But I need you to not look at me for a second.”

His eyes narrowed. “That’s not happening.”

“You asked for it,” I muttered as I snaked a hand down the front of my dress and plucked the ring from between my breasts.

The way Hayden’s eyes widened was almost comical. I doubted that was the most scandalous thing he’d ever seen, but it was still fun to see the shocked look on his face.

“Do I even want to know the circumstances that led to that?”

“I didn’t want to explain it to everyone.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” His voice went so cold I had to fight the urge to shiver as chills skated along the back of my neck and down my spine.

“I just don’t want to deal with the questions, okay?”

“No, not okay.” Hayden grabbed the ring and slid it onto my finger for the second time that week. “I gave you this so that the entire world would know you’re mine. That doesn’t work if you take it off and hide it in your bra. Don’t do it again.”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re incredibly bossy?”

“Just keep the damn ring on,” he grumbled.

“Why do you care so much?”

“I assume all men care if their fiancées wear their engagement rings.”

“Yeah, but this isn’t exactly a normal engagement.”

He made a growly noise in the back of his throat. “ Normal is a highly overused word that has no real meaning. It’s completely arbitrary based on who uses it. I don’t give a fuck if this is temporary, you are mine for the next nine months.”

Hayden and I didn’t talk much after that. I spent the rest of the drive looking down at the rock on my finger and debating what to tell my friends.

When Caleb pulled to a stop outside Kylie’s apartment building, I practically bolted out of the car. I didn’t even bother making plans for how I was getting home. I’d figure it out later when I wasn’t stuck in a confined space with Hayden.

Everyone else was already sitting around the coffee table in Kylie’s living room when I walked in through the back door.

“Nice of you to join us,” Miles said, grinning up at me from his spot cross-legged on the floor.

“Sorry, I’m late. I had… a complication.”

“So what you’re really saying is that you should have taken me up on that ride I offered you.”

“Shut up. ”

He placed a hand over his heart and dramatically fell back like he’d been shot.

I rolled my eyes as I sat down beside him. “You’re such a drama queen.”

“You love me anyway.”

“What kind of complication?” Piper asked, a note of worry in both her tone and her aura.

“Just a ride mix-up.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t push for more details.

For a while book club was the same as normal. We talked about our favorite scenes, which characters we liked and which ones we would have liked to strangle. And I slowly relaxed, the tension from the car ride dissipating into nothing.

Until I got too comfortable and reached for my wineglass with my left hand.

“What the fuck is that?” Miles asked, grabbing my wrist so he could examine the diamond on my finger.

Dammit.

“Miles…”

“Who the hell are you engaged to, Dani?” Most of the time Miles was fun-loving and easygoing, but we’d been best friends for nearly two years—I knew he had a serious side that could be nearly as growly and cold as his brother’s.

I swallowed, glancing at the girls in a hopeless bid for help, but they all looked at me with the same expectant expressions.

“It’s not a big deal. The marriage is going to be temporary and on paper only.” At least that’s what I had to keep reminding myself.

“With who?” Miles gritted out at the same time Sierra asked, “Does Hayden know?”

I looked between the two of them and then sighed. There was no point in trying to hide the truth from them. “Yes, Hayden knows. I’m marrying him.”

“Back up,” Kylie said. “You’re marrying the asshole who broke your heart less than a year ago? No offense, Miles.”

“He didn’t break my heart.”

“Dani, you can lie to yourself all you want, but you can’t lie to us.”

“She’s right,” Miles said softly. “He hurt you.”

I tugged my hand out of Miles’s grip. “That was months ago. I’m fine. We’re just doing each other a favor.”

“What kind of favor?” Sierra asked, her emerald eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“I just told you. The kind that involves being temporarily married.”

“Are you sure about this?” Miles said softly. “Last time—”

“Enough.” Piper cut in with her mom voice, which made even angels obey her. “Everyone can keep their judgmental opinions to themselves for a moment.” She pinned me with a look that was both serious and compassionate. “Are you in trouble, Danielle?”

Well, that was a loaded question. I’d been in trouble for nearly two years—ever since a certain prince of Hell entered my life.

But that had nothing to do with my engagement to Hayden.

I wasn’t marrying him to protect myself.

I was doing it for Miles, and I wasn’t about to tell any of my friends that.

“It’s not like that,” I said.

“Then what is it like?” Miles asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” I told my best friend. “It’s just for nine months.”

“And then what?” he asked.

“I guess we go back to the way things were.”

“You mean you getting quiet anytime I mention Hayden’s name and him acting like an insufferable bastard all the time?”

“You called him insufferable when we were together too.”

“That’s not the point, Dani.”

I knew that. I was just trying to subtly avoid the point he was trying to make. Thinking about what would happen after our pretend marriage ended was futile. It wouldn’t change anything about the now.

Miles grabbed my hand again and gave it a light squeeze. “You know I love you both, and I want to see you happy. I feel like this plan could either be the best thing that happened to you guys or the worst.”

I gave him a tight smile. “Let’s hope it’s the former then.”

But I had a sinking feeling it was going to be the latter.