Page 33 of Pretend Wife (Angels of the Secret Order #4)

TWENTY-FOUR

Danielle

I stared at my reflection in the mirror of what used to be my bedroom and now acted as my sewing/dressing room.

I was second-guessing the dress I’d picked for the luncheon today.

It was one of my favorites, made of a pale green silk with spaghetti straps and a high slit up the left leg.

I loved the way it looked on me, but I wasn’t sure if it was too risqué for a lunch with its steep vee that made even my practically nonexistent cleavage very noticeable.

For the most part, I’d gotten used to going to events and had become more comfortable with the spotlight.

Ever since the fiasco with Jacqueline three weeks ago, I’d stopped worrying about what the world thought of me or if they believed I belonged.

Hayden wanted me at his side, and I wasn’t going to let him face any of it alone.

But none of that newfound confidence was keeping me from second-guessing this dress .

Oh well, it was too late to change it now. I didn’t have another dress, and apparently wearing the same dress to multiple events was a big no-no.

Turning away from my mirror, I slid on a couple of bracelets and the watch Sam had given me my first Christmas as part of the secret order.

Hayden was waiting outside the door when I came out, looking handsome as ever in a tailored suit that fit him perfectly.

His eyes swept over me from head to toe and back up again, lingering on my chest for a few beats too long.

“Fuck me,” he groaned. “Are you trying to torture me?”

“That wasn’t really the goal. Do you not like it?”

“I like it way too much.” He took my hand in his and started to lift it toward his lips but paused with a frown, my hand suspended halfway between us.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where did you get this watch?”

I lifted my brows. “It was a gift from Sam.”

“So Sam’s allowed to buy you expensive presents, but I’m not?”

“Are you jealous that I’m wearing a gift from my brother?”

“Every time I try to buy you anything, you give me hell, but you don’t have a problem when the gifts come from someone else?”

“What do you call these?” I asked, pulling my hand from his so I could shove the engagement and wedding rings in his face .

“You tried to tell me those were too much.”

“They are! I don’t need your money, Hayden. I’m not with you so you can buy me things or take me to luxury restaurants. I never wanted a fancy lifestyle, and it was important to me that you know I wasn’t doing this for the money.”

“Doing this?”

“Agreeing to marry you. Loving you. I want you for you, not what you can buy me.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” I gave him an amused smile.

“Shut up,” he muttered, taking my hand again and pressing a kiss to the back of my fingers. “Let’s just get this lunch over with.”

Hayden’s friends—whom I recognized from our wedding and a number of holidays spent with Piper’s family—were both already there when we arrived at the lunch.

Orlando, Piper’s older brother, stood and walked toward us.

“Dani, you look lovely,” he said with a grin. “That dress is absolutely stunning.”

“Watch it, Amato,” Hayden growled, his hand curving around my hip with unmistakable possessiveness.

Orlando’s smile didn’t even dim. “I wasn’t talking to you, Hayden.” His gaze swept up and down my dress again. “I’m assuming this is an original? Can I commission you to make one for Isabelle?”

I could feel the flush spreading over my cheeks. “I would be more than happy to talk to her about it. ”

“Wonderful. She’ll be thrilled.”

“Speaking of your wife, where is she today?” Hayden asked.

“She should be here soon.”

“You didn’t come together?”

“Obviously not. She and Freddie’s wife were having some kind of girls’ night last night.” He pushed his lip out in an exaggerated pout, and I laughed.

“It could be worse,” Hayden said. “She could be best friends with your brother.”

Orlando’s face twisted into a horrified expression, and he gave a dramatic shudder.

The three of us walked to where Freddie sat at an otherwise empty table with six chairs around it.

“Danielle, it’s nice to see you again,” he said with a nod.

“You too.”

His gaze lowered to where Hayden’s hand was firmly settled on my lower back, and when he looked up again, he was smirking. “You look happy.”

“We are,” Hayden said, his tone more threatening than joyful.

“Would you stop?” I hissed under my breath.

“What?”

“You’re being excessive.”

“Excessive would be hiring a hit man to get rid of everyone in this room who’s been eyeing your breasts. Don’t tempt me.”

“Gosh, I can’t believe I fell for someone as crazy as my brothers. ”

“I don’t like people looking at what’s mine.” His words sent a thrill through me that probably should have been concerning. I’d always thought I was more levelheaded than the rest of my family, but I apparently liked possessive assholes just as much as my sisters-in-law.

“Try to behave,” I begged.

“What will I get in return?”

I gave him a bright smile. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Tease.”

“I never promised to play fair.”

“Does anyone else know you have an evil streak?”

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to punish me for it later.”

“Fuck, Dani,” he groaned.

Eventually the other women showed up, and Hayden relaxed a little bit.

The lunch was actually one of the most enjoyable events I’d been to since becoming Hayden’s wife.

I talked with Isabelle and Freddie’s wife about our jobs, dress styles we liked and whether we thought they’d look good on us, and plans for the future.

Both women were sweet with auras of warm, happy emotions around them.

Overall, the afternoon was a nice break from all the things I had to worry about. I did my best to soak up the girls’ happiness and positive emotions while I had the chance.

But all the time out in the world only delayed the inevitable.

I still had to set up a meeting with Hayden’s and my families to tell them about my deal with Beelzebub, and then it would be a matter of racing the clock to stop him before he could follow through on his threats.

And I didn’t even want to think about what the Blakes’ reaction would be to not only learning the truth but realizing I’d kept it from them for two years.

The idea of burying my head in the sand and pretending my house of cards wasn’t about to fall around me was tempting, but that house would fall, and hiding from that fact wouldn’t protect the people I loved from the destruction.

I had to choose honesty even if I ended up losing everything. It was the only way I’d have any hope of being free again.

“You’re late,” Sam said when I walked into the gym at Youngblood Tuesday afternoon.

“Sorry, I was working on something and lost track of time.”

“Working on what?” Sam’s eyes narrowed, and he studied me like he was trying to read my mind.

Thankfully, his ability to see souls didn’t include being able to read minds.

I wasn’t sure exactly what information he could see, but it was obviously limited since he’d never learned about my deal with Beelzebub.

“Just some research at the moment. I’ll let you know more after I talk to Micah.”

“You know if you need help, you can ask, right?” Nate said from his spot against the wall near the row of dummies. He was already shirtless, and his red wings extended proudly from his back. He looked ready for a fight, one that probably wasn’t going to end well for me.

“I know. And I will. I just want to talk to Micah first.”

He nodded. “Okay. Are you ready?” He pushed off the wall and dropped his gaze to my top and skirt, which left a strip of my stomach bare. “Please tell me you brought something to change into.”

I shook my head. “I don’t wear fighting clothes on a regular basis, so it makes no sense to train in them. If I have to fight a demon, I’m most likely going to have to do it in a skirt or scrubs.”

He sighed. “All right. Let’s do this.” He dropped to one knee on the mat in the middle of the room and pulled one of his knives from its holster in his combat boot.

Sam stood at the edge of the mats, still fully clothed in a button-down, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched us intently.

I let my own wings spread and reached for the bow strapped to my thigh. It took me precious seconds before my bow was extended, an arrow of heavenly fire poised to strike. I let the arrow fly, aiming for Nate’s shoulder where it would be easy to heal him.

Not that it mattered since he twisted out of the way, moving so fast he seemed to blur. Nate was born into the sixth order—he’d been bred to be a warrior—and his reflexes were much faster than the average angel’s.

He grinned at me as my arrow whizzed by him. “What else have you got, Dani?”

I cursed under my breath, knowing I had seconds, if that, before he reached me. I tried shooting him again, but I wasn’t surprised when he evaded the attack.

“Move back,” Sam said from the side, and I obeyed without thinking just as Nate’s knife sliced through the space where I’d been.

“Cheater,” Nate muttered.

“Watch for signs that he’s going to move,” Sam continued, ignoring Nate’s complaint. “Every second could be the difference between living and dying.”

“That’s very comforting,” I snapped, dancing back to put more distance between Nate and me.

“Stop running away, Danielle. You’re just going to let him back you into a corner.”

“So what do you suggest I do?” I gritted out, aiming another arrow. “Other than reading his mind and somehow knowing what he’s going to do next.”

Nate laughed as he moved out of the path of my arrow. “Come on, Dani, you’re going to have to face me at some point.”

I met his eyes and steeled myself for what was to come.

“Don’t worry about hurting me,” he said, dipping his head. “You know you can always fix me afterward if need be.”