ALTERED BY LEAD: UNDERCOVER SINNERS BOOK 2 by James Tate & Stunich C.M

Author:James, Tate & Stunich, C.M.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Foxy Publishing
Published: 2020-02-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Mace

A small, barely there smile touches my lips as I peel out of the Rogue Elk parking lot, gravel crunching under the Hummer's tires. There shouldn’t be a smile at all, but I can’t seem to help myself. This girl gets under my skin in the best of ways.

But she deserves better. Better than me. Definitely better than Hawke or Arsen. Even better than Colt or West. My plan today was going to be to tell her about the bet, even at the risk of infuriating Hawke. Looking at her face this morning, I have a feeling she already knows.

She’s been waiting for someone to tell her, hasn’t she? And I’ve been skulking in the shadows because I’ve suddenly developed a conscience. I don’t like lying to her. I don’t like Hawke’s bet, but I’ve always been a good soldier, always followed orders. Natalia makes me want to disobey them.

"I hope Colt feels better soon," Natalia says, frowning down at her hands while she picks at her thumbnail. "I feel a bit responsible."

I need to bite my tongue at this comment. "You didn't force him to drink tequila on top of pain meds, Talia. He's a grown ass man and perfectly capable of saying no, if he wanted to." I shoot her a quick look, taking in the perfect lines of her face, that sassy little nose and rosebud mouth. Fuck, I don't blame Colt for taking whatever she handed him and smiling all the while.

I’ve been avoiding her because I felt she deserves better, because I wasn’t sure I could control myself around her. Clearly, that moment in the kitchen proves that I can’t. But I’m now certain that I’ve just been going about it the wrong way.

Instead of avoiding her, I should be pursuing her, making her mine, pushing the others—especially Arsen—to the sidelines. Instead of avoiding her because I don’t feel worthy, I should be making myself a better man.

“Something wrong?” Natalia asks after I’ve been silent for too long. Another thing I need to work on: learning to use my words. She reaches out a small hand and places it on the back of one of mine, sending violent shocks of need through me. If I weren’t driving …

"Nothing," I mutter back. She makes me so nervous, and I can't find the words to bullshit away the grimace that crosses my face. Fuck, now she probably thinks I'm going to dump her in the middle of nowhere as a survival test or some shit. Sounds like something Hawke would cook up in his current mood.

She huffs a sigh, propping her face on her hand as she looks out the window. "Whatever, Mace."

Her words are quiet, but the bitter undertone cuts me to my core.

I know I've been fucking it all up. I know this. But every time I go to talk to her, to explain everything that's been going on and try to give reasons why I've been such a cold, distant bastard, I freeze up.

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