Chapter 298

“Wait, seriously?” Ben asks, leaning forward and giving Tony a friendly shove on the shoulder. “I thought assassin track was a myth!”

“You’re supposed to think it’s a myth!” Tony says, laughing and turning towards Ben. “That’s how it stays a secret.”

“Wait, so, what do you do all day?” I ask, leaning forward towards him, fascinated. “You just learn to…kill people?”

“It’s like being somewhere between Warrior and Espionage,” he says, turning his eyes back to me, “but with less studying and more fighting. After all, you’re being trained to sneak into places and steal information; I’m just trained to sneak in and kill.”

“And should we be worried about that?” Rafe says, folding his arms across his chest and further narrowing his eyes at Tony. “An assassin in our midst?”

“Nah, I’m a patriot,” Tony says, turning to Rafe with a shrug. “I’m on your side – you can check with the Captain if you want. They put me through all kinds of interrogation and personality tests before teaching me how to sneak around with a dozen knives hidden on my person.”

“A dozen?” Jackson asks, turning to Tony with surprise and letting his eyes slip over his person, clearly wondering where they all are.

“He’s only got pockets for ten,” Daphne says, dry.

“Hey, I can put two in one pocket,” Tony says, laughing and grinning her way.

I turn and smile at Daphne, sitting up straight. “Can you put some in my uniform?”

“Sure,” she says, laughing with a shrug. “That will be fun – and in your other clothes too, for when you’re a spy out in the world.”

Conversation loosens then, breaking out into smaller groups as Daphne and I discuss possibilities for hidden pockets in ballgowns. The boys pour over the results a little bit more, going over the fine details of the rap sheet, and we all eat the mountains of food on the coffee table and that keep coming up in the dumbwaiter. Luca keeps all of our little paper cups liberally filled with whiskey and the evening passes warmly, with lots of laughter and celebration.

A little later in the evening I light the fire, standing up and grinning at the little flame that I lit all by myself, without Jackson’s power bolstering me. I sigh happily, looking around at my friends sprawled about in little groups, talking. Rafe and Daphne are on the couch, having a friendly chat, while the rest of the boys gather on the floor talking about…whatever the hell boys talk about. Luca separates himself from the group and comes over to me by the fireplace, bringing the bottle of whiskey and pouring a little more into the cup I raise up to him.

“Very proud of you,” he says, slipping an arm around my shoulder, giving me a squeeze.

“I’m proud of you too!” I say, grinning up at him. “I saw the details, you know, and even though everyone’s making a fuss out of me and Tony getting the most kills you crossed the largest amount of distance in the fastest time.”

“Yes,” he says, fighting his proud smile and tightening his arm. “I am fast, like lightning.”

“Like a gazelle,” I sigh, leaning against him.

“Gazelle…that’s not sexy,” he murmurs, and I laugh when I look up, seeing him frown. “I’d rather be lightning.”

“Lightning’s not sexy either,” I say, waving a hand to dismiss the point. “But, I’m proud of you. I mean, yours actually took skill – I just laid on my belly and let the rifle do its work.”

“Ah, don’t do that, gorgeous,” Luca says, planting a little kiss on the side of my head. I send a little anxious glance Jackson’s way, knowing that we promised these displays of affection wouldn’t happen, but his back is turned so…I guess it’s all right.

“What do you mean?” I ask, frowning up at my mate.

“I mean that you’re underplaying your skill,” he says, shaking his head at me. “You’ve been working your ass off getting good at that rifle, and you’re naturally a good shot. None of the rest of us could have done that. So…accept the praise, and the ranking. You earned it, top girl.”

I blush a little, looking down at my cup, quite pleased at the idea. “Thanks, Luca,” I say, chuffed and happy.

“No problem, fancy little shrimp.” The dumbwaiter bell rings again – honestly, what else could it be? Luca hands me the bottle of whiskey. “Here, you take this – I’ll check on that.”

I do as he says, holding the whiskey bottle as he walks away, letting my eyes lightly drift over his rather stunning form as I do. Luca he is…well. When he walks like that, it’s very difficult to take your eyes away.

Ben turns towards me and gives Tony a nudge, nodding my way. Tony nods eagerly and gets up with Ben, both grabbing their whiskey cups and coming over to me.

“Are we offering refills, highness?” Ben asks, leaning against the fireplace next to me and holding his cup out.

“Only in exchange for pledges of lifelong loyalty,” I say with a haughty sigh. He laughs and offers his cup, accepting my terms, so I fill it. Tony does the same, leaning against the mantle with one hand and looking out towards our friends.

“Good little club you’ve got going here,” he murmurs, looking around at everyone. “Very cozy and high spirited group, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I say with a happy sigh, looking around at them all. “Good looking, too.”

Tony flashes a grin at me and nods.

“Speaking of which,” Ben says, lowering his voice and leaning in conspiratorially, even as he keeps his eyes on Tony. “You’re going to want to keep an eye on how much you hit on Daphne around Rafe. I mean, I know it’s all in good fun, but…”

“Are they like, together?” Tony asks, peering over at my brother and Daphne who are still chatting idly, if not a little awkwardly.

“She dumped him,” I say on a sigh, making Tony snap his head back to me, his eyebrows raised. “And he is…not over it.”

“Look how hard he’s trying,” Ben says on a sigh, shaking his head. “It’s just…I don’t think the chemistry is there between them.”

“Bummer,” Tony murmurs, nodding along.

“So, yeah,” Ben continues, looking back at Tony again. “Unless you want to incur some Sinclair wrath…”

“Oh, nah, it’s no big deal,” Tony says with a grin. “I was just having fun with it – it’s been awhile since I was around a pretty girl and –“

I huff in protest, standing up straight, making Tony burst out laughing and give me a friendly little shove.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Ari,” he says, shaking his head at me, “you’re a whole different category of forbidden. Though don’t think I’m not enjoying the way Luca Grant reacts every time I do this.” He slips an arm around my shoulders and Luca, true to form, does indeed narrow his eyes at Tony, his teeth flashing as he makes his second trip back from the dumbwaiter with a couple of gallons of ice cream on a tray in his hands.

Ben and I laugh along with Tony, who drops his arm from my shoulders and gives me a wink.

“Wait, but,” I say, frowning up at my lanky, dark-haired friend. “You don’t think Daphne is cute?”

“I think she’s beautiful,” Tony says, looking down at me, quite serious. “But, like you, she’s way too nice.”

I squeak in protest, pressing a hand to my heart before I realize that that…may have been a compliment. “Excuse you, Davis,” I growl, giving him a tiny shove. “I am very murderous and cruel.”

“Yeah right, Ariel, you’re a doll,” he says with a smirk. I turn my shocked expression to Ben, who gives a sad little shrug of confirmation.

“What’s wrong with being nice!?” I protest.

“Nothing,” Tony says, beaming at me. “I just like ‘em mean. Adds a level of spice to the relationship – I’m just not interested if I’m not half worried that she’s going to bite my head off.”

I laugh, leaning back against the stones of my fireplace and smiling between my two friends. “Well then Daphne’s out, lucky for Rafe,” I say with a happy sigh, looking back towards the group. “Because she’s a doll too.”

“Lucky girl,” Tony murmurs, taking a long sip of his whiskey. “Though I’m not sure Rafe is the only Sinclair she needs to worry about.”

I whip my head up to Tony, wondering if he can have already intuited in a single evening what I’ve been suspecting for a long time.

Ben catches my eye and gives me a smirk, letting me know that he thinks that Tony probably has.