Next to her, Allecto is wearing a variation of her normal outfit—dark jeans and a dark purple tank top with boots that I have no doubt are steel-toed. Allecto likes to be prepared for anything.
Tink props her hands on her hips. “So, are you coming or what?”
“Yes, I’ll join you.”
“Good, then let’s get going.” She glances around the room. “Hook made some dire comments about me being on my best behavior, and while I kind of doubt he’ll crash ladies’ night, I also wouldn’t put it past him to show up and drag me off somewhere semi-dark.” Her sharp grin goes a little dreamy.
Something like jealousy sinks barbs into my chest. I am so incredibly happy that my friends have found happiness, but a small part of me can’t help that I also feel bad about it. They have something I don’t know if I’ll ever have. How can I? I’d have to let someone close enough to touch my heart, and I’ve long since grown a carefully curated wall of thorns around it. Friends are risk enough. But loving someone? It hurts too much to lose them. I don’t ever want to feel that way again.
Jafar strides up. He gives Tink and Allecto a quick business-like once-over and turns his attention on Jasmine. “Two of our men will meet you at the elevator. They’ll bring you home once you’re done.”
“See, that wasn’t hard at all.” She rises and he pulls her into his arms and lays a kiss on her that has all of us groaning dramatically.
Then Jafar is gone, stalking across the room and disappearing out the door. From the look on Jasmine’s face, she’s considering changing plans and following him, but she gives herself a shake and smiles at us. “Where are we headed?”
We end up at a bar down the street. Hades and Allecto don’t like us to wander far. We’ve all learned the hard way that neutral territory only really matters to the people in Carver City. Outsiders don’t respect our rules, which makes them dangerous. It’s a small risk, but Allecto is head of security because she considers all variables, no matter how unlikely. We trust her for the same reason.
Not to mention she’d mow down any threat the second it arose. She’s badass like that.
I sidle up to the bar next to her and nudge her with my shoulder. “You look tense.”
“I always look tense.”
“You know what will help with that.” I waggle my eyebrows.
Allecto gives me a severe look, but it doesn’t quite stick because her lips curve. “So help me, if you say shots and karaoke—”
“Shots and karaoke!”
She motions the bartender. “I’ll do both on one condition.”
I already know what’s coming, just like she knew what I was about to suggest. We’ve known each other a really long time at this point, and we’ve gone through this song and dance… a lot. I huff out a breath. “If you’re about to say extra sparring sessions…”
“Extra sparring sessions.” She gives me a sharp grin. “You’re spending so much time fucking, you’re getting rusty. I kicked your ass the last two times.”
“You kicked my ass because you’re an ass-kicking queen.”
“That’s also true.” She orders a round of shots and then turns back to me while the bartender gets to work pouring them. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you’re slacking.”
Combat training wasn’t really part of my deal with Hades, but like working as a submissive, it’s something I’ve started doing over the years. One more ridiculous way I can trick myself into feeling more in control, more like I won’t really follow in my mother’s footsteps. Our situations are nothing alike, but if she’d known how to fight, maybe she wouldn’t have ended up in a decades’ long coma. Maybe she’d still be her, still be able to hug and smile and follow the fierce ambition that is barely more than a faded memory for me. It might even be imagined. I was so young when she was injured, I barely remember the person she used to be at all. I only have my grandmother’s stories.
“Aurora.” Allecto taps the spot between my eyebrows. “Three times this week.”
“Three extra practices for three karaoke songs.”
She sighs, but she’s still smiling. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“I learned from the best.”
“Yeah, I guess you did.” She shakes her head. “You have yourself a deal.”
I’ll regret it when she’s sending me flying across the mat, but right now it makes me happy. Allecto doesn’t let down her