when I was fourteen, so…eleven years? It doesn’t feel that long.” She swilled her wine around its glass. “I was getting old, but I always felt like I was just getting started…”
“I’ve been with the Ten since I graduated college. Six years. Never thought I’d be more than a sidekick.”
“Why do you do that?” Belle tilted her head to the side.
“What?”
“Act like you can’t handle the responsibility. All you do is work when the guy who’s supposed to be in charge is off slacking.”
“Tank’s not slacking.” He’d been shouldering the crazy workload for years without complaining. Given, he was made for it, but the work was killer. “I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t offered me the job. He got drafted and brought me and Angel into the crew.”
“So you think you’re not worthy?”
“No.” I clenched my fist. How’d we get down this path? “I’m Tank’s right-hand man, but all of us work as a team. There’s no hierarchy.”
“Bullshit.”
“Watch it.” She definitely hadn’t been around long enough to learn how we worked.
“You watch it.” Belle’s eyes narrowed, full of heat. “The other heroes respect the hell out of you. You work more hours than they do. Nobody’s complaining about taking orders or questioning your judgment. I haven’t even met the other guy. You’re the one who’s here helping me, Ryan.”
“Of course I’m helping you.” No one with a conscience would let her deal with her powers alone.
“I appreciate that. And I know I don’t know anything about whatever super politics are going on here, but I don’t like to see you casting yourself as a sidekick. From where I stand, you’re…” Belle’s voice caught. “Important.”
That wasn’t what she was going to say, but I didn’t press it. “Are you sure you’re doing okay? Have you talked to your family?”
“No.” She took a swig of wine. “We talk on the big holidays, but I haven’t seen them since I moved to New York.”
“Why? Aren’t they proud?”
She gave a wry laugh. “Nope. I’m the black sheep.”
“You’re…” That did not make sense. How did the prima ballerina get shunned?
“What do your parents think about your powers?” Belle obviously didn’t want to talk about her own situation.
“I’m their favorite now. Shouldn’t be, but they got twisted by all of the attention after my powers came. My sister hated me.”
“But now she visits?”
“Yeah. She’s at Columbia.” And if she hadn’t kicked my ass into gear, I would’ve dropped out of college. If Maddy had to live in my shadow, I was not going to be a second-rate hero. She’d made that clear enough. After that, I hauled myself up and met Tank. He’d done the rest. “We’re good now. She’s a dancer too.” Maddy and Mom would probably flip when they heard Belle was staying at the tower.
“Want to trade siblings?” Belle asked. “My older brother’s the golden child.”
“Why’s he so great?” He had to be pretty fucking amazing to beat Belle.
“The usual. He was a football star until he knocked up his girlfriend at seventeen and got a job at the same factory as my dad. He and his spawn live in a trailer on my parents’ property with no plans to ever venture outside the county.”
Insane. “Your family’s values are seriously off.”
“I know. And I don’t look down on Bobby for his choices, but I don’t see why I have to be an outcast because I don’t want the same thing.” Belle swirled the wine around in her glass.
I wanted to hop the table and hug her. “I can send some big burly guys to Georgia to straighten them out.”
“Would you?” Belle smiled.
“I’ll go myself.” And I was beginning to wonder what I wouldn’t do for her. Right now, I couldn’t think of anything.
Chapter Seven
Belle
My stomach was going to burst. “You might have to take me out of here in a wheelbarrow.”
“I’d be happy to carry you.” Ryan’s flirty smile
“I’ve been with the Ten since I graduated college. Six years. Never thought I’d be more than a sidekick.”
“Why do you do that?” Belle tilted her head to the side.
“What?”
“Act like you can’t handle the responsibility. All you do is work when the guy who’s supposed to be in charge is off slacking.”
“Tank’s not slacking.” He’d been shouldering the crazy workload for years without complaining. Given, he was made for it, but the work was killer. “I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t offered me the job. He got drafted and brought me and Angel into the crew.”
“So you think you’re not worthy?”
“No.” I clenched my fist. How’d we get down this path? “I’m Tank’s right-hand man, but all of us work as a team. There’s no hierarchy.”
“Bullshit.”
“Watch it.” She definitely hadn’t been around long enough to learn how we worked.
“You watch it.” Belle’s eyes narrowed, full of heat. “The other heroes respect the hell out of you. You work more hours than they do. Nobody’s complaining about taking orders or questioning your judgment. I haven’t even met the other guy. You’re the one who’s here helping me, Ryan.”
“Of course I’m helping you.” No one with a conscience would let her deal with her powers alone.
“I appreciate that. And I know I don’t know anything about whatever super politics are going on here, but I don’t like to see you casting yourself as a sidekick. From where I stand, you’re…” Belle’s voice caught. “Important.”
That wasn’t what she was going to say, but I didn’t press it. “Are you sure you’re doing okay? Have you talked to your family?”
“No.” She took a swig of wine. “We talk on the big holidays, but I haven’t seen them since I moved to New York.”
“Why? Aren’t they proud?”
She gave a wry laugh. “Nope. I’m the black sheep.”
“You’re…” That did not make sense. How did the prima ballerina get shunned?
“What do your parents think about your powers?” Belle obviously didn’t want to talk about her own situation.
“I’m their favorite now. Shouldn’t be, but they got twisted by all of the attention after my powers came. My sister hated me.”
“But now she visits?”
“Yeah. She’s at Columbia.” And if she hadn’t kicked my ass into gear, I would’ve dropped out of college. If Maddy had to live in my shadow, I was not going to be a second-rate hero. She’d made that clear enough. After that, I hauled myself up and met Tank. He’d done the rest. “We’re good now. She’s a dancer too.” Maddy and Mom would probably flip when they heard Belle was staying at the tower.
“Want to trade siblings?” Belle asked. “My older brother’s the golden child.”
“Why’s he so great?” He had to be pretty fucking amazing to beat Belle.
“The usual. He was a football star until he knocked up his girlfriend at seventeen and got a job at the same factory as my dad. He and his spawn live in a trailer on my parents’ property with no plans to ever venture outside the county.”
Insane. “Your family’s values are seriously off.”
“I know. And I don’t look down on Bobby for his choices, but I don’t see why I have to be an outcast because I don’t want the same thing.” Belle swirled the wine around in her glass.
I wanted to hop the table and hug her. “I can send some big burly guys to Georgia to straighten them out.”
“Would you?” Belle smiled.
“I’ll go myself.” And I was beginning to wonder what I wouldn’t do for her. Right now, I couldn’t think of anything.
Chapter Seven
Belle
My stomach was going to burst. “You might have to take me out of here in a wheelbarrow.”
“I’d be happy to carry you.” Ryan’s flirty smile
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