Page 54 of Targeted By Vengeance

“Ah, there’s the couple of the hour!” He exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across his face as he rose from his seat. He stepped towards me with his arms outstretched.

My brows pinched together at his jubilant tone. He’s never been this happy to see me. What the fuck is going on?

I resisted taking the instinctual step back and let him hug me, tensing in his grasp.

He turned to Simone, his eyes shining underneath the dim candlelit lighting. “And you must be the woman this one’s been going crazy over. Dare I say: you are even more beautiful than Mateo described.”

Simone blushed as he took her hand and kissed it. “Thank you. It’s very nice to meet you, Mr…”

“Ares,” he said. His grasp lingered as his eyes roamed over her, taking every inch of her in. “And the pleasure’s all mine.”

“Ares, like the God of War?”

His smile grew. “Precisely.”

My stomach rolled at the dark glint in his eye. I didn’t know what he was up to, but I already didn’t like it. I snatched Simone’s hand out of his and ushered her towards her seat. I ignored Simone’s arched brow as I held it out for her and pushed it in once she sat down.

“Red alright with you?” Ares asked, taking his seat and motioning to the filled wine glasses adjacent to our place mats. “The waiter recommended this one.”

“Red is perfect.” She reached for the glass. “Thanks.”

I snatched the glass away before she could grab it.

“Mateo,” she scolded quietly, watching as I examined the contents of the glass. “What is your problem?”

Ares chuckled. “It’s alright, dear. Your boyfriend just doesn’t trust me. Which is silly considering all the years we’ve spent together.”

“It’s not considering the act you’re putting on right now,” I countered.

“Not an act,” he insisted. “I’m genuinely happy that you’ve met your match - and that you’ve allowed me to meet her.”

I stared at him for a moment, picking apart the fake ass smile he was giving me. If this was the game he wanted to play, then fine - I’ll bite. But if anything happened to Simone, I was knocking that faux charm right off his face.

There weren’t any bubbles or unusual smells in the wine that I could sense. I took a sip just to be sure. I’d rather suffer for being too careful than lose Simone for being too lenient. The wine tasted fine enough, but I was going to hold onto it for the next few minutes just to make sure there wasn’t a slow acting agent in it.

“You’re being paranoid,” Simone said, reaching for the glass again. “Relax.”

I put the drink down on the opposite side of me where she couldn’t reach.

Simone shook her head as she turned her attention back to Ares. “I’m sorry about him.”

“Don’t be,” Ares said with a wave of his hand. “I’m not taking this personally.” He folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Tell me about your upbringing. I’m curious how a strong, intelligent woman such as yourself came to be.”

“Well, I’m the byproduct of a lawyer and an FBI agent, so most of it is in my genes. What about you? I assume Ares is a nickname.”

Ares nodded. “Been fighting in wars for most of my life. In a past life, I was a Marine. Then, a mercenary. Battle used to be a constant in my life. Honestly, this business is slow compared to what I’m used to.”

“Perfect for retirement though.”

He smiled. “Exactly.”

Surprisingly, Simone and Ares held conversation throughout the entire dinner. She was intrigued by his war stories, and he was interested in her FBI missions. I wasn’t sure what I expected when the two of them met, but it definitely wasn’t for them to hit it off like this.

After dessert, Simone excused herself to the restroom, leaving Ares and me alone at the table.

“I can admit when I’m wrong,” Ares said once she was out of earshot. “I doubted your judgment, what you saw in her, but she is truly a phenomenal woman.”

“I know.”