Farrow tries again, “Let me and Maximoff pay him—”
Donnelly backs away. “No.”
The room tenses—someone muted the television. Oscar is frozen on-screen and playfully tipping Jack’s baseball cap down over his eyes. In the flesh, he’s a whole lot more serious right now.
“You can’t live off nothing,” Farrow says more calmly.
“I’ll up your pay,” Akara says like it’s that easy.
I slip him a look. With what fuckin’ money? He’s not making a profit through security right now, and he’s maxing out credit cards. One saving grace, he’s let Sulli pay for security again. Mostly because he feels like she’s paying for extra temp guards, not for him.
Donnelly looks uncomfortable. “Nah.” He touches his ear piercing. “Just leave me alone.” Those last words come out exhausted.
Farrow takes a breath, face broken.
Donnelly sees. “I don’t want to drag you or Maximoff into it—that’s not how this was gonna go. And if I’m the problem, I can leave.” He starts for the door, catapulting over the couch like he’s hopping a fence.
“Wait!” Oscar shouts.
“Donnelly!” Farrow yells, worry almost choking his words.
It’s the first shouting of the whole fight. They follow their friend, but the closest person to the hallway that leads to the front door is Luna.
She pops up from her beanbag and spreads her arms up and legs out like she’s making a giant X with her body. Barley barricading the wide hall.
Donnelly tries to side-step and she bounces in front of him. Still in X formation.
He goes to the left. She bounces to the left.
Donnelly comes to a halt in front of Luna.
They’re both staring at one another for a long beat.
“Hale,” he says.
“Donnelly,” she replies.
“I’ll up everyone’s pay,” Akara suddenly says. “All of SFO is getting a raise. It’s not debatable.”
I hang my head, trying to conceal how big of a bad idea I think this might be for Akara. But the reaction from Donnelly—that’s worth everything. And I know he’s made the right call.
Donnelly breathes in like it’s his first breath in months. “Akara—”
“Pay Scottie the same amount. Save the difference.”
“We’re all taking the money, bro,” Oscar tells his friend.
Donnelly says to Akara, “You don’t have to.”
“I do,” Akara says strongly. “You’re SFO. You’re my family.”
I’m smiling. Hell, after a second, all of SFO is smiling. And Sulli, Jane, Luna, Maximoff, and Jack are quick to share the good feeling with us.
Donnelly nods a few times. “Alright.” He breathes in again. “Thanks, boss.”
Farrow nods to Akara in gratitude.
The air is calmer, until Akara says, “Maybe don’t thank me yet.” He swings his arms, snaps his finger to his palm, then motions to Luna and Donnelly. “Are you two dating?”
50
BANKS MORETTI
I’ll be fucking damned—Akara is going there.
I thought I’d be the first to accidentally ask, and he’s saved me from that foot-in-mouth syndrome.
All heads turn to Luna and Donnelly. They still stand close.
Luna eyes Donnelly, and Donnelly is shaking his head to Akara. “Nah, man. It’s not like that.”
“You’re sleeping together?” Akara questions.
“Not really,” Donnelly says casually, but he’s avoiding Akara and me. Fuck, we really are the two in the dark here.
“Not really?” Akara repeats like that makes no sense. He looks to me.
I shrug.
Like fuck if I know. Maybe she just gave him a blowie.
Luna is searching for a scapegoat. “Moffy?” Her brother stands up.
Donnelly coughs into his fist and walks away, going towards Farrow and Oscar.
“Alright, party is over,” Oscar suddenly says, holding hands with Jack as they step over tubs of popcorn. “As sad as I am to miss this, I have an early morning with a Cobalt.”
Oscar passes Akara. “Loved the question. Popped it just right.” He pats his shoulder.
As he leaves the penthouse, Akara tells me, “That doesn’t feel great coming from a Yale boy.”
“I’m shocked I didn’t nuke it first.”
Sulli catches our arms, “Hey, I can probably fill in the fucking blanks.” And for once, she’s leading us away.
Retiring to the library, the door locked, Sulli places a bucket of popcorn on the desk and explains the missing pieces.
I stand, arms crossed, and Akara sinks into the nearest chair. Head in hands as Sulli recounts what happened.
Donnelly went down on Luna two years ago. One time. That’s it.
It obviously didn’t end badly if they’re still friends.
“Akara,” Sulli breathes. “She doesn’t want this to be a big deal.”
He doesn’t say anything. Sulli looks to me for help.
“Nine, it was just head.”
He shoots me an annoyed look. “He gave a client head when she was eighteen.”
“She asked him to,” Sulli snaps. “And they’re still friends.”
“Exactly.” I lift my shoulders. “I’m with Sulli on this one. Forward and onward. No looking back.”
“How am I supposed to make decisions for the team without looking back?” Akara asks me. “I have to figure out who should be her full-time bodyguard, and this complicates crap.”
“Why?” I ask. “Were you planning to put Donnelly on her detail?”
“No, but I don’t know if she won’t ask her next young bodyguard for head—”
“She’s not like that Akara,” Sulli snaps angrily. “I can’t believe you’d even say that.”
“What am I supposed to think?!” he yells. “I don’t know what to do here!” Stress has been building up in him and he just breaks. Face shattering as he buries his anguish into his hands. Split open. He’s trying to restrain tears.
“Nine.” I come to his side. Pain wells up in my chest seeing him ripped apart.
Sulli comes to his other side. We both bend down and wrap our arms around him.
“It’s alright,” I breathe.
He’s tensed. Sulli holds tighter. He doesn’t shove us away, and he drops his hands, his eyes wet and face twisted. “Price was right to think I’m building a firm with a bunch of broken toys,” he says roughly. “I can’t make this work. The numbers don’t effing work.”
He’s trying to hold everything together for security, but it’s more than just the transfers. He’s now bleeding cash from every end, and on the other side of the library door, they have no clue about the sinking hole Akara is standing in—if they did, they never would’ve taken the raise.
Adding to his most recent expenses: all the extremely expensive stab proof vests he just bought for the company. The lightweight vests will protect from punctures and blades like glass from broken bottles, and depending on the threat, we’ll be required to wear them instead of the bulletproof vests. And hell, I understand it was a necessary cost, seeing as it might have saved Akara that day at the hotel.