Audrey sent the footage to a friend, who leaked the video and screwed all of Omega.
It wasn’t her fault. I was a lead. That was on me. The video should’ve never existed in the first place.
I put their sister on the line.
“Jane?” Audrey says tearfully.
Jane frowns at the phone and clears her throat of food. “Audrey, what’s wrong?”
“I heard all six of you are there and I’m not. You’ve all left me out.” Her voice cracks, nearing a sob. “Us, Cobalts—we’re a seven. Not a six. Yet you…you kept me from joining tonight, why? Is it because I’m untrustworthy? Because I leaked the bodyguard video? I promise you can trust me! I promise. Please, give me another—”
“Stop,” Charlie groans, pinching his eyes.
Jane shoots him a nasty look and then tells her sister, “I trust you with all my heart, Audrey.” It sounds more than sincere. Like if she could, she’d die with those as her last words.
I stare at Jane, my chest rising with a powerful jolt of emotion.
Audrey sniffles. “Why then?” Her voice rattles. “Why not include me now?”
“Very important question, Audrey.” Jane glares at her brothers. “Why keep out our trustworthy sister?”
“She helped with the cards,” Tom defends.
Beckett answers coolly, “She was with Winona and Kinney. We didn’t want all the little girls here—”
“I knew it!” Winona Meadows shouts.
Kinney Hale comes onto the line. “You’re all a bunch of ugly trolls! We don’t even like you—”
“Hang up.” Charlie orders me since I’m gripping the phone.
No way.
Jane gapes. “Thatcher will not hang up on the youngest girls of the family.” She eyes the phone. “Girls—”
They all yell over each other. I can’t pick apart a thing.
“We’ll talk later, I promise,” Jane says quickly. “I know they’re dreadfully annoying boys, but we’ll work this out later.”
They voice their love of Jane, and she nods to me. I hang up.
I focus back on my girlfriend, and she’s already grinding on another heart, her eyes wrinkling at the taste.
“Water?”
“Please,” she grimaces.
I put the bottle to her lips, and she takes a small sip.
“Am I sweating?” She tries to elbow a piece of hair.
I tuck the flyaway behind her ear. “No.” You’re beautiful. Eating bloody rabbit hearts.
Comms crackle, the signal distant. “Donnelly to SFO, I found the space babe.”
Relief strikes, then confusion. How the hell did he find Luna Hale? Look—a part of me suspects that Donnelly eating Luna out wasn’t a one-time thing like they told Jane, but we’re both still keeping that secret for them.
Akara is in my ear. “Where is Luna?”
“Shake Shack. Her phone’s dead.”
I breathe in a strong breath. Not good. Quinn should’ve rogered up on comms and given the Omega lead her AO. He’s been turning off his radio more frequently. At this point, I think he admires Akara as a leader, but he’d rather be like Farrow.
“Tell Quinn to get on comms,” Akara says, voice tight. He’s pissed.
“Sure thing, boss.”
Oscar asks, “How’d you figure out where she was?”
“Some fandoms posted pics of her in the area.”
“Nice work,” Akara says, and once Quinn enters comms, Akara tears him a new asshole. I tune out the reprimand.
In front of me, Tom is busy texting, but I catch Eliot’s attention. “Security found Luna.”
Tom looks up. “Where?”
“Shake Shack. Her phone died.”
Eliot runs a hand through his hair, then he grins. “Tell her bodyguard to tell Luna that we’d like to place an order.”
Tom’s face lights. While Jane powers through eating, I use comms to place two orders of cheese fries. This is the most normal, routine thing they’ve asked me to do all night.
Letting go of my mic, I help Jane who struggles with the second to last heart. She starts sweating, her eyes downcast while she concentrates on chewing.
I hand her a napkin, and we exchange a knowing look. If she needs to spit the last one out and hide it, I’ll help her cheat.
Partners in crime, she once called us.
That’s not long gone.
Eyes brightening, Jane nods in agreement.
Tom groans. “Come on.” He crashes back against the booth, exasperated. He drops his phone on the table. “My band,” he explains to me.
“They’ve been auditioning new drummers,” Eliot clarifies. “And Tom refuses to pick the best drummer for the job.”
“He’s just the hottest,” Tom refutes.
Eliot mouths to me, he’s the best.
“Can you play without a drummer?” I ask since I’ve seen some two-man alternative bands before.
“I wish,” Tom sighs. “Our label wants three members.” Everyone’s attention veers to Jane as she gags again.
I cover her mouth with one hand, and grab the wine with the other. I whisper in her ear, “You’re okay?”
She nods.
“Kick my foot if you want the napkin.” I’ll need to create a diversion.
She nods again. But she’s not whacking my shin. For Jane, it’s a last resort. I lower my hand from her mouth. Quickly, she swallows down the organ with a swig of wine and then picks up the last heart.
I draw attention off her and ask Beckett, “How do you like your new bodyguard?”
“O’Malley?” Beckett shrugs, eyes dropping. “He’s fine.” He sucks on his cigarette.
I would’ve never assigned him to Beckett’s detail. It has nothing to do with his skills as a bodyguard. We all know O’Malley thinks Donnelly is white trash, and this transfer is just another slap to SFO.
My fault.
I massage my strained deltoid.
Charlie is watching me.
I nod to him. Confused about whether he hates me or likes me—two extremes. That’s what I feel from Charlie, and it’s strange terrain.
He just smiles, then looks to Beckett. His twin brother passes the burning cigarette to Charlie. He takes a drag and blows smoke to the side before handing it back.
Jane gulps more wine. “Done!” She pounds the bottle on the table while her brothers applaud. My lip lifts and a bright smile overtakes her features. “We make a good team, don’t we?”
“Hell yeah.” I eye her pink lips.
Flush sneaks up her neck, and she almost touches her skirt, forgetting her hands are bloodied. I catch her wrist.
Her breastbone caves. “Oh.”
My cock almost hardens. Fuck.
“That’s all for tonight,” Charlie tells us and tosses Jane more napkins. He stands up, cane in hand.
I let go of her wrist, and she wipes at her fingers. Beckett gathers the spread cards into a single stack. “You should take the cards, Charlie.”
“No, you keep them.” Charlie slowly sinks back down and places his cane on the table.
The air strains.
Beckett makes a confused face. “Besides Jane, you’re the only other Cobalt going on the trip. I can’t make her and Thatcher play the game if I’m in New York.”