My laugh filled the elevator. “If you say so.”
“I do.”
My brain was still doing gymnastics. One life-changing encounter in a week was a lot. Two? We would be reeling for a while.
No one could tell when pack bonds were going to happen. Finding Trinity at Element was the perfect example. You had to roll with it. Like right now.
“Tell me,” Aiden said. “What am I walking into?”
“Probably confusion. Not like we expected this.”
“Fucking right,” he said under his breath.
The elevator opened onto the small hallway in front of our door. “Try to resist the temptation to turn this into a kill box.”
“I’ll try. It is a significant temptation, though.”
I shook my head and pushed open the door. Everyone was where I asked them to be. It only took a second for them to understand.
Logan looked at Aiden. “What the fuck?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said. “Walked in, and it clicked for both of us.”
Aiden took a step forward and held out a hand. “He’s right. I’m Aiden Fletcher.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
_____________
AIDEN
The three Alphas in front of me stared at my outstretched hand like it was a snake. Which was a natural reaction to a stranger like me. I didn’t mean them any harm, especially now that they were my pack, but they didn’t know that. And Theo had just walked through my very intense security.
The Alpha in the middle stepped forward and took my outstretched hand. “Brooks. This is my twin Bastian, and Logan.”
I shook all their hands and took a step back. Instincts never ceased to amaze me. Standing in a room with four complete strangers had never felt more natural. But there was still uneasy tension.
“Since you already know who I am, I’ll get the big bits out of the way. Yes, I am a hacker. No, I don’t always operate within the lines, but I try to operate ethically. Theo told me what connected you. I was a rugby player for much of my life, and I believe most people in our lifestyle would call me a pleasure sadist.
“I moved to Clarity recently, so I’m not permanently settled. I’m here if you’ll have me.”
Logan looked at the men next to him. “It’s like we knew we’d need the extra rooms without knowing.”
The one named Bastian shook his head. “Instinct wins again.”
“You have extra room?”
“We do,” Logan said. “Want a tour?”
“Sure.” I glanced back to find the other three gathered and speaking quietly.
Logan led me into the kitchen, which bled into the living room with a large square archway, straddling the line of open concept. It was a nice apartment. “Can you tell me about the security? I’m sure Theo will tell you what he found at my current office. I won’t pretend I’ve lived a perfect life, and there are things I can’t tell you about my past. I’ll never bring danger to the door on purpose, but I also don’t play around with the people in my life.”
“It’s a pretty standard security system,” Logan led me through the living room and down the hall to a gym that was better outfitted than some membership gyms. “Bastian is a fighter, and Brooks is his trainer. Theo and I aren’t fighters, but we can hold our own. We’ve never been that concerned about it, but recent developments have us wanting more security anyway, so feel free to beef it up if you like.”
The internal friction eased. “Thanks. And you speak as if it’s a done deal.”
“Isn’tit?”
