“Two tuxes, three forged tickets to the soiree of the century, weapons to be strategically placed ahead of time by the most disloyal castle staff money can buy, a formal gown with easy access to said weapons and the ability to conceal a contraption that can extract someone’s blood without that person’s awareness. Oh, and the contraption itself—we obviously need that. Let’s see… Floor plans for the castle, a list of additional guards and servants open to bribes, no less than three escape routes… Yeah, I think that about covers it. Oh! I forgot to ask her about shoes.” He pulled a notebook out of his back pocket and scribbled it down, along with a few other notes.
“Pretty sure you’re missing a tux and a ticket,” Haley said.
“Hudson doesn’t need one. He’ll keep watch from the roof. If hell breaks loose, he’ll swoop in and… well, break it looser. And whisk us out of there in a flash of those glorious wings and talons.” Saint spread his hands like a magician revealing his final trick.
“You make it sound so easy,” Haley said.
“The logistics are always easy. It’s the execution that fucks people.” He flashed the crooked grin that’d closed more deals and sealed more fates than there were stars in the Midnight sky, then returned his attention to his notebook, frantically scribbling once again. “Fortunately for us, I’m anexpertat not getting fucked.”
Haley and I exchanged a glance, both biting back a laugh.
Then, leaving Saint to his maniacal plotting, Haley grabbed her new dagger, and we snuck off to the bedroom to execute a few plans of our own.
31
HALEY
No sooner had Jax peeled me out of my T-shirt and closed his hot mouth around my nipple did my bedroom door crack open, ushering in a sliver of light and a vampire-fae who seemed determined to piss me off.
We’d been sniping at each other for a week straight, ever since we’d started planning for the Feast of Midnight heist. First, it was an argument about the best way to infiltrate the party and get close to Keradoc, and wasn’t there a way I could just steal his blood without actually touching him? From a safe distance across the room, perhaps? Then Elian decided I wasn’t spending enough time practicing my blood spells. The asshole had even picked a fight about whether the gown Gem had procured for me would draw too much attention and blow our cover.
Yes, friends and colleagues, a little side-boob-and-shoulder combo is all it takes to raise the alarms of Midnight. I sure hope the embroidered potato sack I ordered as backup will arrive in time!
Idiot.
So forgive me, Father, for feeling less than hospitable while my jerky ex-boyfriend crashed my private party with my demon lover, but…
What the fuck did he want to fight about now?
“Haley, look,” Elian said, his voice low and serious. “We need to talk. There’s something you need to know.”
Jax and I froze in the bed. Apparently, Elian hadn’t noticed I was otherwise occupied, which shouldn’t have surprised me. Elian was a selfish prick who rarely noticed anything unless it had to do with him, and those pills had put a serious damper on his vampire senses.
“A little busy right now,” I finally said.
“Busy? But you’re… oh.Fuck,” he muttered, finally figuring it out. “I should’ve known.”
“You should’veknocked,” I said. “What do you want?”
“I told you, I need to talk to you.”
“Busy,” I said again. I rolled onto my hip to face him. Jax drew closer from behind, lips hot on my bare shoulder, hand sliding invitingly around my hip and down between my thighs, teasing me through my panties. Only a thin sheet covered us—all that kept our intruder from getting a full show.
“You expect me to wait?” Elian asked, annoyance darkening his tone.
“She’s worth it,” Jax said, taunting him. “But you’ll have to take a number—assuming she’ll have you at all.”
Elian let out a hollow laugh. “Didn’t peg you as the share-and-share-alike type, brother.”
Jax’s fingers tightened possessively on my hip, but he shrugged and said, “Her bed, her rules.”
“I need to talk to Haley.”
“She’s a little busy at the moment. Maybe try back in an hour?”
“I’ll wait.”
“You sure about that?” Jax kissed the back of my neck, his fingers skating lower, just behind the top edge of the lace.
