Page 81 of Tempting Fate

Chapter Thirty-Three

Emerson

I’m in a daze. I feel as though I’m in a nightmare, truly, every part of the night jumbling together until I’m not sure where the truth ends and my worries begin.

I’m certain there’s some overlap, anyway.

Kieran has my phone. He and the two men with him follow Jamie and me into the house, where Nick is waiting, pacing up and down in the living room.

He makes a relieved sound when he sees us and envelops Jamie in a hug. “You said you’d let me know you were both okay.”

“No time,” Jamie says, but now he looks a little dazed himself. Nick frowns when he approaches me, and I want to cry when he hugs me, too. I’m not expecting it.

“We need to talk about all this,” Kieran says.

Nick glares at him, which surprises me. Kieran is clearly important, but he gives off a calm aura, and that’s probably the only thing that hasn’t had me running out of here yet.

Well, that and clearly there’s something not human about his very good-looking boyfriend. That’s a good enough incentive to stay put.

Nick draws me over to the sofa, where he sits me in the middle. He’s on one side, Jamie’s on the other.

“Can I…” I swallow, lick my lips. “Can I have my phone?”

Kieran sits in one of the armchairs and shakes his head. “You’re kidding, right?”

“A friend of mine. She’ll have seen the stream. She’ll be worried.”

“Just give it to him,” the shorter man with Kieran says. He gives me a little wave. “I’m Sam, by the way. Not much time for introductions back there, was there? Lucien, want to give me a hand in the kitchen?”

Kieran’s boyfriend blinks in surprise but stands from where he’s perched on the arm of Kieran’s chair and agreeably follows Sam into the kitchen. Kieran sighs. “Fine. Here.”

He hands over my phone. Unsurprisingly, I have about fifty texts and missed calls from Cate, texts that appear to be increasingly worried and angry. I can’t call her, not now.

I’m okay. Will explain when I come back.

It’s a given that I’m going back there. I can’t stay here. Even if they’d let me, I betrayed Patch’s trust. All the wolves’ trust. They’re right. Why did I think the livestream was a good idea? For fifty grand?

I let out a shaky breath. Jamie rests one hand on my back, between my shoulder blades. I turn my head and look at him.

He doesn’t look angry. Why doesn’t he look angry?

Voices come from the kitchen, a low murmur even under the sound of the kettle boiling. Nick shifts next to me. “What happened, then? Someone scared him.” His tone is accusatory, but Kieran doesn’t appear surprised by that at all.

He explains what he knows, and I add details where needed. It’s not a long tale. Nick scowls, though, when we’re done, each of us now holding a scalding mug of tea.

“He doesn’t have to go.”

“If Deacon says so, then yes, he does.”

“Last I checked, we’re human,” Nick scoffs. “If Deacon’s got a problem, he can go find a copper or something. Seems like Patch is the issue, really.”

I jolt. Jamie’s fingers dig into my leg. “How’d you get to that, then?”

“Come on.” Nick rolls his eyes. “He could have fucking said. Instead, he had to be all dramatic and such a show-off about it, just because he wanted to, what, one-up you and steal—”

“Shut up,” Jamie mutters, and Nick does. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Well, we’re not going to solve that bit tonight,” Sam says. “But Ophelia and Dante are on their way. Have you got any better coffee, by the way? Don’t think Lark is going to appreciate me asking him to open early, and Ophelia does not like waking up at the crack of dawn.”