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“I burned my old clothes.”
“I know. I was standing next to you, tossing mine on the bonfire. Bring me the white knit dress I made you.”
“No, not that one,” she cried. “I love that dress.”
“I’ll make you another, I promise.”
Sienna went off to grab clothes for us, leaving me to fuss with Sunny’s hoodie, making sure it covered his hair. We tried for regular-person-messy and got cutely-tousled-sexy with Sunny. He drew the line at dirt or scissors going near his head.
“Is it worth the risk?” I asked softly. “Why can’t Liam take me to meet your family? Stay here where you’re safe.”
“Liam left early this morning to pick up Tricky. It’ll take him twice as long since he’s taking the most twisted, convoluted route—just in case. We can’t risk leading this guy to our parents. Not that age has made them less deadly,” he added.
“We can wait till tomorrow,” I tried.
Sunny shook his head. “We’ve waited long enough. Bane and Genny need to know exactly what we’re dealing with. They have to be prepared.”
“Don’t they know? Liam isn’t playing dead. I assume he took some time over the last week and a half to tell your siblings you both were almost killed.”
“You didn’t think it was weird neither one came to visit me, Liam, or Tricky? They don’t know a thing.”
“What? How? Why?”
“They’re both a communication black hole.” Sunny plopped on the couch, despite the earful he’d get from Fuller for dirtying the upholstery. “For suspicious, paranoid, and practical reasons. If you want to talk to them, you do so in person. Liam tried, but Genny’s pissed at him for something or other, and ordered her girls to slam the door in his face. My bro’s not known to beg, so he gave her a message to tighten security and left it at that, knowing we’d take this shit out before he got another chance.
“But we need Bane, and to get to Bane, we need Genny.” He waved a hand over his rumpled self. “So it’s time to send the favorite brother in.”
“A communication black hole? I can’t think of anything worse when someone’s trying to take you out one by one. The last thing you guys should be is isolated.”
He stood, expression turning grave. “You’re absolutely right, Kenzie, and you’ll back me up when I tell them the same thing. It’s time for them to come home.”
Chapter Six
Sunny
The ladies and I snuck out of the Fairfield without incident. An easy thing to do when you slip into the back alley by the dumpsters, and come out onto the street where, yes, the rich Leighbridgers clutched their purses, and double-stepped away from us. We tried to flag down four cabs that rolled on through without slowing down.
“You were right, bubblegum lips,” I said. “Totally invisible.”
“Running out of the standard pet names, so you’re getting creative?”
“That’s right, muffin. I’m afraid we’re going to Harlow the long way.”
Neither Kenzie nor Sienna appeared bothered by this. They set off ahead of me, falling into conversation. They also weren’t bothered by the barrier that sprung up between them and the people dodging out of the way to keep from getting too close. I couldn’t say the same.
Churning, bitter anger welled in my throat. In the short time I’d known Mackenzie Blaine, I’d come to realize one simple, universal truth: she was perfect.
On the day I met her, she risked herself to save my life. Kenzie thought I was too out of it to know, but when Luca busted into the warehouse, she was with me, then she faced them, running out to lead them away from where I lay fevered and helpless. She was in danger, and still she tried to protect me. She owed me nothing, and still she was here, helping my family.
For years, she walked among you people, I thought, lips curling at a man who wrinkled his nose at her. He caught my look and suddenly got busy on his phone. Lived on the same street, became your friends, worked with you, shopped in your stores, and none of you saw that a literal angel was in your presence. This is why Cinco needed the Merchants’ guiding hand on its neck. This was a city of fools.
Kenzie held her own with me like no one I ever wanted to sleep with. She both shut down my flirting and gave it back just as good, with that cute little smirk on her lips that followed me into my dreams. She was tough, fierce, funny, talented, and good. The last quality meant she had no business getting involved with me.
But it’s too late for that now. Mackenzie is mine. She can fight the attraction all she wants, but I’d sooner throw myself off another bridge than let her walk out of my life. A feeling I know she shares, but damned if she didn’t learn to play hard to get from the all-stars.
