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She huffs out a laugh and we make our way toward the exit. “Well, Logan was in a permanent, foul mood. Angélique came over to our house last night because he was being a real pain in the butt. Stayed for dinner and a movie, beforeSammytook her home.”
Samuel turns with a scowl, peeking over his sunglasses, that Mia bravely snorts away. Instead, she leads the way out through the sliding doors where the early New York air hits me—its chilly autumn breeze, the promise of pumpkins and cinnamon spice already heavy in the air on the mid-October morning. I stop and inhale eagerly, relaxing for the very first time since I left in a hurry this morning.
Goodbye, Austin.I feel a pang in my chest.
“Connor?” Mia caresses my cheek with a finger on my face and I realize my eyes are wet.
“I’m alright,” I mumble weakly.
She gently strokes a lock out of my face. “Let’s get you in the car first, okay?”
I let out a shuddering nod. “We’ll need to talk about strategy, I have a few ideas.”
“Fine. We’ll determine our strategy and then you come with me, I’ve got a few things planned. I hope you don’t mind that my brother comes along? He’s also feeling kinda…” She rolls her eyes and air quotes, “alright.”
Charlie chooses exactly that moment to get out of the driver’s seat. “Hey man, it’s good to see you.” He fist bumps me and pulls me in for a quick hug, then opens the back door. “I hope you don’t mind me tagging around with you guys, today?”
“Nah man, it’s cool.”
“Right, first stop, your parents’ penthouse.” Mia holds up a huge paper bag from Dunkin’ Donuts. “Treated myself to my favorite to celebrate your return. We’ll do a proper catch-up with the entire team who’s been having a sleepover ever since Logan decided to call a code red. I’m feeling like a teenager again.” I don’t miss the irony in her voice, despite the courageous smile. “But on a more serious note, I bet they’re dying to find out what our next steps are.”
“We like screwing assholes,” Samuel growls from behind the wheel as he steers the car out of the parking spot, leaving the airport and driving toward downtown. Charlie lets out a hum of agreement.
Once we’re sure that the guys in the front are not paying us any attention, Mia faces me, her gaze filled with genuine worry. “So that was him, no? The guy from the video?”
“How d’you…?”
“Know? I didn’t, but now I do.” She gives me a cheeky wink. “Mostly kidding, though you’ve beenoff, and that’s nothing like you. Then Victoria admitted that she was asked to screw around with your travel plans for Paris and I don’t know… I just had a feeling about it. It’s not just you though, it’s also him. That weird phone call yesterday, with Austin howling like a wolf over you not being under his wing, and we both kinda knew that you guys had some sort of history.”
“Both?” I blink.
Mia taps my knee, her voice laced with something that sounds like pity. “You know what I’m going to tell you, right? Victoria told me that he’s kind of a…” She pauses, then whispers, “I know what it’s like, sweetie. It’s painful and you feel like you’re dying inside. I know. But it will pass.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and inhale deeply through my nose, letting my shoulders scrunch up with tension as I try to fight nausea.
“Are you sure about…what we’re about to do?” Her voice is soft, laced with worry.
I give her a quick nod, my eyes still squeezed shut. It’s not until I let my breath go in one big blow, that my mind clears. “It’s what I have to do. He—” My voice breaks.
Austin’s smile when we sat on the balcony, smoking a joint. Propped up on his side next to me in bed, stealing all my fries. Austin glancing at me with heat in his smoldering eyes, stroking our cocks with his large hand. Austin’s mouth—God, his mouth. I let out a shudder, then rake a hand through my hair. “It’ll be better if he just disappears from my life, you know? I won’t let him be the death of me. He needs to go.”
“With a bang? Hate you forever and all that?”
I swallow. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. Anything. Because we need you on this, Connor. In one piece.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” I mutter, and I try to swallow again, but my throat’s locked with guilt and sorrow.
“So, our murderer, thehangman…you’re not gonna believe this, but he picked up.”
“Did he?” My heart starts racing with a totally different excitement.
“I told him we have something that belongs to him.”
“Clever girl. And?”
“And he wants to talk.” Her eyes shine with mischief.
