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“I knew this already?” I wonder.
He nods. “Yeah, I actually told you before I told Eliot.”
“Because I offered retribution,” Eliot says.
Tom shakes his head. “The only retribution I need is never seeing or hearing Phoenix St. Pierre again, including his music.” He grimaces. “Even his name is douchey.”
“I kinda like it,” I say.
Tom begins to smile. “Yeah, I know.”
My brows jump. “I already told you?”
“Yeah, you said it sounded like a comic book hero’s name.” To which, Tom looks ready to upchuck.
I laugh, and Eliot is grinning. At the sound of my laughter, Tom takes a robust breath too.
I’m still trying to piece apart my history. I stare at the watch on my wrist, the little hands ticking thanks to Donnelly fixing it, and I ask, “Do you know about OG Luna’s fish?”
“She has a fish?” Tom frowns.
So only Donnelly might know about Moondragon,I’ve deduced.
“Did Original Luna date anyone?” I want to reconfirm what Donnelly has told me.
“Sure,” Tom nods.
“There was only one real ex-boyfriend,” Eliot says. “After him, she’d been into casual flings.”
I frown. Donnelly never mentioned anything about an ex. I stiffen a little. “What’s his name?”
“Andrew Umbers,” Eliot says just as Donnelly returns. The air stretches like a taut rubber band, and I don’t fully understand why. Was he a bad guy? Did he hurt me?
Do I even want to know?Maybe this is fate and I should just be happy withnotknowing. I shelter my questions since Donnelly casts another quick glance at security. His lips are more downturned than usual.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
He nods once. “Yeah.” Then he says, “My dad just got out of jail.”
34
PAUL DONNELLY
My Cobalt brethrentelling Luna about her dog-shit ex-boyfriend is back-stabby, traitorous behavior. Something no friend or Musketeer would do. But like I’ve known, they’reherfriends,herMusketeers. Not mine. So they’re true to Luna, and I can’t fault ‘em, especially if she asked outright.
As much as I’ve looked up to the Cobalt Empire—been close to their brother Beckett too—Tom and Eliot don’t owe me anything. Not a sock, not a toothbrush, not loyalty.
I’ve done nothing to earn that sort of devotion from them. On top of that beautifully steep mountain I haven’t tried to climb, my dad is gonna be on their hit list. It’s a long list though, considering those two eat, sleep, dance, and sing vengeance.
“How’d he get out?” Eliot asks, his eyes flashing hot like the devil himself just got freed from hell.
“Charges didn’t stick,” I say vaguely and more quietly. “We knew it was coming. He has an alibi.”He was bartending at the Rhino. I’m not telling them more than I have to. Like how it’s suspicious I was the only Donnelly let out of jail that night. My family was gonna start questioning if I sold them out.
Police finally agreed that having my dad on the outside would be better for everyone. It means I have a tie to the rest of my family still out of prison, and I can ensure no one elseis plotting anything.
“Was more of your family released?” Tom asks.
“Just him.” I’m about to glance at Luna, but comms go off, vibrating my eardrum.
