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“For lunch,” Thatcher adds.
What the fuck?!
I scrape a hand through my hair, avoiding their gazes. It’s dawning on me just how involved they’re getting, and I don’t just dislike it.
I hate it.
Fuck Xander’s dad.For expanding this team-up to include not only his friend (Connor), but my friends too. We could’ve done this without anyone else knowing.
Akara continues, “Connor wants to ensure we’re all on the same page. Especially if you need back-up.”
“Nice and all, but I don’t need back-up.” I look straight at Farrow. He knows why. He’d ask for the same thing.
He says nothing. Just holds my gaze.
“Your family has become asecurityissue,” Thatcher forces, his voice ten times more severe than Akara’s friendly business tone. “If you’re a part of an op, your lead and your boss need to be completely informed.”
An op?
I thought I was just getting more info out of my dad. Lo said he wanted “leverage” to hold over my family, but then again, he’s probably been talking to Connor, lawyers, and private investigators more than he’s talking to me.
“Then what’s Farrow doing here?” I gesture to my best friend.
“I’m not leaving you, man.” His gaze drills into me with this familiarity. Years of being there. Of never truly leaving. And it’s a comfort that I shouldn’t need.
I know I can survive without it.
“I can do this myself,” I tell him. “I’m gonna do this myself.” I look between them. “Appreciation, really, but you all should kick back and have a happy Thursday. I’ll give you a detailed report on what went down. Cool?”
“No,” Akara says with crinkled brows, like I’ve hopped in Luna’s spaceship and flown away.I wish. “It’s not cool. It’s actually uncool.”
“Akara—”
“This isn’t up for debate. Connor called. He wants us there. We’re going. And just so you know, I would’vefoughtto go if he said we couldn’t. You’re my man, Donnelly. I’m not letting you handle this alone.”
It sinks in slowly.
Feels good to be protected, to have some line of defense behind me, but just talking about my family with Lo has been a challenge—doing that in front of SFO isn’t something I’d volunteer to do unless it wascompletelynecessary.
But most importantly, they’re in a different stage of their lives. I’m over here fighting for the opportunity to even have a girlfriend. They have more to lose if they’re twisted in this shit. And they. Weren’t. Supposed. To. Be. Pulled.In.
I run a hand down my face.
“What’s wrong here?” Akara asks with genuine concern, pocketing his phone. “Help me out, because I don’t understand why you have a problem.”
“This was supposed to be just me and Lo andmaybeConnor. No one else.”
“You should’ve gone to Akara first,” Thatcher says like I broke a sacred rule, and I did jump the hierarchy. Just didn’t know it’d evolve into this.
“Sorry, boss,” I tell Akara. “Next time I’ll write you asympathycard.”
Thatcher glares.
Akara sighs.
At least Banks is grinning.
Farrow raises his brows at Thatcher and says, “You really want to smack him with the rulebook right now?”
