AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She even somehow got Elsa—perpetually up to her eyeballs in work—to meet us. I grin as I stand and hug our tiny blonde lawyer friend, who’s also Callie’s soon-to-be sister-in-law, now that she and Hades are engaged.
“You made it!” Callie beams, embracing her before we all sit back down again.
Elsa grins at the breakfast cocktail we already ordered for her, taking a sip before she exhales luxuriously like she’s on a tropical island vacation.
“Oooh, that’s good,” she sighs. “And hell yeah I made it. When you’re about to make equity partner, it seems they dial your workload back a little so they don’t burn you out,” she snickers. “Plus, Hades took Nora to a classic car show out on Long Island. What else was I going to do?”
Callie shakes her head. “I don’t want to know how you did it, but thank you for turning my brother from the perpetual child he was for the twenty-nine-odd years before he met you into a respectable adult.”
Elsa snorts, shaking her head. “Please. I didn’t do a thing.”
“Does he still give oversized dildos as gag presents on extremely inappropriate occasions?”
Elsa’s brows raise. “Um—what?”
Callie shrugs. “I rest my case, your honor.”
I laugh along with the two of them, glad for the distraction from the dark mood swirling inside me.
“I love that he’s so amazing with Nora.”
Nora is Elsa’s fifteen-year-old sister, whom Elsa basically raised herself from when Nora was a toddler, when Elsa herself was only eighteen. I had my doubts about ElsaandNora moving in with Hades, even though Nora got her own floor at his place so the two of them could have their privacy. But I have to say, Elsa’s right: my historically wild brother-in-law isincrediblewith Nora. He’s been teaching her how to drive in his prized ’67 Camaro Z28—a car he barely letsCallieeven touch. And now it seems they’re bonding over classic muscle cars.
“Well, what do you say?” Callie grins impishly at Elsa. “Am I going to be an aunt someday soon?”
Elsa blushes, biting back a smile. “We’ll see.”
“It’s what I want for Christmas. You have to.”
We laugh, devouring our brunch and possibly one too many breakfast cocktails. Callie and I drop teasing hints to Elsa about her upcoming birthday celebration, which is going to involve a private showing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art followed by a private dinner in the Renaissance gallery—none of which Elsa is aware of yet.
Eventually, though, Elsa has to take off, and Callie ends up leaving with her. I stay for one last drink before finally throwing in the towel. I’m walking out when I literally bump into someone. Blinking, I step back before I stiffen.
Shit.
I’ve somehow managed to avoid Britney Torres ever since the night I broke into Gavan’s office. I never heard back from anyone in the Crown Society, which was obviously a disappointment, given the sort of doors it could have opened. But whatever. I sort of assumed my application was toast when I never reported back to them with the egg I was supposed to steal.
“Oh. Eilish.” Britney gives me a withering look, her nose wrinkling like I’m a stinking pile of garbage. “Hi.”
She’s with two other girls who give me the exact same look before pushing past me into the restaurant. Britney stays where she is, still sneering at me.
“Just to let you know, I’msosorry, but your application to the Crown Society has been denied.”
I smile, not meaning it. “Yeah, I sort of figured. Thanks. Bye.”
I start to push past her, when she stops me.
“Yeah, well, just so you know?” she continues coldly. “The only reason we even entertained your attempt to join was that Brooks McKinnley is an alum, and he…” She shrugs. “Put in a word for you.”
I swallow back the bile in my throat.
Britney keeps prattling on. “We were never going toactuallylet a criminal like you in.” She shrugs as I glare at her. “Anyway, have a nice life, I guess. Maybe I’ll see you on the news when you’re going to prison someday.”
She laughs as she shoves past me and into the restaurant after her friends.
“Fuck off,” I mutter, turning and pulling my phone out to get an Uber.
“Who the fuck was that?”
