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He isNo One.
My chest tightens at the thought, even though it shouldn’t.
Typing a quick message back to Dad with some half ass excuse about being tired, I end up tapping the phone against my steering wheel while scanning the street ahead of me. It’s busy down here, and once or twice I think I see him, only to call it a false alarm each time. Damn, he’s late tonight, and I don’t like it one bit.
Quick rapping against my window makes me practically jolt against the ceiling, and when I turn, I see Austin leaning against the window, a huge grin on his face. Rolling down the window, I bark, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Dude, I scared the shit outta you, didn’t I?” My cousin taps his knuckle a few times against the roof of the car, then starts making his way around to open the passenger seat. Once he’s plopped his ass down, he looks at me, triumph blazing through his twinkling eyes.
“So?” I snarl. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I think the real question is, what the hell areyoudoing here?” He looks around us, whistling through his teeth. When his gaze is finally back on mine, he raises his brows. “So? Whatarewe doing here?”
“Nothing.” Clenching my jaw, I balk. Fuck it if I tell him.
My phone buzzes again. Dad.
“Your dad’s been worried about you,” Austin mumbles. “What’s up, dude?”
“Nothing’s up with me, I’m just doing my job. Since when do I need to be tracked down for doing just that?”
“You left the party early.”
“Yeah, well—” I run a hand through my quiff. “Maybe I’m tired of partying.”
“You’re never tired of partying.”
“Well, maybe I am now.” I toss the phone into the cup holder, turn my body to face my cousin, and open my mouth to give him another shitty excuse when I see Phoenix walking down the street, his elegant limbs hidden beneath a large hoodie and a wide pair of sweats. Austin notices my wandering eye with a narrowed gaze, before spinning his head.
“What—aah.” He chuckles. “Sothat’swhat we’re doing here. Ro already told me that you were losing your mind.”
“Fuck you.” From my parking space I can see Phoenix at the fire escape, a small figure ascending the stairs of the huge building. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Just doing your job,” Austin echoes mockingly, but my own annoyance distracts me. When I look back at the building, the stairs are empty. My eyes dart toward the street, but Phoenix must have made it to the window on the fifth floor. The evening’s turning into a darker twilight rapidly now, getting prepared for the night.
“How long have you known where he lives?” Austin asks softly, his eyes still on the fire escape.
“Not long,” I grit through my teeth. He turns to face me.
“And you didn’t think that bringing him in to my husband-to-be would be the right thing to do?”
“Fuck you,” I growl again, feeling frustrated.
“Kai, I don’t wanna fight with you, so open up. How did you find his address? And why for fuck’s sake are we sitting here outside this shabby apartment on, might I add,All Saint’sturf, without actually doing anything?”
I swallow. “Mia helped me out, okay?” Austin’s eyes turn to slits, curiosity and annoyance fighting for dominance.
“Mia? As in, Connor’s best friend?”
“Hey, I’m sorry, man. It’s just—with you guys getting married, and All Saints breathing down our neck, I didn’t want you to worry, couz, because you’re already going away to France, and then we won’t see each other as much as before, and—fuck, I sound like a sad, fucking bitch.”
Austin blinks. “Maybe. But why do I get the feeling that you're still not telling me everything?”
“Because I can’t, man, I can’t. He’ll have my head on a stick.” I run a hand over my face in exasperation.
“Who?”
I hesitate, then cave. “Logan.”
