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“Logan?” Austin chuckles. “And since when do you give a flying fuck about what that arrogant ass says?” Despite it all, I let out a laugh.
“I don’t, not really.” But he’s got a point, I guess. “Listen, we want you guys to be safe, right? And we don’t do that by worrying the entire family. That was the deal I made with him, bro.”
“Okay, Kai, okay—” Austin takes in a deep breath. “I need to know what’s going on, alright? Open up to me, brother. And then I’ll tell Logan myself what I know, and you keep your pretty head on your body, or we’ll have Connor talk to him, okay? But right now, right here, is not safe. Come on.”
“I—fuck man.” This is hard. Not only because it brings back that memory of the picnic and the threat of death we’d come so close to, but also because I’m not supposed to say anything, and because I’m worried for Phoenix. “All Saints tried to kill us.” There. My shoulders deflate from the pent-up stress. Austin’s quiet for a moment. “How? When?” He finally asks.
“During the picnic.” His mouth falls open, and I watch him as he adds it all up.
“Fuck, no.’
“Yup.”
“Andthat’swhy we had to go inside Shaolin’s? I knew you were lying about the weather, but fuck…” he pinches the bridge of his nose, his dark eyes glaring into mine. “What happened?”
“They had a bomb placed in a van parked behind us.”
“A fuckingbomb? How the hell did they know that we were going to be there?”
“Bro… that wedding’sthetalk in the streets. It wouldn’t take a genius to find out where we are.” Austin shrugs, but I don’t miss the imperial glint shimmering in his eyes. He’s proud of his marriage, proud to show off his husband to-be. Cocky fucker. I take in a deep breath.
“And it was Phoenix who had the remote control.”
“Who the hell is Phoenix?” He snarls, but then he looks outside the window, to where Phoenix disappeared. “Oohh…I get it.No One.” He turns back to face me.
“Yeah.”
“And you—” Austin drawls when I don’t say anything else. “You weren't thinking of bringing him in at some point?” I sigh, stomach heavy with confusion. “You weren’t, were you? What’s up with you, dude? What am I missing?”
“I—” I clench my jaw until I feel my teeth clacking. “It’s Phoenix, man,” I finally spit out. “Phoenix is up with me. I hate him, man. I—I fucked him couz, I—I kissed him.” Warmth creeps up my neck.
“No shit?” Austin practically jumps up. “Youfuckedhim? I thought you weren’t into dudes?” He lets out a breathless chuckle. “So? Was it hot? How’d it start?” He presses me for details, then adds, “I fucking knew something was up. Fucking No One. Literally.” He laughs, slapping his knees. Then mine, to which I snarl and slap his forearm.
“Cut it out, man. I don’t want him.”
“Oh, but you do.” His eyes twinkle. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be keeping secrets from your own family, sitting here outside his apartment like some lovesick fool, when we clearly have different priorities.” I lift my open hands in the hair in confusion.
“I don’t know, Austin! I’ve never hooked up with a guy before, let alone this guy—”
“Who’s kinda cute in an innocent, doe-eyed way, if that’s your thing. I bet he was still a virgin.”
“Fuck you, man.” But he was. And the thought of Phoenix sharing his first kiss ever with me, of losing his virginity by me, brings all kinds of flutters back to life. “I don’t know what I’m doing, okay? And I don’t want it to be him, but…fuck.” I sigh.
“But he gets you all hot and bothered,” Austin fills in.
“And he’s a traitor, couz. I mean, Connor wants his head on a platter.”
“Kai, I need you to listen carefully man. Connor was terrified on that boat.” He slowly turns his head my way, all mockery gone. “He’s the youngest, with an older brother and a huge family to protect him. He’s gotme. But you know what it’s like, right? Being the oldest? Being the one who needs to lead, to take responsibility, to bring the others home safely?”
“Yeah,” I nod.
“So he goes on his first mission ever, wanting to make his family proud, wanting to show them that he can fuckingdoit, only to be handed out to the cops. In a strange country. He was scared, Kai. And I hated that I wasn’t there for him.” His confession makes my chest tighten.
“But we got there in time to get him out of that mess, right?” I mumble. “I guess Phoenix did, in a way.”
Austin hums. “That’s right. What I mean to say is, if he’s the guy you want -” he points outside, “then I’ll talk to Connor.” He lets out a half-hearted chuckle. “I think we have bigger problems than dealing with…what was his name?”
“Phoenix.”
