Chapter 11 #2
A soft chuckle comes from beside me, and I glance up to see Ace standing there, Good Lookin’—Jinx—still cradled in his arms. “If I’d known it was you asking for help with parkour, I would’ve told you not to even try it.”
I squint at him. “Why?”
“Because I remember someone who ate dirt every second try while skateboarding back in the day.”
I glare at him, though the corner of my mouth twitches. “That was years ago.”
“Sure was,” Ace agrees, but there’s a teasing lilt that makes my heart skip. “But some of us will never forget. You screamed like a dying baby goat.”
“Hey!” I gasp, half offended, half delighted. Seeing him like this, teasing me, it’s like a piece of the past slipping back into place.
Sylus laughs behind me, the sound breaking the tension even further. “A dying baby goat? You’re kidding.”
Ace shakes his head solemnly. “Not kidding. High-pitched, echoing. It was a sound to behold. Kind of haunting, really.”
I groan, my head falling back in mock despair. “You’re such an ass.”
“And yet…” Ace shrugs, “… you’re still here.”
The room feels brighter like we’ve finally broken through the tension that’s been choking us. “Guess I must’ve missed you or something.”
“Or something,” Ace echoes, his ice-blue eyes locking onto mine for a beat too long.
Nicholas clears his throat behind me. “The point is, I don’t know what to do. Do you think I want to be here? But I can’t go home. When Veronica checks the CCTV and sees me carrying Levi’s ass out of the Heights…”
“Yeah.” Koen crosses his arms. “We don’t know what she’ll do when she figures out that you chose our side for this.”
“I did not choose your side,” Nicholas snaps.
Ezra arches a brow, leaning back against the counter while he waves a hand around. “Yeah? What would you call this, then?”
Nicholas glances at me, and I say it for him. “He chose to help me.”
“Which is the same damn thing, given you’re on our side.” Sylus shrugs.
“It’s not the fucking same.” Nicholas lets out a sharp, bitter laugh. “I would gladly walk out of here if I could.”
“You can,” I reassure him. But then all eyes snap to me, and I hurry to explain, “While I was looking for Levi, I found a security guy and… well, hypnotized him.”
Koen’s head tilts, his brows lifting. “You did what?”
“Yeah.” I flash him a smug smile, shrugging, only to hiss at the pain that shoots through my arm again. “It’s not as hard as you make it out to be.”
“All right, show-off.” Koen huffs, clearly amused.
“Anyway,” I continue, turning back to Nicholas. “He blacked out the security system. If you got out before me, chances are huge that Veronica will never find out you were there.”
“Right,” Ezra jumps in. “That matches the testimonies of the security personnel. That the CCTV went black.”
“I’m pretty sure you can go home, Nico, if that’s what you want.” I hold his gaze. “You’re not trapped here. Not unless you want to be.”
I want to say that he’s welcome here, but we all know that’s not the case. And it’s not my fucking place or house.
For a moment, he doesn’t respond, looking at me like he’s trying to find the lie in my words. But there’s nothing for him to find because I mean every word.
The sharp ring of a phone cuts through the tension, and everyone freezes when Koen pulls his phone from his pocket, glancing at the screen. “It’s Veronica.”
Ezra’s jaw tightens. “Take it.”
Koen glances at Levi and mutters, “Try to keep your feelings to yourself for once,” before he answers the call and switches to the speaker. “Veronica.”
“Koen, darling.” Her voice flows through the room, each word dripping with false sweetness. “How are you? And how’s Levi? I imagine he’s back in your care by now.”
Koen’s gaze flickers to Levi, who stiffens beside me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A faint chuckle comes through the line. “Let’s drop the farce, hmm? I just wanted to tell you that I had nothing to do with it.”
Koen’s brows furrow. “You didn’t?”
“Of course not,” Veronica purrs. “Apparently, your brother thought it wise to try and make his way to my penthouse.” Koen’s glare hardens as it snaps to Levi, who suddenly looks sheepish.
“My security didn’t take kindly to the idea.
He acted out, so they, unfortunately, applied violence.
I’m terribly sorry about that. But you know how my security is. They don’t take threats lightly.”
I can almost feel the storm brewing in Koen, his jaw tight as his fingers flex around the phone.
Veronica continues, “I was on my way down to security to check on Levi when I heard about it this morning. But then Detective Hill arrived with some of his police friends. They were making a scene in front of my guests. I had to deal with that first, of course, but I would’ve let him go, Koen.
I thought it was in both our interests that I didn’t make an even bigger spectacle out of all of this by handling an unconscious body to the police in front of the public. ”
I barely suppress a scoff, and when I glance at Ezra, I see his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
“You would’ve let him go?” Koen questions, dangerously calm.
“Of course,” she replies smoothly. “I meant it when I said I want to mend things between our families. I don’t know why Levi was there in the first place, but I would have let him talk.
I’m sure it was urgent if he made the effort to come all that way.
I’m only sorry my security overreacted. Please tell your little brother to call ahead next time. It’ll save us all this trouble.”
My gaze flicks to Levi, who bites his lip to keep from speaking. Koen reaches out, gripping his wrist firmly. “I’ll let him know.”
“Good.” There’s a satisfied hum in her voice. “But I still feel bad that he got hurt, and apparently, the newest addition to your family did too.”
Every pair of eyes in the room shifts to me. I try to keep my expression neutral, but inside, my thoughts are spiraling.
What the hell?
She wanted me arrested, and now she’s acting like I’m part of some cozy family reunion.
“Speaking of…” Koen’s voice hardens. “You’re not going to press charges?”
“Of course not, Koen,” Veronica says sweetly.
“I’m sorry, I was a little agitated by the commotion.
You know how much I value the Heights’ reputation.
I’m apologizing for my tone. But I think Detective Hill has some apologizing to do as well.
And the pretty Ms. Evans for playing cat and mouse with my security. ”
What a fucking bitch.
Koen’s jaw ticks. “I’m sure we could—”
“Actually,” Veronica cuts him off. “Why don’t all of you come over for dinner on Friday? We can ensure all the apologies are said properly and put this little escapade behind us.”
Koen’s eyes flick to Ezra, then Levi, then they settle on me, and I nod. I can do that if it helps them.
“I’m sure that could be arranged.”
“Wonderful. I’m expecting you, Levi, Detective Hill, and Ms. Evans around eight. Nicholas will be there too.”
Nicholas stiffens beside me at that. His expression is unreadable, but I can see the skepticism in his gaze.
Koen glances at Nicholas, then asks, “Is Nicholas there with you now?”
“No,” Veronica replies smoothly. “I haven’t seen him today, but I’ll let him know about the dinner when he gets home. What do you say?”
Koen hesitates for a fraction of a second. “Of course, Veronica. We’re looking forward to it.”
“Marvelous,” she purrs. “See you and your family in a couple of days, Koen.”
The call ends with a click, and the room is silent again.
Koen’s hand falls to his side, and he exhales sharply. “Well, that’s… a trap.”
“Obviously,” Ezra mutters, running a hand through his hair.
Levi glares at the floor, but it’s Sylus who speaks next. “So. Dinner with the devil. Should be fun.” He turns to Nicholas with a faint smirk. “Sounds like you’re going to survive if you go home now, dickhead. At least until Friday.”
“Sylus…” I shoot him a glare, but he holds up his hands in mock surrender.
Koen sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Maybe we should discuss—”
“Nope, I’m out.” Nicholas is already moving toward the door.
“Nico, please, can we talk?” I almost beg.
He can’t leave like this.
“The car keys still in the box in the garage?” Nicholas asks, ignoring me.
“Yes, but—” Koen starts, his words trailing off as Nicholas strides out of the room.
“I’ll take the Mercedes,” he shouts over his shoulder without looking back.
The door to the garage slams, and it’s like the sound cuts the last thread holding me upright. All the energy I’d been clinging to seeps out, and my chest feels hollow like I’ve been holding my breath for hours, and now there’s nothing left to inhale. It’s too much.
Nicholas leaving, Veronica’s voice in my head, Ace so close but still so far, the weight of Levi’s glare, the pain that’s still there whenever I move. It’s all pressing in, and it’s as if I might shatter under it. But then Sylus is there, his arms wrapping around me.
“C’mere.”
My body folds into his without resistance, like it’s been waiting for permission to let go.
He sits down with me still in his arms, and I realize my hands are shaking, gripping his shirt, afraid to let go.
My head presses against his chest, and the sound of his heartbeat cuts through the haze in my mind.
“Take a nap.” Sylus’s fingers trail soothing patterns along my back as warm leather and amber envelop me.
“This day was way too fucking long.” Koen joins us, sitting on the other side of the couch. He lifts my feet and places them in his lap, massaging them.
Levi collapses into the armchair with a groan while Ezra follows suit in another chair.
Ace is still standing, Good Lookin’ cradled in his arms. I glance up at him, my heart tightening at the uncertainty I see in his eyes.
His gaze flickers between Sylus, Koen, and me, and I catch the faintest hint of hurt before he looks away.
Fuck.
What does he think about this, about me being with them? What the hell am I supposed to do? I told Sylus I wouldn’t abandon him because of Ace, but I also can’t lose Ace again. The swirl of thoughts and feelings is too much for my exhausted state.
Just as I think Ace will retreat to his room, he steps forward and sinks down onto the floor in front of the couch, crossing his legs with Good Lookin’ still in his lap. He leans back against the couch, so close his hair almost brushes my hand.
I want to stroke his hair like I used to, but I don’t. Him sitting here next to me already means so much, and I don’t want to ruin it, so I blink against the burn in my eyes, not daring to speak for fear of breaking whatever surge of braveness brought him here.
Ace tilts his head back to look at me, the motion bringing soft strands of his hair to graze the top of my hand. The light, accidental touch is enough to make my eyes sting with tears threatening to spill again after all.
“You can sleep,” he says quietly, “We’re all here.”
I nod at him, swallowing past the lump in my throat.
Sylus’s hand strokes my hair, and the tension holding me upright unravels all at once. My body feels like lead, and my head is heavy against his chest. Every muscle screams for rest, but my mind won’t stop spinning.
Ace, Nicholas, Levi, Veronica.
Too many thoughts, too many feelings.
“Sleep, Little Thief.”
The warmth in Koen’s voice is the final push I need.
My eyes flutter closed, and the world around me softens into a blur of murmured voices and quiet breaths.
Later.
I’ll think about it later.