Chapter 5 #3
“Secondary airfield. Minimal manifest. Duplicate jets. Don’t concern yourself, love, we’ve got it handled.”
“Your security doesn’t touch Maeve,” Atticus says, finally speaking, the sound low enough to rumble in the air. “She’s still under my protection, and I’ve got a contract with Lucifer to honour.”
“You lawyers and your contracts,” Adrian teases, the camaraderie showing their friendship.
“More so that there’s a clause in it which states if they breathe wrong near Maeve, I break their lungs and eat their hearts,” Lucifer says with a smirk. “Maeve signed off on it.”
“Of course, you did, love,” Adrian mutters.
I shrug, grinning at the imp for that fun jab.
“I’m sure we’ll all be on our best behaviour,” Adrian replies. “Assuming Maeve can manage that, of course.”
I flip him off, hating that he’s not on video for this tiny few seconds so he can see the anger on my face.
“I’m the picture of obedience,” I argue. “When it suits me, of course.”
“And me,” Lucifer adds brightly.
“Oh, Maeve, I have missed you. I am sorry you’re going to be coming home under these kinds of circumstances, but it will be nice to see you again.”
“And me, Uncle? Have I been missed?” Lucifer says like a needy little boy. I’d accuse him of it if he were Hadrian, but Lucifer’s just stirring the pot for the fun of it.
Adrian blows out a breath of air. “Would you like me to inform your parents of your arrival, Lucifer? Or would you prefer to remain… unnoticed?”
“I’d prefer you let everyone on the compound know in the next newsletter, but if that’s not possible, I’ll take the text message to the ‘rents. They’re going to be so excited the ban is lifted.”
“More like angry,” Hadrian says with a grimace. “Is Julian working today, Uncle? I’ll need to liaise with him about our parents.”
“Don’t worry about them, my boy, I won’t tell them you’re coming,” Adrian promises.
I roll my eyes at the familiarity and warmth, but Hades laps it up like a dehydrated dog in heat.
Pathetic.
Draven turns to face me, his eyes wide and sharp. He’s picked up on something that we’ve missed by the looks of it. I shiver, not impressed with how I’ve dropped the ball.
I’m a fuck-up.
A mess.
A broken shell.
“My parents will, though,” Lucifer says, waggling his brows at his cousin. “Oh, it’s going to be such a fun family reunion. I’ll have to pack my Sunday best.”
Adrian sighs. “I’m not playing your games, Nephew.”
A shuffle of papers has me narrowing my eyes. He’s feigning boredom, but I’ve been in the room one too many times when he’s taking these kinds of calls, and I know this tell of his.
He’s feigning distraction to pull more from us, and, suddenly, Draven’s look makes sense. He deflected about Julian in a way that wasn’t particularly obvious.
“One final condition,” I interject, causing everyone in the room to halt. My chromius curls up inside me, her terror blurring with my own, and instead of strengthening us, she weakens.
It’s true what they say: it takes someone on the inside to burn it all down.
“Yes, Maeve?”
“If Julian is at the hangar waiting for me, I’ll get back on the plane and fly it to Phoenix Pride myself.”
Adrian laughs. “Trust me, my nephew won’t be part of your homecoming party.”
Twice he’s flagged Julian’s absence. He’s hiding something.
“Ooh, spicy. Is my cousin already in time-out?” Lucifer teases, but no matter how light his voice is, I can see the concern on his face.
Boring. It would be far more fun if he was hoping for death like me.
My chromius hisses at me, and I roll my eyes, shoving the wall back up between us. I don’t give a fuck how she feels about the light pegasus.
Not when she’s so dramatic right now.
Adrian ignores him. “Ninety minutes. Cheryl will text Atticus the coordinates. Maeve, you will answer no one but me until you are wheels up.”
“Then you’d better keep me entertained,” I say dryly. “I get bored.”
“I’ll see you soon, Maeve,” he says, and the line hums with his smile seconds before it goes dead.
Fucker.
I can’t stand him, his hubris, or his mask of lies.
I’ve never hated anyone more than Adrian Graves.
Asshole.
Lucifer whistles low, his eyes bright with mischief. “Well, congratulations, princess. You just got us an invitation to hell.”
“I don’t know if this is news to you, Luc, but that’s already what I’ve been living,” I murmur, looking down at my nails.
I take a slow breath, composing my inner panic into anger, and meet his gaze. My smile is sharp enough to cut glass, and I hope it fools everyone, considering the pit in my stomach has grown to the size of a football at the sound of his voice.
The hair on the back of my neck tingles, and even my chameleon hisses, curling up inside of us.
Oh, how useless she is.
“Now, let’s just make sure that I never have to be alone with that psychopath.”
“Oh, pretty princess, trust me when I say that’s never going to happen,” Lucifer promises.
“Over your dead body, then, Cuz?” Hades taunts.
Lucifer cracks his knuckles, and the look on his face seems to devolve past primal into a more feral expression. “No, Hades. It’ll be over yours. And his. And every other person that dares to cross me. Understood?”
“Lucifer,” Draven calls from across the office room. Atticus stays silent, just watching the dramatics take place.
“Yes, daddy D?”
“Don’t fuck this up by letting your ego get in the way.”
Luc shakes his head, reaching over to pat Draven’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, boss, I don’t have an ego that could get in the way.”
Hades and I laugh, and even Draven cracks a smile.
Atticus’s gaze searches mine, and I have no idea what he’s looking for. He’s my alpha, not my dad or friend. He shouldn’t really care.
“Last chance to change your mind, Maeve,” he says softly. “We can adjust your security and make plans to keep you safe here without forcing you back somewhere you clearly don’t want to go. We can even figure out an alternative plan for your… fake mate.”
I appreciate him acknowledging that the bond Julian claims we share is fake, but I know for a fact Atticus himself doesn’t believe it.
“Once my mind is made up, there’s very little that can change it,” I reply. “Ask Adrian. It’s one of his least favourite qualities about me.”
A muscle ticks in his jaw—approval, irritation, or maybe both.
“Then you’d best make sure you make him regret sending that jet,” he says firmly. His smile is broad and proud.
“Oh, trust us, Lion King, we’re going to blow the jet to pieces,” Lucifer says.
“Hopefully not literally,” Draven mutters.
“Oh, no, it absolutely better be literally,” I protest, stepping past them as Hadrian opens the office door. “Adrian thinks he’s sending the jet as a favour. He’s not. He’s funding the stage for his own execution.”
Draven’s grumble sends shivers down my spine. “I’ve got my hands full with you two.”
He’s not wrong.
We haven’t discussed Draven’s plan to get over there, besides using a case, but I know he’ll have it covered. Luc might tease that Draven’s his ‘Daddy’, but I know for a fact it’s due to his competence and ability to control any given situation.
It makes him a very good lawyer but a bit of a pain in the ass as my boss.
Atticus’s phone buzzes, and he reads out the coordinates to us so that we can prepare.
Draven is already moving, and Lucifer takes up the rear, with Hadrian sticking close to me without touching.
My chromius presses sharply against me, her fear cloying and hard to ignore. It’s okay, though, because my anger is fear dressed as hunger.
We’ll make it work—we always do.