“Would some WD-40 kill you guys?” Nico asked, shivering. “That sound is nightmare-inducing.”
Noah laughed. “I don’t know, I think it adds to the overall…ambiance of the place.”
“Yeah, it’s downright charming. Homey, even,” Nico muttered.
The group followed Noah through wide cement rooms and down dark, narrow corridors lit only with emergency lights, before they pushed through strips of heavy plastic sheeting and came face to face with at least half of the Mulvaney clan standing in the center of the room surrounded by equipment that had most definitely once been used to chop up animals. And if the Mulvaneys owned it, probably humans, too.
Shiloh froze in his tracks, but Nico moved farther into the room, hopping up on a steel countertop like there wasn’t dried blood on the floor and rusty metal blades just lying around everywhere.
Mal floated towards Nico—not like he chose to but like he had no choice. Like Nico was the moon and Mal the tides. Nico didn’t seem to notice. He was happy just to have his new friend nearby.
“Where are Jericho and Atticus?” Levi asked, looking at each of them in turn, trying to gauge what exactly was happening.
It wasn’t odd to find Adam at one of these little rendezvous, especially when Noah was coordinating. The baby of the Mulvaney family was nothing if not codependent. It was also not odd to find August there as he was by far their most efficient monster. The twins being there wasn’t an anomaly, but them being there without Felix and Zane was weird.
None of that spooked Levi. Whatdidspook him was having Thomas Mulvaney himself as well as his husband there. They rarely participated in these types of things anymore. Thomas didn’t like coordinating ops outside the mansion and Aidendidn’t like being away from Thomas, especially now that Thomas had finally retired—at least, from the revenge portion of his life. He was busy raising his infant son and grandchildren to be the next generation of justice-seekers.
“They’re on their way,” Noah promised. “They had to drop the kids with Ever.”
Worry drained from Levi in a rush that made him dizzy, but he kept his arms tight around Shiloh.
“Why does this feel like an ambush?” Nico said, kicking his feet like he was on a swing set, seemingly unbothered by the prospect of dying at the hands of the Mulvaneys. “You’re not gonna, like, kill us and shove us through a meat grinder or something, are you? I mean, I’d be flattered to get merc’d by a Mulvaney and all, but I have a lot of shit left I want to do.”
Levi rolled his eyes. His friend was certifiable. He seemed so normal, so happy, but he was an onion and his layers grew darker the deeper you went. But there were parts even Levi hadn’t seen, things even Levi didn’t know.
“The grinder is on the meatpacking side of the plant, and we haven’t figured out how to disable the safety mechanism that would let us chuck a whole person in there,” Avi said, practically pouting as he folded his arms over his muscular chest.
“Yeah, and Jericho said he wouldn’t fix it when a bunch of bone and cartilage eventually got gunked up in there,” Asa added, mirroring his brother’s stance.
Twins indeed.
“Bummer,” Nico said, suddenly bobbing his head to a tune only he could hear. Mal mimicked his movement. It didn’t go unnoticed by anyone but Nico. When Shiloh caught Mal’s gaze, he stopped mirroring Nico, instead crossing the room to where he sat on the counter, stepping between his open knees, then turning his back to him, resting his forearms on Nico’s thighs. Nico didn’t skip a beat, just settled his hands on Mal’s shoulders,oblivious to the looks they were getting as he continued to sway and dance.
“I thought he wasyourbrother,” Adam said to Shiloh, pointing back and forth between him and Malachi.
“I’ve stolen him,” Nico said triumphantly. “Shiloh stole my friend, so I’m taking his brother.”
Adam arched his brow. “Taking him how?”
Nico gave Adam the finger.
Aiden’s lips twitched in amusement as he said, “I thought you two met today?”
Nico shrugged. “We did, but listening to those two fuck like porn stars has trauma bonded us for life.”
“Oh, my God,” Shiloh cried, hands going to cover his face, his mortification obvious.
“He’s just teasing you, baby,” Levi said, shooting Nico a look that screamedshut up.
“I’m not, actually,” Nico said. “You called for God so much I didn’t know if you were getting off or being raptured. Maybe both.”
To his credit, Mal just continued to stare, his expression blank like he’d just…powered off.
Shiloh gave a high-pitched whine, turning to glare daggers at Levi. “You said we weren’t that loud.”
“I didn’t think we were,” Levi said, glowering at Nico.
“Yeah, but you also didn’t think none of us would notice you jerking him off under a blanket in a room full of people so…I don’t think Shiloh should trust your judgment,” Nico said, tone smug.
