Alic crossed his arms, expression flat. “And are you really about to go see them like that?” He gestured to me, which reminded me that I was still barefoot and clad in a fluffy robe.
Ugh. No. I wasnotabout to go see my older brother in a robe with bedhead and a post-orgasm glow. Even I knew my limits. I loved messing with him after all his you’ll-always-be-my-baby-sister”- crap, but this… this was too far.
I turned around, rushing to get ready as fast as I could, but Van called after me.
“I got a call from thehound.”
Those words stopped me cold.
I slowly turned back around, blood rushing hot through my veins as I let the anger bloom and settle.
“Hound?” Lucus asked, his brows pulling together.
Alic jumped in before I could speak. “It’s a type of shifter, one with highly refined scenting and tracking skills. They don’t come cheap, but their accuracy is legendary. If you give them something the person wore, they can track a person with ninety-nine percent precision.”
“And the one percent?” Lucus asked.
I answered this time, my voice a low, twisted thing. “Sometimes, they’re hunting someone more dangerous than they are and get killed before they can report back.” It was always a shame when that happened, since finding a good hound was hard. “But make no mistake, they always find their target.”
I turned to Van, eyes sharp now, slipping back into the business mode that had become my second skin.
“Where does the hound want to meet?”
“Some container yard in Old Bridge, New Jersey. About an hour away.”
Nodding, I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked it. My mind exploded—over fifty texts andhundredsof emails. All of them were from employees and members asking when the club would reopen.
“Fuck.”
My chest tightened as I frantically scrolled, watching miles of work pile up on the screen in seconds. I needed to handle this myself, but the situation was spinning out of control. I could feel the cracks forming, fragile and dangerous, threatening to shatter me.
“How can we help?”
Lucus’ voice cut through the rising panic, grounding me. I looked up, and there they were, ready to go to war for me. The pressure eased, those cracks shrinking just enough to breathe.
Except... one person was missing.
“Where’s Ras?” I looked around for my red-eyed stalker demon.
Van grinned, all teeth and smugness. “Boss Calix called, demanding to know why the club's IT guy wasn’t helping him directly.”
Lucus handed me a mug of coffee, his smile twitching at the corners. “It was hilarious. That demon was cursing up a storm, swearing vengeance on your brother for dragging him away from your ‘elegant sleeping form.’”
I sipped, the bitter warmth reviving my bones as I quietly laughed into the cup. Ras wouldneversay that to my face, he knew better, but hearing it secondhand was amusing.
“He’s gonna be tied up for a while,” Van added, clearly too pleased. That smug edge in all of them had me rolling my eyes.Maybe I should fuck with them a little?Keep them on their toes.
“Aww. That makes me sad. Imisshim.” Another sip. I let it settle before casually dropping, “I guess I’ll have to do something special for him later... especially after dealing with my brother all day.”
That got their attention, and brows pinched in sync.
“How bad can your brother be?” Lucus tried to laugh it off, but Van and Alic winced. Theyknew.
Looking at this group, this little army of mine, I realized I could actually get ahead of the chaos if I played it smart.
Straightening up, I turned to Van and Lucus. “Can you head to the club and ask Calix when he’ll be done? I want the place open again tomorrow.”
Facing Lucus, I hesitated, just a little, before swallowing my pride. “Lucus, between your contacts and ours, can you handle getting the club ready in time?”
