Ivy bites her lip, enthusiastically tying it all up. “But what really sold it was the loyalty test we proposed for Rena—my suggestion, although Jared presented it to him. None of you were ever in real danger tonight; you’d already passed, but it had to appear genuine. That’s also why we had refused to let you research the tasks and kept you in the dark. Balzano was, of course, unaware that any of you were being tried. He believed today was Rena’s loyalty test, and because Axel and Jax had messed with KORT—since we’d presented evidence of Jax’s involvement in messing with his holdings too—Renawould be forced to choose between the three of you or fail. And the smug asshole bought it, thinking he’d take you all out at once.”
Wells holds a butterscotch candy between his fingers, flashing it at my girl—a silent commendation from him. “Another notable accomplishment is that we infiltrated the Balzano will. All his resorts and casinos have been turned over to the Noires. So, congratulations. You are now among the largest hospitality tycoons in the world.”
“Holy shit,” Rena gasps to which Jax utters an under-his-breath, “No fuck,” and Axel and I both laugh.
Payne taps his fingers on the table, his lips twitching in amusement even though it’s clear he’s ready to move on. “I think that about covers everything. You all four performed impeccably, with valor and unwavering loyalty to one another, the organization, and your tasks. Tytan, we appreciate your fight and commitment to go the extra mile when you saw something beyond what you had been called to deliver. Your team did an exemplary job of upholding KORT’s values—honorable work. I don’t know about all of you, but it’s been an exhausting week, so let’s get Axel inducted and embark on a new era with the Noire empire.”
Once the induction was finished, we all met at the private airfield. Celeste and her guards were waiting in a nearby hotel suite with Felicity and Natasha—Ivy’s mom—so Liam went to retrieve them during Rena’s final test in case something went awry.
Axel and Jax are flying back with us too. While we had four planes there between us, we all piled into one, instructing the flight crews to take the other planes home.
Celeste passes a glass of champagne to Rena, who is lounging in the seat between Jax and me. “So, you’ve been through hell. I thought being kidnapped for a few hours was rough, but what do I know? I hear you nailed your final test.”
“Kettle corn, girl,” Jax boasts, nudging Rena’s shoulder andlifting his cocktail into the air. “She killed it.” He pauses, drawing out the moment. “And then we all did.”
Rena sips the champagne and nods. “It was a boss-level finale, for sure.”
He belts out a boisterous laugh, rubbing his forehead. “I actually fucking thought that. Those words went through my mind while we were shooting.”
Rena’s giggle flows out of her as she flips her index finger between her temple and Jax’s. “We’re always right there, big bro.”
Celeste shoots me a look—a mixture of bewilderment and awe—before stooping down and gliding a hand over Rena’s leg. “So, you’re okay? I mean, I kind of get that because when my brother’s murderer got what he deserved, I felt vindicated. Even though he was someone I’d once cared about. But this was … I’m not sure how to phrase it.”
“It’s weird. Technically, he was my father.” Rena glances at Jax and tacks on, “Our father. But that’s just DNA. Other than that, he was the face of everything we’d lost. So, maybe I’m coldhearted, but I don’t feel bad. Axel is the man who raised me. Balzano was nothing more than a monster.”
Celeste clinks her glass to Rena’s with a devious grin and stands back up. “Well, you’re officially ours and certainly fit to be a queen.”
“Aww, thanks, girl.” Rena pops her shoulder and flutters her lashes.
Jesus, she’s adorable.And fierce. And fucking sexy in her sleek, curve-hugging black-denim jumpsuit. Cleavage on display. Legs for days. Lethal.
But my erotic imaginings flit to something else with Jax on the other side of her, so I lean around my wife and eye my brother-in-law. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
“Yeah,” he sighs, swilling his drink. “A tiny redhead warned me.”
Rena smirks, but her face is nearly crimson, her eyes ping-ponging between us as Celeste covers her own grin with her champagne glass.
“You gave me up,” I snap in jest, regarding his gossip about my piercing. “Doesn’t that break a million codes?”
He rests his head against the seat, his eyelids growing heavy. “Bro codes and professional ethics don’t count with Ivy. That girl just gets me to spill, man. Dangerous. Like a therapist. You got off easy. Plus, since you married my sister, trust me when I say, karma’s a bitch. Wish I didn’t know.”
“I actually can’t argue with any of that,” I concede.
And speak of the petite, freckled devil …
Ivy sidles up beside Celeste with her own champagne, clanking her glass with a celebratory cheers. “We’re finally going to be able to do Wine Wednesdays. For the rest of our lives.”
“Or we could make it Wine Week,” Celeste counters, which has Rena whooping before Celeste embellishes. “Why limit it to one day? Balzano is dead. No one’s being hunted. Trials have been passed. We should live it up. We might finally be drama-free.”
“Christ, Ace,” Liam scolds with a mischievous twinkle as he tows his wife against him. “You know better than to declare that shit out loud. It’s like if you announced you were going to win every hand, that would be the game you finally lost.”
“Doubtful,” she argues, pecking him on the jaw. “But point taken.”
Something about that sparks a concern I pushed aside, so I grab Wells as he passes me on the way to fetch a drink. “Hey, what happened with that girl that Vargas sent you to pick up?”
He squats beside my chair, and an expression I can’t decipher washes over his face. He peers around the plane and takes a breath. “I’ll fill you in later. Since we had all this going on, I had to stash her. It’s a temporary station—two more weeks at most. She’s okay. A rough one. But nothing to worry about tonight.”
He squeezes my right shoulder and struts away, but I can’t shake the feeling that there is a whole lot more to that story. I’m not sure ifa rough onewas in reference to her case or her demeanor.
