The chip isn’t that precise. I forgot. I could hide out here for days. Tempting.
I don’t need to look at his face to see the glare that’s marring it. I’m familiar. Only it’s rarely me who causes it. I choose silence. It’s a solid approach, especially since that little episode with Rena tells me I’m drunker than I thought.
He continues herding me toward the North Tower penthouse elevator. Bernard, one of the concierges for the Noires and their elite personal guests, presses the button upon spotting us. No doubt he senses the turmoil, but his face remains impassive.
Once the doors open, Wells shoves me inside, says something low to Bernard, passes him several bills, and piles in beside me. Three seconds into our ride, Wells presses the red Stop button.
That explains the bribery.
“I’m not sure what your plan is, Chief, and no offense, but I bet Liam and Celeste had more fun in the stopped elevator in January than I’m about to have.”
A flash of what it might be like to be stuck in here with Rena assaults me. She’s usually so tall, which I love, but she was shorter today. No heels with her casual attire—that tight little top and her baggy cargo pants, a strip of her midriff showing. So sexy. With or without the added height of high heels, she’d fit perfectly inside my arms. And she smelled good. Mouthwatering. Fruity. Berries, I think. And something sweet that I can’t quite pinpoint, like waffles. Piña colada? Maybe that’s the rum talking.
Wells chuckles, reminding me of the drastically different scenario I’m in. “A joke or more like a smart-ass remark, but I’ll take it. Talk to me.”
“Got nothing to say,” I assert, leaning against the wall and crossing my arms. “Aren’t we going to be late for the meeting I’m not attending?”
That decimates any remnants of his chuckle. “We’re having lunch first. Looks like food is a good idea for you since it’s noon and you’re drunk. And you are in fact going to that meeting. It’s a chance to bridge the tension. We’ll help them, and we’ll all feel better. But first, talk. Where were you?”
I’m exhausted and unwilling to lie to Wells, so I spit out the baffling encounter. “With Rena.”
He dips his chin, some odd expression coasting over him. “Rena. Okay. Not at Magie Noire, right?”
“Fuck no,” I hiss, my arm swinging out to point beyond the doors. “In the hall.”
He releases a sigh of relief, ripping his candy out of his pocket. “I had to ask to know what we were dealing with.”
He’s always strategizing. Always taking care of someone. Right now, he’s doing it wordlessly. Patiently sifting through his Sour Skittles and selecting the reds and yellows.
His therapeutic tactic succeeds.
I need out of this hot box, so I stroke my forehead and cave. “I’ve known that girl for years, and I don’t think I’ve ever been alone with her.”
By design.
Until now.
“Makes sense,” he muses. “There are a lot of us between her family and ours. What were you doing with her?”
“Making sure she was safe.” Sort of.
“Good.” His knowing eyes squint. He makes it his mission to read all of us. It’s far more enjoyable when he’s analyzing the rest of them. “Is that all?”
“Of course.” I throw my hand out in a what-else-would-it-be gesture. “She’s off-limits.”
Ahh. Shit.That was Kraken responding. Always sinking a damn ship.
Wells snickers, so before he can feed into my intoxicated admission, I tack on, “I’m not like that. I mean, it’s not like that. Fuck … I’m not …”
“Ty,” he says, alarmed, stashing his candy bag back in his pocket. “Even if it was something, there are different degrees of off-limits. This does not rank anywhere near the same vicinity as the ones from your past. But that doesn’t even matter now because you’re in no shape.” He pauses—it’s another one of those loaded delays. Deafening. “How bad is it?”
I know what he’s getting at, but I play dumb anyway. “She’s good. Safe. On her way to meet Jax.”
He rubs his hand over his jaw. “Great. What about you? You’re getting worse.”
My mouth kinks into a grimace—it’s parched. I’d like to drown it in a sea of rum. “Depends how you look at it.”
“Really? Am I missing an upside? You’re not sleeping. Not concentrating. Drinking five times as much as usual. You can’t disappear or shut us out.”
