“Emma?” Saoirse’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts, waving her hand in front of my face.
It was our regular Thursday night ritual. The four of us were lounging right outside Caerleon Manor, basking in the evening sun, each of us holding a cocktail. The tradition had started with Emile’s weekly missions, which meant Rocco needed some company to fill in for his best friend—or to distract him from the fact Emile was spending so much time undercover with Radicals.
Emile’s mission was crucial though. Despite our efforts, we were no closer to finding the Amplifier than we had been three months ago. We desperately needed the intel he was gathering.
Unfortunately, every lead he provided turned out to be a dead end. By the time we arrived at the locations he suggested, the Radicals and the Amplifier had already vanished, and I couldn’t shake the worry the Radicals might have compromised Emile, feeding him false information to lead us astray.
I blinked, coming back to reality. “Sorry,” I said, “I must’ve spaced out.”
She laughed, clearly enjoying herself. “No worries. Daydreaming about sex with some hot guy, I hope?”
I shrugged. “Not quite.”
Her gaze flicked to mine, something knowing sparking in it, like she could see straight through me.
Saoirse took a slow sip from her cocktail, then set the glass down with a smirk. “You know, you seriously should consider a sexual rebound.”
“I volunteer as tribute!” Rocco instantly declared with a grin, which made me snort, until Sean punched him on the arm.
“Ouch! What was that for?” our resident Casanova complained, rubbing the soon to be bruise.
“For trying to snag such an honorable job without putting in any effort,” Sean retorted, sounding strict but playful.
I laughed, and kissed Sean affectionately on the cheek.
“You know who used to be great at providing distractions?” Saoirse asked, a wistful smile playing on her lips. “Caden.”
I perked up. “Oh really? How so?”
Saoirse ran her fingers through her flowing, auburn hair and leaned back with a smirk. “Let’s just say the sex with Caden was next-level. I swear, it was like he knew my body better than I did. And I know for a fact, I wasn’t the only woman who felt that way with him.”
Rocco snorted. “No shit. Every guy in this Collective is inherently jealous of Caden. The man has gotten more action than all Offensives combined.”
I remembered Sean telling about Caden’s regulars. It wasn’t surprising, considering Caden was insanely hot, charming, and First Offensive. Still, I hadn’t seen him with any woman other than myself since my first night at Crown.
Saoirse nodded; her eyes distant as she reminisced. “With good reason. If sex were a marketable talent, he’d be the richest man alive. I still imagine his hands on my body when I play with myself at night.”
Rocco’s jaw dropped. “Can I please volunteer as tribute again?”
Sean gave him another playful punch.
I smiled, arching a brow as I looked back at Saoirse. “So, if he’s that amazing in bed, why are you talking about him in the past tense? Did he run out of tricks, or something?”
Saoirse’s smile faltered. “I tried to hook up with him a few times these past few months, but he turned me down every single time.”
“No way!” I said, genuinely surprised. Turning to Sean, I jabbed a finger in his direction. “Why on earth would he pass up someone as awesome and hot as Saoirse? Is he clinically insane?”
Sean shrugged, clearly a little uncomfortable. “Hell if I know.”
I turned back to Saoirse, curiosity tugging at me. “Any clue why he’s suddenly gone total monk-mode?”
Saoirse sighed, then ran a hand through her hair. “Not really. It’s like he’s built this invisible wall around himself. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s not just with me. As far as I’ve heard, he hasn’t been with anyone in almost six months.”
Rocco swirled his drink lazily. “Maybe he thinks if he ignores everyone long enough, he’ll evolve into a tragic antihero,” he mused. “We should check if he’s narrating his own life in third person.”
I chuckled. “Or he tried to process his emotions and accidentally opened a black hole.”
Saoirse and the others laughed, and the conversation drifted to other topics. But Caden’s sudden distance lingered in my mind, and I made a mental note to ask him about it next time we were alone.
