“We did. And now we have this.” I smile at him, and his eyes crinkle. He doesn’t smile, not like I do. But I’m looking past him into the Lodge, where Elodie sits in a cluster of women. She throws her head back, laughing.
“And you have her.” Kaiser bumps my arm with his. I drag my eyes away from Elodie.
No one else can read Kaiser’s stone expression, but I can. No one else would be able to hear the longing in his voice, but I do.
I know him as well as myself. He wants someone like my bunny. All the power and wealth mean nothing if there’s no one to share midnights with.
That’s why I forgave him so quickly for his betrayal. For a long time, he was all I had. It’ll always be him and me, even though now it’s him and me and her.
“St. James was looking for you,” I say. “Maybe he has something for you.”Or someone.
Kaiser grunts and glances back inside. I steal his drink and grin at him over the rim of the glass.
“Asshole,” he says, but now even his lips are smiling.
“Hey, tomorrow night. Movie at our place. There’s a new holiday rom-com.”
“They’re still playing those? It’s not even Christmas.”
“I bought them all for Elodie.”
He snorts. “For Elodie. Sure.”
“The long-lost prince has a brother.” I waggle my brows.
“I’ll bring the popcorn.” He walks away, back inside, pausing to hold the door open for Elodie.
And then, it’s just the two of us on the deck.
“There you are.” Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes are bright. She’s found her footing in Fraternitas. Her ankle has long since healed, and she takes a few shifts at Inferno each week, waitressing while I sit at the bar to keep watch. And now, she knows almost everyone by name.
Today, she’s luminous in a simple white dress and ballet flats. Her outfit reminds me of the first time we were at the Lodge together. I wonder if she wore white today on purpose.
I hold out my arm, and she comes to my side. I squeeze her close. There’s a slight twinge in my gut near the scar of my bullet wound, but it’s worth it. She leans into me, and I marvel at how right it feels.
She tilts her head, her collar flashing. “What are you doing out here?”
“It’s nice out.” I turn her so she’s facing the forest.
“You like it out here. Would you ever want to move here?”
“Live on Billionaire Island?” It’s not a leap of logic. All the Seven have homes here, plus St. James as well Damien, although few people know where his hidden mansion is. Unless you’ve done guard duty out there, which I have. “Naw. I like the penthouse.”
“Me, too.”
For a moment, we’re still, watching the forest together. Listening to the trill of the songbirds and the rustle of the leaves. Drinking in the peace.
She puts a hand on my chest and murmurs, “I have a gift for you.”
“It’s not my birthday.”
“I know. It’s mine.” She slips something into my pocket and backs away, smiling. “If I run, will you chase me?”
“Always.”
She kicks off her ballet flats, and my heartbeat shifts into a higher gear. My muscles tighten, but I force myself to be calm. To wait.
She pulls the pins out of her hair, and her curls come tumbling around her face.
