Bree outdid herself with the party planning this time. She did most of it while I was incarcerated in Luminary HQ, insisting on keeping it a surprise because it’s my nineteenth birthday.
“Would you recommend marriage then?” I ask with a wide grin.
“Actually, I would.” A glorious smile spreads over Lo’s mouth. “I would highly recommend it. Tell anyone who says you’re too young to go fuck themselves.” Tilting her head to one side, she studies my face. “Is that something you guys are considering?”
I wish I could tell her, but I can’t. “Not right now.” I steer her away from the boisterous crowd in the living room toward the kitchen. “But it’s definitely in the cards for later.”
“So, things are good with you?” She leans against the counter as I open the refrigerator door.
“Yep. Name your poison.”
“I’ll take a beer,” she replies, glancing left and straightening up.
I grab two beers, pop the caps, and hand one to her.
“I know Ares is a giant ass, but holy fuck is he hot.” She stares in the corner where Ares is deep in conversation with Rocky Road and Shoulders.
“Says the woman married to four of the hottest guys on the planet.” I clink my bottle against hers. “You did good, Lo.”
“I did, didn’t I?” She flashes me a grin. “But don’t change the subject. What’s the tea with your stepbrother?”
“Same ole, same ole.”
“Has he said anything about payback yet?” she asks, lowering her voice. I’ve had a couple of calls with Lo since we moved to LU, so she’s up to speed on everything but the Luminary bullshit.
“No, but Bree has a guy working on digging up some shit, and we’re expecting a report this week.”
“I mentioned it to Theo. If you want him to investigate it, you only have to say the word.” Theo is an IT genius with some mad hacking skills. I was planning on asking him to help, but I think it’s best to keep my friend and her husbands away from my bullshit. They only just extricated themselves from a nightmare with Saint’s dad and The Sainthood. They don’t deserve to get dragged into anything else.
“Thank you both. I’ll let you know if we need assistance.”
“There you are.” Bree bounces into the kitchen, looking like she’s ready to commit murder.
“What’s up? Did something happen?” I ask, instantly grabbing another beer from the fridge for her.
“Toby is here, and we got into it again.” Bree explained this week how she is promised in marriage to Tobias Salinger. Apparently, he makes Ares look like a puppy dog. The wedding can’t take place until she graduates, so we have four years to find a solution to her dilemma.
Fucking luminaries and their arranged marriages and bullshit checks and balances.
“Tell me who I need to gut, and I’m there.” Lo lifts the side of her short black dress, revealing the dagger strapped to her thigh. She is legendary in these parts for her blade skills and sharpshooting expertise.
“Girl, don’t fucking tempt me.” Bree snatches the beer from my hand. “If murder was an option, I’d have gutted that prick the second he came out of the womb.”
Lo bursts out laughing as Bree grins, bringing the bottle to her lips. We all knock back a few mouthfuls, and then I introduce the girls to one another. We are chatting and drinking when Baz appears in the doorway. This is the first time I have seen him since my initiation. He jerks his head toward the hallway, and I excuse myself for a few moments.
I hold my head up as I walk out to meet him, projecting confidence even if I’m a teeny bit nervous. It’s more than a little weird after what went down, but it was just sex. It’s only awkward if I make it so. “Hey, what’s up?” I say when I stop in front of him.
His lips fight a twitch. “Not my dick this time, you’ll be glad to know.”
“Oh my god.” A giggle bursts from my mouth. “I can’t believe you went there.” I’m glad he did though because it breaks any possibility of tension.
“I’m not known for my filter.” He waggles his brows and tilts his head to the side in a gesture reminiscent of his brother. “I just wanted to check in and make sure everything is cool.”
I know Jase doesn’t get along with his brother, but I don’t understand why. I actually really like Baz. “I appreciate that, and everything is fine.”
“You and my brother worked things out?”
“We did.”
