Tripp recoils. “Aggressive. Low vibration energy. I’m going to go network with the valet.”
He wanders off.
“I hate him,” Max sighs. “He tried to sell me an NFT of a gallstone last Christmas.”
“Focus, Maxwell,” Sloane says. “The nuclear launch codes are being entered.”
She’s right. Frederick is whispering in Catherine’s ear. Alistair is turning purple. Meredith is currently losing an arm-wrestling match to the Archbishop on a waiter's tray.
“I’m bored,” Alistair announces loudly. “The Vane drama peaked too early. I need to escalate.”
“Escalate to what?” I ask. “Nuclear option?”
“Scorched earth,” Alistair agrees. “I’m going to propose a toast to Frederick’s hairpiece. It’s not a hairpiece, but by the time I’m done, everyone will think it is. It’s a psy-op.”
“I do not wear a hairpiece!” Frederick shouts.
“It’s a weave of lies!” Alistair shouts back.
The room goes silent.
Alistair straightens his tie. He looks at the Archbishop.
“Your Eminence,” Alistair says. “Ten to one odds I make Frederick cry?”
The Archbishop slams Meredith’s hand down onto the tray. “Victory!” he declares. He checks his watch. “I’ll take that action, Alistair. But make it quick, the buffet closes in twentyminutes.”
Alistair grins.
“Run,” he advises us. “Extract yourselves. I’ll provide covering fire.”
He marches toward the microphone.
“Go,” Max orders us. “He’s going to do it. The blast radius will be significant.”
“We’re bugging out,” I say, grabbing Luke’s hand. “Exfil is the side door.”
“Wait,” Luke stops. “The crab cakes.”
“Leave the cakes, Luke! This is a hot zone!”
We run. We weave through the crowd, dodging Aunt Meredith who is demanding a rematch. We slip out the side door just as Alistair taps his spoon against the glass.
“Ladies and Gentlemen! A toast to my brother Frederick! A man who proves that money can buy hair, but it cannot buy dignity!”
The door clicks shut, muffling the chaos.
We stand on 5th Avenue. It’s quiet.
“Your family,” Luke says, exhaling. “Max and Jax… they’re the only sane ones, aren't they?”
“They’re the survivors,” I say. “And now, so are we.”
Luke laughs. He pulls me in by my lapels and kisses me.
“Let’s go home,” he says. “I want to take this jacket off.”
“To the Penthouse?”
