“We need a place where we can meet since our rooms aren’t an option.”
The corners of his lips tip up in a sardonic smile as he glances back at me. “Do you now?”
“Yes.”
“And why should we help you with that?” Nico asks bluntly. “You having a place to fuck your boy isn’t exactly our concern.”
“True,” I say lightly. “But let’s just say it’s in everyone’s best interest if it is your concern.”
“And why is that?” Axel asks.
“Because I get cranky when I can’t see him, and that’s when my lips get loose.”
Jordan’s eyes narrow. “Are you threatening us?”
“Nope. Just telling you how it is.”
“That sounds an awful lot like you stepping out of line, and it’s been what, two minutes?” Axel says flatly.
“Not me stepping anywhere,” I say, injecting as much fake innocence into my voice as I can. “Just reminding you that I have leverage here, and I’m asking nicely for your assistance.”
Jordan is glaring at me so hard it looks like he’s trying to use telekinesis to give me a stroke or something, but I just hold his gaze and keep my expression impassive.
“You can use the auxiliary room,” he says through clenched teeth. “Get the code from Carter so you can shut down the cameras when you’re in there, but the swipe logs stay online.”
The auxiliary room is a small shed-like building between the main house and Hamilton House that was built back in the early eighties and was originally used to house the massive amounts of computer and electrical equipment that were needed for our house security back when the tech was new. Now that our systems are self-contained and don’t need to be kept off-site, the building is obsolete, and as far as I know, no one has been inside it for years.
“Thanks,” I say.
He gives me a piercing look. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do.”
He stares at me for a few more beats, then nods.
I watch as the three of them leave the library, then I lock the door behind them and pull out my phone.
I already had Carter turn off the cameras and recording devices in here while we had our conversation; I might as well get the next thing checked off my to-do list while I’m in here.
Flopping back down on the chair, I pull up my mom’s number and send her a quick text.
Xave: are you free? I have something I need to talk to you about
I don’t expect her to answer right away, but she reads my text before my screen goes dark.
Mom: do you want me to call you or is this a text conversation?
Xave: call me
Mom: give me a minute to get to a different room
I wait for a few minutes, then swipe to answer as soon as her call comes in. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”
“I’m good. Are you busy?”
“Not at all. I was just having coffee with your Aunt Rebecca.”
