The smart thing would be for Terry to either dispose of his phone or give it to an associate to examine. Missing tech was like an unattended drink. Who knew what could slip in?
But James was banking on Terry not doing the smart thing. Terry wouldn’t want to admit his carelessness. Human ego was the easiest thing to hack.
Still hand in burning hand, Kit rounded a grubby corner with Holden. Streetlights flickered in the dead end, reflecting off the van’s dark windows.
“Christ, this is such a stalker van,” Kit muttered. “Why does James even own this?”
“Because James is a total stalker,” Holden said cheerfully. “And yes, takes one to know one.”
He reached for the door—but James was already pushing it open. Leaning out, James’s eyes were dark and intense. “Get in, for fuck’s sake.”
Holden pushed Kit into the van first. Before Kit could joke about being abducted by two of his creepy boyfriends, James shoved him against the wall.
“Don’t scare me like that, pretty boy,” James growled, his breath hot against Kit’s lips. His hand fisted in Kit’s tank top, pulling fabric against skin.
The van door thudded shut. Past James’s shoulder, Holden leaned against the chair. He watched them intently but didn’t interfere.
Which meant Holden agreed with Kit’s instinctive assessment. James was mad, yeah, but the good kind of mad.
“Am I in trouble?” Kit asked, tilting his chin. James always liked the way that move exposed Kit’s throat.
Sure enough, James’s eyes flickered down. “You enjoy being in trouble too much.”
“You should teach me a lesson.” Kit slipped a knee between James’s thighs. “Otherwise, the only lesson I learned is that my plan worked.”
James loosened his grip and straightened Kit’s tank top. “It worked,” he admitted grudgingly. “The target picked up his phone twenty seconds after you two left Cicada. Then his boyfriend tried to kiss him. Terry dumped a pitcher on him, then fled the bar before the bouncers showed up.”
“He was pretty drunk,” Holden added. His attention lingered on Kit’s throat too. “Are you going to spank Kit here, or wait till we get home?”
The question hung temptingly in the van.
Until Kit pushed James out of the way. “No spanking before Carla drives us home!”
James sighed. “You’re too sensible, babe. I’ll call her to pick us up.”
Kit moved to watch the camera feeds as he waited. Giddy success still pulsed inside him, like the crowd dancing in the tiny silent videos.
Though he regretted missing the final drama between Terry and his bartender boyfriend.
22
housewarming gift
Darius wasn’t sure how Miranda even found out he was moving. Evil psychic sister powers, probably. Or a neighbor snitched. Miranda had an infuriating habit of befriending people.
But Darius put aside his phone without answering the text message. She wanted to see his new place, and he needed an excuse to put her off. She could visit after this business with the Rat King was over.
And after he figured out how to spin ‘I’m dating a nineteen-year-old, and so are these other terrible men.’
Kit and terrible man James were currently sitting on Darius’s empty living room floor, taking a break from moving boxes. Darius and Holden—who was currently in class—were moving into the new place first. James’s house was harder to sell than Darius’s apartment.
“Can’t you just hire people to move?” James had complained. “You keep saying you’re rich, too. Rich people hire people.”
“I don’t want strangers handling my firearms,” Darius had pointed out.
Now, over a box of traditional moving pizza, James handed Darius a flash drive. “I have some data I’d like you to look at.”
Darius took it gingerly, like a grenade. “What is it?”
