“Yeah, I was thinking of calling in a bomb threat. Why?”
My gaze flashes back to my laptop, still full of Will Sharpe photos and hope. Although this doesn’t seem like the right time to tell Ada about my plans.
“Jake asked me about going,” I improvise. “He might ask you too, so I wanted to warn you.”
Ada’s forehead scrunches. “Which one is Jake, again?”
“Jesus, Ada. The huge, super good-looking one, who—and I really can’t emphasise this enough—plays for the All Blacks.”
“Yeah, yeah. Rugby League?—”
“Union.”
“Union! Fuck! Whatever!” Ada’s dark eyes dart from side to side. “Jake was talking to you at the bar, yeah? The one who had the man-off with Fake Five-Oh?”
I flush at the memory of that strange scene with Jake and Davis. “You saw that?”
“I see everything. He’s the big one who won’t do shots, yeah?”
“Yes. He’s an old friend of Tristan’s.”
Ada pretends to spit on the floor, and I laugh. Her distaste for my brother has alwaysbeen one of her most endearing qualities.
“Jakeisactually nice, though,” I say, tossing her the vape. “I think he likes you.”
“Gross.” Ada gets to her feet. “Well, it’s been a pleasure, Cee, but I’ve got places to be and men to hospitalise.”
I stride to the door and spread my arms wide. “You can’t.”
“Just kidding.” Ada smothers a yawn with her non-vape hand. “I’m going upstairs?—”
“Good idea!”
“—to get my B12 vitamins. I told the guys I have dexies. Ten bucks a pill sounds legit, yeah?”
I groan. “Ada, I know most of those guys were horrible to you, and you didn’t deserve it, but can youpleasenot annihilate their livers and sell them bum drugs?”
Ada pauses, seeming to seriously consider my question. Then she shakes her head. “No. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna do that.”
“But—”
“Sorry, babe.” She lays a sympathetic hand to my side. “I’ve gotta do what I’ve gotta do. Good luck tonight, though.”
“Thanks,” I say weakly. I’m ten inches taller than Ada, but even I know I wouldn’t be able to stop her in the mood she’s in.
“Cool. Please tell your narc boyfriend not to be a narc, by the way.”
“What?”
“The child constable,” Ada says. “Tell him to leave me alone and not balls up my justice.”
“Oh, you mean Davis.” My cheeks heat. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Ada’s eyes narrow. “What’s gotten into you?”
Goddamn Adalasia Renaldo’s powers of perception. Even halfway down a bottle, she can still read me like sheet music.
“Nothing,” I say. “Go assassinate at will. You have my blessing.”
