I tap his knee lightly. “Amazed you’re not screaming in my face about being allowed to go too.”
“I don’t need to.” He smiles at me serenely. “I’m going, so there’s no point getting into an argument about it.”
Neo’s words fall into a brief lull between shouts. Several eyes turn his way, and none of them are happy. My own included.
Wyatt’s the first to speak. “If Neo’s going, then I’m going.”
“Me too,” Ansel adds quickly. “Even if I’m just in the car as a lookout. I don’t want to be so far away. I don’t want to be forced into that small room, wondering if you’re all alive.”
“Agreed,” Wyatt says, and then looks at Matthias. “I know youthink we’ll be in the way, but…you fucking hate this shit. I don’t want you going alone.”
“Look, none of you are going. And Neo’s definitely not going,” I say firmly. “And that’s final.”
“Yeah, all right.” Neo snorts. “But how are you going to get around their security system?” he asks in a sing-song tone. “You’ll need a talented hacker.”
My jaw tightens, my hands constricting into fists. “We’ve managed in the past.”
“Without them realizing someone is tampering with their system?”
There’s a pregnant pause, and I know I’m not the only one remembering how many times we’ve had to hire external people to scrub any proof that we’ve been somewhere. It’s a pain, a huge expense, and there’s always a worry that they won’t do a good enough job or can’t keep a secret.
“I fucking knew it,” Neo says triumphantly.
“Doesn’t meanyouhave to go,” Ansel says. “I’m just as talented. Maybe more so.”
“And your boyfriend is crazier than mine,” Neo says sweetly. I choose not to comment on his implication that I’m his boyfriend. It’s not that I don’t like the word, but it feels too…trivial for what we are. “There’s no way Cade’s going to let you go.”
Cade reaches across to high-five Neo. “Knew I liked you.”
“Hang on,” I say mildly. “What makes you think I’ll agree to letting you go?”
God, the brat is so fucking smug. Makes me want to force him to his knees to choke on my cock until that expression is replaced with fucking bliss. “Because, Wylder, you understand the logic. The family will be safer with me on the team. You’re more likely to succeed. I won’t get involved in any fighting and will wear as many pieces of armor as you deem necessary.”
My fingers twitch.
“I know you’re going to say yes. Everyone else will stay here, but I’m going.”
My hands loosen. “I want you covered. Head to toe.”
“I even have a helmet he can wear,” Cade says as Ansel sulks next to him, his arms folded tightly over his chest. Wyatt doesn’t look much better, he and Matthias both talking in hushed tones. The only ones not arguing are Jules and Jackson, both sitting quietly, watching this all unfold.
Neo grins and kisses my cheek. “You got it, darling.”
He says it like I’ve won, but everyone here knows the truth. Neo just played me like a fiddle, and I let him.
Worse, I’m not even upset about it. How can I be, when Neo’s right? His being there will make it safer for all of us.
I just have to make sure we keep him safe too.
“Is it weird to do this right now?” Ansel asks as he holds up an ornament and hooks it onto the Christmas tree. “I mean, it seems…like the wrong time to do it. You’re going to go attack the Umbra tomorrow night.”
Not tonight, like I originally wanted. Dalton hasn’t heard back from Dante yet, and I’m loath to strike until we know doing so won’t land us in a bigger mess.
“It always seems wrong,” Samson grumbles, pulling out his knife and fiddling with it. “I fucking hate Christmas.”
“I love Christmas,” Jackson says. “It’s my happy place.”
“Is it?” Dalton asks, and Jackson nods, his cheeks flushing.
