I take my glass from him, excitement buzzing through me as I rejoin my group.
“Here’s to our newest addition!” Alana raises her glass. “Welcome to the chaos.”
Loxley and I clink our cups with hers before we all drink. I catch a flash of long, dark hair in my peripheral vision before we all turn to see Thalia hunting down her victim through thecrowd as he pushes people out of the way.
“Someone should probably stop her,” Alana says.
“Probably,” I agree.
“I’m on it,” Loxley sighs before reaching out and snagging the back of Thalia’s dress.
“Wait—” The assassin reaches for the man who slips away and ducks back into the throng. “Oh, come on!”
“We’re supposed to be having fun,” Loxley scolds.
“Iamhaving fun,” Thalia argues as she fixes her dress and slaps my friend’s hands away.
“There won’t be any fun if youkillhim,” Alana hisses. “I’m not helping you carry a body out of here.”
Thalia’s eyes trail to mine before I shake my head. “Don’t look at me. I’m not helping you.”
“And neither am I,” Loxley shrugs. “Get a drink, and be normal for once.”
The dark-haired woman grumbles before turning toward the bartender. “I’ll take a top-shelf whiskey. My name is Rowan Kingsley. I should have a tab open.”
The bartender narrows his eyes before getting to work pouring her drink. He slides it across the counter, and she takes it with a shit-eating grin.
I deadpan at her. “Seriously?”
“What?” She asks. “He’s my brother. I can torment him if I please. He owes me for staying quiet anyway.”
“You knew too?!” Loxley asks in disbelief.
“Guilty.” The assassin admits. “I offered my basement to Addie, but she didn’t bite.”
“Unbelievable,” Lox mumbles. “You’re all insane.”
“Not all of us,” Alana snorts. “Oh! Before I forget.” She shoves her hand between us, and we gasp at the massive rock sitting in her finger. The diamond is beautiful, catching the dim lights of the club as music pounds around us.
“Finally!” Thalia cries out. “I never thought you two would tie the knot.”
“When did this happen?” Loxley asks in excitement.
“After the whole South syndicate fiasco. Connor proposed again, and I couldn’t find a single reason to say no. We’re both successful and exactly where we wanted to be in life. Throw in a life-threatening situation, and I would have dragged him to the courthouse if I knew my parents wouldn’t throw a fit over not attending the wedding.” Alana proudly observes the ring, turning it on her finger.
“We’re happy for you,” Lox says with a radiant smile. “This is something to celebrate!”
“You bitches will have to carry me out of here,” Thalia plots, a sinister gleam in her eyes.
“No, theguyswill have to carry us out of here,” I correct.
They all agree before our night of fun really begins. The drinks keep rolling, and I lose count of how many I finish as the songs blend together, and our heads buzz. Alana and Loxley stick close to me, their smiles and laughter vibrant and alive as Thalia dips in and out of the crowd. She’s still on her bullshit, but we don’t bother her as she experiences her fun for the night.
As the early morning hours roll around, I’m drunkenly propping my best friend up as we giggle uncontrollably. Alana is in just as bad shape, using the bar to hold herself up as she falls into a fit of laughter at Loxley hanging onto me like a lifeline.
“She’swasted,” the intel expert guffaws.
Loxley’s head pops up, surprising both of us. “I’m not wasted, but I may vomit.”
