Darla's grin turns wicked. "He knows I wanted to tell you. He doesn't know I'm telling everyone else at the shop tomorrow."
I catch Frankie's eye. Her smile is small, private. She already knew this moment was coming, same as me.
Frankie raises her water. "To strategic reveals and emotional ambushes."
"Amen," Darla says, and the laughter is bright, sharp, exactly what we needed. Darla's shoulders drop. "Okay. Now we plan how we ruin our men."
Ruby claps. "Living room. Whiteboard. I need space to plot."
Frankie points her bottle. "You're not writing on my walls again."
"That was one time."
"Three times."
We migrate. Frankie's couch is beat up and loved hard. Ink smudges on one arm, a blanket tossed over the back as though whoever left it there was already laughing on the way out. The throw pillows smell of sage and detergent. Plants everywhere, walls covered in flash sheets and photographs.
Ruby hauls out the whiteboard, wheels squeaking. Same one as before. Corners chipped, marker stains ghosting old sins.
Candace drops into the armchair. Maggie takes the couch, setting brownies on the coffee table. Frankie leans against the wall. Darla curls onto the rug with snacks gathered around her.
I take the couch. The room hums.
Ruby uncaps a marker with her teeth. "Ground rules."
Frankie goes first. "No fire."
"I wasn't going to—"
"That's not reassuring, Ruby."
I tick off the rest. "No permanent damage. No hurting anyone. No getting the club shut down."
Candace's mouth twitches. "Victor would audit you."
"He already did once," Frankie mutters. "Glitter trail."
"No glitter," Candace says firmly.
Ruby's grin turns feral. "We don't need glitter to ruin them."
Darla lifts a gummy bear in a toast. "We need chaos."
Maggie gestures with her brownie. "We need variety."
Ruby writes five names in thick marker. MALACHI EAST KNOX NASH JAMES. She adds in smaller script: KYLE + RIDER?
Frankie makes a noise. "You're going after the kids now?"
Ruby scoffs. "They're not kids. And Rider has been quietly judging us since day one." She turns to the board. "Malachi."
Maggie sits forward. "You can't scare him. You can't embarrass him."
Frankie's smile turns measured. "You can inconvenience him."
"You can invade his control," Candace suggests.
Ruby points at her. "Yes. We don't touch his woman. Or his people. We touch his environment."
