She shifts her weight onto one leg, settling the board more firmly against her hip. “You want an Omega to get in a car with three Alphas she met half an hour ago.”
North opens his mouth, then shuts it again. “Fair,” he admits.
I laugh.
Ace doesn’t. He’s watching her too closely now, something in him still tight.
“But you know Ace,” North says. “Sort of.”
“Met him on a plane,” she says. “That’s not the same as a character reference.”
I bite back a grin.
Ace and Adelaide stare at each other, and there’s enough in that look to make me want a drink and a front-row seat. Whatever happened on that plane, besides them joining the mile-high club, left marks.
“Head off,” she says. “I’ll meet you there. Just let me know the place.”
“Duke’s in Waikiki,” North answers.
She nods. “I know the place.”
Ace shifts his board higher under his arm. “You sure?” And we’re all standing around again, watching this uncomfortable awkwardness between them.
She smiles at him, easy as anything. Too easy.
“Plenty of time to catch up over lunch.”
Yeah. No. That smile is doing a job.
“Adelaide, we should?—”
“Go, Ace.”
She turns away before he can say anything else and heads toward a van parked near the far end of the lot. Old VW camper, yellow with a white roof, board rack on top. Cute, and suits her.
Ace stands there for another second, lips pressed tight. North shifts his board under one arm, reaches over to me, and takes mine with the other. “I’ll take it with the car,” he says.
I hand it over, and then he and Ace start toward his truck while I head the other way to my bike.
Then I hear her sigh, and I glance back.
Adelaide is crouched by the front tire of the van, her board on the grass beside her.
I change direction fast. By the time I get there, she’s got one hand braced on the wheel and her face has gone still in a way I don’t like.
The tire isn’t just flat—there’s a clean slice through the sidewall. I crouch beside her, and look closer.
“Someone did this,” she says. “Fuckers.”
“Yeah,” I confirm. “That’s cut clean.”
Her mouth tightens. “I have a spare in the back.”
She stands too quickly, grabs her board, and heads around to the rear doors. I follow when she throws the van open.
Then we both stop.
“What the fuck!” she states.
