A laugh breaks loose from my lips, and I nod. “Yeah, I did.”
Icarus spots us as I’m taking the first sip of the beer Roman got for me.
Gale is already half drunk, which is impossible to distinguish because his only tell is getting really chatty. Taylor and Bensen are in high spirits too. It’s nice to see them happy. It’s been a lot of doom and gloom at the auto shop, nonstop training and planning for this mission.
I wonder if they’ll be able to enjoy their lives after Bane Falls.
Will I? I’ve already grown so attached to the idea of them in my future. Thinking about my life after… It seems as pointless as when I got here. Just a girl trying to survive the dark world and monsters within it.
John glances down at me and grins. “Told you it’d be safe here. As long as we stick together, we’re unbreakable.”
I nod and smile as he brings me in for a hug. His cinnamon scent wraps around me, and for a stupid few hours, I believe that everything will be fine.
28
BRIAR
Everyone starts heading downto the racetrack. Much like the first one, the vibe is good. People are having a fun night with their friends, and everyone is nicely buzzed.
Gale leans in. “Let’s go get the top seats. I like being up high where I can keep an eye on everything.”
I nod, and Taylor shoots him a thumbs-up.
Roman’s eyes are heavy lidded, and he looks really tired.
“Hey, are you feeling okay? You look like shit.” John grimaces at his superior and pats him on the back a few times. “I can drive this one, Syxx.”
Roman shrugs John off and straightens his posture, though his eyes convey how utterly zoned out he is.
“I’m fine.” He struts across the gravel toward his Benz and gets in.
The five of us look at one another with concern before Bensen sighs. “We all know that the lieutenant is going to do whatever he wants, so we might as well just head up to the stands.”
The others seem convinced, but I hesitate. I’m pretty sure he only had one beer. “Are you sure? He seemed off.”
John sets his hand at the small of my back as he guides me up to the stands. “Sometimes he just shuts down. You know how he gets. He won’t listen to reason, Squirt. He’s stubborn.”
Something isn’t right. It’s a feeling deep in my gut that I can’t shake.
We sit at the very top back corner of the stands like Gale wanted. Taylor snagged a bag of popcorn from a lady handing them out and is leaned back, chomping away without a worry in the world.
“Thanks for watching from the treetops while I was talking to Grahm. I really appreciate it,” I say to Bensen. His eyes get wide, and he stares at me like I’ve just sprouted two heads.
“I wasn’t watching from the trees, Briar. I was in the crowd.”
My heart skips a beat. “What?” My voice sounds panicked and draws the rest of the guys’ attention. I know I saw a glint. “Then who was in the trees with a scope?”
Gale and John look at each other, and Taylor’s face pales.
We all seem to put it together at the same time. Roman only had one beer but he’s acting weird.
“Oh shit,” Bensen curses as I stand up and fly down the metal stands.
“Briar, wait!” John shouts, hot on my heels.
Someone fucking spiked that drink. But did they know I would grab it? My eyes widen. I didn’t grab it—Grahm handed it to me.
Fuck, this is my fault.
