She scoffs. “I thought it was my great taste in music.”
“No one thinks nineties boy band music is great. Fucking no one.”
She lets out a breath that sounds like relief. “Thank you.”
I raise a brow.
“For listening. I know things have been strained?—”
“It’s been a weird few weeks, that's for damned sure, but you and I have been friends a long time.”
Luna agrees.
“I’ll always be here for you.”
She offers me a smile and stands from her chair.
“And Eva?” I ask as I join her to leave.
She takes a deep breath. “It’s new. And complicated.”
“Just be honest with her. She can handle it.”
“Since you’re checking in on your family”—she turns to me—“my sister is also my top priority. So don’t make me mad again, okay?”
“Oh shit. You were mad at me?”
“Duh!” she says with a smile.
“Fine, fine. Let’s be nice to each other’s families then? Sound good?”
“I like that.”
Before I open the door, I say, “Oh, and we’re on the security detail for the gala. Confirmed this morning.”
“We have three days. I—I’m glad this part will be behind us soon.”
Their scars may never heal, but Troy’s death will be the start of a new phase. We unlock the SCIF and step back into the controlled chaos of the HQ hallway.
Jax Novak spots us and walks our way. He’s at least five or six inches taller than my six feet, and his combination of dark hair and blue eyes is striking. He probably has a decade on me. And knowing he and Jules have history makes me very motivated to know this guy more.
“Cross, Steele,” he says, calling to us both. “Good timing.” He has a slight Eastern European accent that is very alluring.
Yeah, Jules, I see it. Yum.
I clock the look in his eyes—focused, purposeful.
“I need to scope a local security firm. Redline Solutions,” he says. “I want to stop by today and thought you two could join me.”
Luna glances at me, expression blank, then back to him.
“Jules Sinclair, the CEO,” Jax continues, “I know her from my Interpol days. We partnered on some cases.”
“Really?” I feign ignorance.
“Yeah. She’s solid, but I need to see if she’ll open her files.”
“For client overlap?” I fake-guess.
