He nods. “Especially anything tied to the gala crowd, the celebrity parties, or security cross-contracts. I think she could be an asset.”
Yeah, hot stuff, I’m sure you do. I’m sure it has nothing to do with wanting to see your stunning ex. I see you, Novak.
“Agreed. When do we leave?” I ask.
“Now,” Jax says. “Only a few days until the gala.”
“Yeah. If Sinclair cooperates, we’ll want Steele with us.”
Luna squares her shoulders. “I’m in.”
And just like that, we head for the elevators.
This is going to be fun!
TWENTY-FIVE
fusion
Pippa
Monday Evening, Day 33
The warehouse is quiet in the way I like it—humming softly with power, alive only with machines that do exactly what they’re told. Unlike the idiots in Washington I’m surrounded by all day. I’m alone in my lab, hair twisted up, sleeves pushed to my elbows as I measure compounds into a vial. The smell is sharp, chemical. Familiar. Comforting, even, in its own way. Control lives here.
I think about last night more than I mean to—how sleeping between Enzo and Hudson didn’t feel strange or dangerous or complicated. We didn’t do anything; we didn’t need to. We just slept.
I remember waking slowly, disoriented for half a minute, then realizing exactly where I was. Tangled and warm, Hudson solid at my back, Enzo’s arm heavy across my waist like it had always belonged there. Safe. Content.
A new feeling for me.
They took care of me. Last night, this morning. Food, coffee, warm caresses. It was easy. No questions. No pressure. Just presence. Then, they drove me home like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I’ve had a smile on my face all day. And that’s just unnatural. I think my colleagues were concerned. It was easier at the senator’s office today. The gala was the main focus, as it’s only three days away. I wasn’t sure whether my anxiety would spiral again, and it wasn’t completely gone, but some of the weight has lifted.
I know that whatever happens in the next few days, I’m not alone. I’ve always had my sisters, but expanding the circle feels much better than I imagined.
A heavy knock at the warehouse door interrupts the low hum of the space and my thoughts. I glance up, already smiling. I check the cameras and buzz them in.
Enzo and Hudson step inside like they’ve always belonged here, too—jackets off, sleeves rolled, eyes on me. Something loosens in my chest at the sight of them.
“You’re early,” I say, grinning.
“We missed you,” Hudson says easily, eyes sparkling.
Enzo smirks. “I wanted to see you at work.”
I laugh and cross the lab. They don’t crowd me, don’t rush.
Hudson leans in to kiss my temple.
Enzo’s hand settles at my lower back, warm and grounding, before kissing my cheek.
I step back and gesture to the bench. “Come on, I’ll show you where I’m at.”
“I didn’t know I had a sexy scientist fantasy, but,fuck, baby, I do now,” Hudson teases.
I wink at him and then walk them through the setup. The vials labeled in my shorthand, testing strips, a small array of devices all laid out with deliberate spacing.
