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Alex’s skin went cold the moment he heard the name. The Owl. There was no fucking way he heard that wrong. His first instinct was to look at Hal—and Hal was already looking him, dark eyes wide with the same realization.

Alex almost wanted to mouth Basa’s name, but that small furrow in Hal’s eyebrows told him to shut up. This was not the place. Not now. Instead, Alex swallowed and turned back to Jun, making sure he wasn’t going crazy. “What did he look like?”

Jun shrugged. “I never saw him. He stayed in a back room the whole time. But the lab equipment, the barrels, the setup—it’s a full manufacturing operation. Whoever the Owl is, he’s the one producing the Durden.”

The fluorescent light buzzed.

Nobody spoke.

Alex could practically hear the gears grinding in five different heads. His own head spun. He bit his nail to prevent himself from exploding. He hated that this was the only time that his suspicions were right. But something didn’t sit right with him. If it was Basa, Rafael would have told him already. Then why didn’t he back at the Nest or the night market?

He was about to turn to Hal before his thoughts further escalated when Robin cut through the silence first.

“So, Covey isn’t the manufacturer,” Robin said. “He’s the middleman. He uses his celebrity connections to distribute through his parties, and Ashley handles the direct sales.”

“And the Owl makes it,” said Hal, his face remaining stoic.

“Which means,” said Ken, slowly, his hand still resting on the back of Snowy’s chair, “if we want to understand why Durden resurfaced—and what happened to anyone connected to it—we need to get to the Owl.”

The words landed on Alex like a weight. Anyone connected to it. It gnawed him from the inside out that more people he knew were involved. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but there was a chance that they could run into another dead end.

He wasn’t there at the farm with Jun to see the Owl.

Rafael didn’t tell him anything. Did Rafael even know that Basa was behind the distribution for Covey?

And if Covey was doing the distributions at public events like a party, he wouldn’t do it alone. He would need help. A wicked smile crept across his lips when he realized the only help Covey would get was from the Garras.

That was his way in. And if he couldn’t get anyone else to confirm it for him, then he would have to do it himself.

Alex looked at Snowy. “You said Covey throws these parties. When’s the next one?”

Snowy’s exhaustion was showing through every crack now. The sequins on her shirt caught the fluorescent light every time she breathed, winking like they were mocking the situation.

“I don’t know. We’re not close. But…” She trailed off, chewing her lip. “If someone were to give him a reason to throw one—an event, a guest worth impressing—he’d jump at it.”

Alex glanced at Kana. She was already looking at him. Her makeup was wrecked, her eyes were swollen, and she still looked like the most dangerous person in the room.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking,” she said.

Alex grinned. “We give Covey a party he can’t refuse. Get Ashley in the room. And find out who’s behind that door.”

23

Reunion

Snowy looked at Alex with scrunched lips. “Huh?”

“You heard me, pony,” said Alex. “Convince Covey to throw a Durden party.”

She recoiled. “Why?”

“Because…” Hal said slowly, the realization spreading across his face. “It’s a trap.”

Jun watched the group from where he leaned against the Vanquish. The plan took shape in front of him, like a map being drawn in real time.

Alex pointed at Hal. “Bingo. She’s our way in so we could find Ashley and her supplier.” He caught Ken’s furrowed look and spread his arms. “Why you looking at me like that?”

“We don’t even have a warrant,” Ken muttered.