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My gaze slid to Malice. “Sooo, do we all get our own laptops, or are we all piling in your room?”

Chapter

Thirty-One

MERRI

True to his word, Malice had left a laptop on my bed for me. The sleek, modern device felt completely out of place in a room that looked like it belonged in a museum or maybe a period piece likeBridgerton. Part of me wanted to flounce around in a fluffy dress and wig and sayLet them eat cake, even if that was historically inaccurate.

I shook my head as my gaze wandered back over to the crackling fireplace and what I was pretty sure was an honest-to-God Degas. Like a real one, not a print. I had never been anywhere this sumptuous in my life. I was a little afraid I might break something irreplaceable. Even the bed was gilt and opulent. Four-poster, king-sized, and like sleeping on a fucking cloud. With the rain beating against the window and the wind howling, I had half a mind to burrow beneath these covers and stay here. Hell, I was pretty sure the apocalypse could take out everything but this island, and I’d be fine as long as I could stay on this bed.

A ping pulled me back to my laptop, the incoming notification alerting me that Andi was online and had sent me a message.

PrettyPenny:

Baby girl! Tell me your presence online means you’re all up and running again.

Oh, God, where to begin? And how much could I even share?

Merri-go-round:

Finally looks that way. It was touch and go there for a while.

PrettyPenny:

Was it the quake? I lost my internet connection for a hot fucking minute over here too.

Even though it was Andi, I decided to keep my response vague. Mostly because of the numerous warnings from Sin and Malice that I could not share any personal—or potentially personal—details while online. It wasn’t Andi I was worried about, but if people decided to go after her in an attempt to get to me, I didn’t want her to know anything that could put her at risk.

Merri-go-round:

It did a lot of damage to the place I was staying.

PrettyPenny:

Did you have to find somewhere else to stay?

Fuck.

Merri-go-round:

You could say that. I’m sort of doing the digital nomad thing for now.

I winced at the lie but figured if it kept us both safe, she’d ultimately understand and forgive me for it.

PrettyPenny:

You can always come stay with me if you need to. My couch is your couch.

Merri-go-round:

You’re sweet. I think I’m all set for now, but I will let you know if that changes.

PrettyPenny:

Still shacking up with the hot brute squad? I don’t blame you for choosing them over me. In times like these, it helps to have someone watching your back.

A wave of hunger made my vision blur, and I had to close my eyes against the accompanying dizzy spell.