Page 28 of Unleashed By Eden

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I take one last drag, blow the smoke toward the ceiling, and crush the cigarette in the ashtray on the table.

We’re laying around my suite, killing the dead hour the way we always do, that stretch right before a show when the adrenaline hasn’t kicked in yet.

Kai is half asleep on the couch with a bag of chips balanced on his chest, hand digging in on autopilot. Theo is wearing a path into the rug, clutching a protein shake and ranting about how the hotel gym’s treadmill is “lying” about his pace. Xander is arguing with him for no reason other than the fact he’s bored.

Chris has claimed a chair in the corner, laptop open, headset on, going over run sheets and transport, and Liam is sitting opposite him, scrolling through his phone, pretending he’s not listening to the idiots argue about whether a treadmill can gaslight someone.

Dave is filming from a distance, capturing it in that fly-on-the-wall way I’m getting used to. Somewhere behind him, Vi moves quietly through the room. Her shutter clicks now and then, the soft mechanical whirr lacing through the noise.

Every time I glance her way, a body or a camera drifts into my line of sight, or Liam asks her something. Between him and the documentary crew, I haven’t had a single unobserved second with Violet. Right now, trying to get a private word with her feels like sprinting through traffic.

Theo grabs the bag of chips from Kai’s chest and snatches a handful. “I’m telling you, if I ran on an outdoor track, I’d be faster,” he declares.

Xander groans. “You ran for four minutes, mate. Four. And you could barely take a breath by the end.”

“It was on incline seven.”

“No, it wasn’t. I watched you. You set it on two,” Xander says, not even looking up from his phone. “You shouldn’t be that sweaty after four minutes.”

Kai licks salt off his fingers. “He sweats at zero incline.”

Theo flips them both off and crams the chips into his mouth. “You assholes are just jealous of my raw athleticism.”

“Yeah,” X quips dryly. “Your raw athleticism that nearly killed you.”

“You’re eating chips with a protein shake,” I add.

The room breaks into scattered laughter. It’s stupid, pointless, exactly what this lull is for.

Liam’s phone rings. He looks at the screen, then answers too fast. “Hey, babe . . . What? Wait . . . Are you serious? Now? You’re sure?” His voice jumps an octave on the last word. All the color in his face drains at once.

Every head turns. Even Vi lowers her camera, lens dangling against her chest.

“Holy shit,” he breathes. “I’m coming. I’m coming right now.”

He hangs up, both hands flying to the top of his head.

“Anne?” I ask, already knowing.

“She’s in labor.” The words come out on a half-laugh, half-choke. He’s beaming and panicking at the same time. “It’s happening.”

The suite erupts. Everyone starts talking at once, congratulations and whoops and filthy jokes about push presents flying in every direction. Theo smacks him on the back hard enough to rattle his teeth. Kai grabs him by the shoulders and shakes him like a can of soda. Xander gives him a chest slap he could have done without.

I step in and pull him into a proper hug, arms tight around him. “Go,” I say into his shoulder. “Get the hell out of here and be with your woman. We’re good.”

He laughs, a little shaky. “Yeah. Yeah, okay. Fuck. I can’t believe it.”

Vi steps up and wraps her arms around him, too. Her face softens in a way I haven’t seen yet, the hard edges smoothing out. I watch it greedily, memorizing it. She murmurs something in his ear, too quiet for me to catch. Whatever it is, he releases a breathy laugh and nods.

“Text us when she’s here,” she says, giving his arm a squeeze.

“Will do,” he promises, already backing toward the door.

Chris snaps his laptop shut and follows him out, phone at his ear, barking into it about transport and ticket changes.

The door closes behind them, and the suite falls quiet.