Page 69 of Lost & Found

The use of the moniker landed heavier than the threat did. Brother. It wasn’t thrown around lightly in this crew. It was earned in blood, in silence, in shared secrets and shared sins. I hadn’t grown up with them, but somewhere along the way these men had carved out space for me anyway. I was one of them.

The idea of disappointing him would be a hell of a lot worse than his anger.

“Death Squad member or not,” he added for emphasis.

His mood once more shifted and his expression hardened. The way his jaw clenched, along with his penetrating gaze, was enough to convince me he’d absolutely kill me, with no qualms, if Isabella didn’t make it home in one piece.

“I’ll take care of her, just as I would Kinsley.”

“See that you do. Because none of this shit is sitting right with me.”

I nodded solemnly, weighing his words and then choosing my own carefully, I spoke. “Bella and I are friends, nothing more. She is off-limits and even if she weren’t, I knew the cost of crossing the line. I enjoy being a part of this family. More than I can probably put into words. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that, Brother.”

And I meant it. Sebastian’s gaze softened at my words. A flicker of respect shone in his eyes. I rolled my neck, forcing my body to unclench.

“Glad to hear that.” Sebastian surprised me with his next words. He was done with the conversation about family. “When you get back, I’d like to discuss the next steps the club is making. I’ll need your help more than ever now that the guys aren’t as hands-on.”

“Sounds ominous. You looking to get out?” I asked nervously.

“Hell no.” Sebastian looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “I want to incorporate some games and do some themed nights. We’ll be opening the membership applications as well. We do it every few years. It’s time. Things have become…predictable.” He swirled the liquid in his glass.

“Maybe from where you sit,” I said with a grin. Bambi and Allison were now dancing together, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Both of them were staring in my direction.

He chuckled affectionately. “I forget you haven’t been doing this with us for years. I booked the red room. Why don’t you take those two and use it?” He notched his head toward the two women dancing.

“Nah. I honestly just came for a drink. I’m good. Trying to get my head around the upcoming week.”

“I insist. God knows you won’t be doing any fucking while you’re around my baby sister. Notice I didn’t say with my sister. Number three on her list is not happening anytime soon. I expect you to ensure that it doesn’t.”

The need to get the last word in was just one more thing the Caruso siblings had in common with one another. I nodded and slipped from the bar stool.

“Good boy,” Sebastian said with a smirk and a fucking wink. Somehow that made it worse.

“Fuck off,” I said with a grin. “Thanks for the room.”

The controlled chaos in my room was nothing compared to the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. The large suitcase I’d packed sat open on my bed. Everything was neatly folded and had been for two days.

It was only open for the last-minute things, like my makeup bag and bathroom stuff. I shuffled things around and placed the last of the items in. Zipping it up, I did a once more last-minute check to make sure I had everything I needed.

A part of me still struggled to come to terms with what this trip was going to entail. I was fifty-fifty on expectations. All I knew was that it was going to be one hell of a roller coaster. My eyes landed on the bookshelf.

The flight over was going to be long. Might as well bring a book. It would make Tori’s heart happy to know I was bringing a part of her along. I strolled over and grabbed one at random before shoving it into my backpack.

Despite a tiny bit of fear, there was a thrilling sense of freedom, knowing I was embarking on a journey unlike anything I had ever known. I reached for my phone on the nightstand. The list.

I’d typed it up so I didn’t have to carry the physical copy around. The last person I wanted to accidentally see it was Hannah. My thumb hovered over his name for a second longer than necessary before I tapped out a message.

PRINCESS:

Copy of my list for your phone. Make sure Hannah doesn’t have the code to it.

The message whooshed away. Immediately three dots appeared. Then they disappeared. I swallowed. Why did I even mention her? Now it sounded like I cared. Which I didn’t. Not really. Not in a way that mattered. Except…I didn’t like the idea of her knowing things about us. About me. And I didn’t trust her one bit.

The dots danced again.

PASHA:

She doesn’t. I changed it months ago to something she’ll never guess.