Page 41 of Vows of Ruin

Riot doesn’t look up from his cards. “Brooding in his Batcave. Said he’s not stopping till he finds where that psycho crawled off to.” He shrugs. “Dudes in a mood.”

Margot tosses a chip into the center, barely looking. “I offered to help, but he refused to let me look at a computer, he said I needed the rest. Just let him work it out.”

We all nod. Fair. Elias gets obsessive when the people he loves get hurt. It’s one of his more useful traits.

Wrenley shifts in my lap, letting out a soft sigh, and I pull her closer without even thinking. Her hand wraps around mine beneath the table, fingers lacing through mine. Something tight in my chest loosens.

Torque throws down his cards. “Read it and weep, fuckers. Full house.”

Wrecker groans like he’s been shot. Riot flips him off without lifting his eyes. Margot chucks a mini marshmallow at Torque’s head. God only knows where she got those from.

“I call bullshit,” she says. “You have cards up your sleeves.”

Torque smirks. “I’m not wearing sleeves.”

“I know you’re cheating,” she retorts, straight-faced “And I am going to catch you doing it.”

Torque shakes his head smiling. “You’ve been saying that for over a year now, and you still can’t beat me.”

Wrenley laughs quietly against my neck, and I swear the sound cleanses a hundred bad memories. It’s good to have this, this moment of peace before the next wave hits. Tonight, we’ve got cards. We’ve got each other, and I’ve got Wrenley right here. Soft, steady, and still burning, too wild to extinguish.

“Your bet, Little Warrior,” I murmur against her temple.

“Hmm,” she hums, dragging a red poker chip through her fingers before tossing it in. “All in. Let’s go.”

Margot’s already cackling. “You’re bluffing.”

Wrenley shrugs unapologetic.

The door creaks open and Doc strolls in, drying her hands on a small towel. “The bathroom next to Torque’s room? Top tier. I might move in there. The tub is ridiculous.”

Wrenley grins without looking up. “Should’ve asked to use mine. Bigger tub. Built for three.”

She says it with that devious glint in her eyes, and I already know what’s coming. The room goes quiet for half a beat.

“Built for what?” Riot laughs so hard he nearly knocks over his chair. “Please, say you didn’t…”

“I’ll never be able to walk by her door again,” Wrecker groans dramatically, throwing his cards down. “Please say you don’t take baths together like toddlers?”

Torque lowers his head, “They do…”

Max walks in just in time to catch the tail end of that. “We have,” he says casually, grabbing a pretzel off the table and popping it into his mouth. “But with more slippery thighs and fewer rubber ducks.”

Riot chokes on his drink. “You need Jesus.”

Max grins, sitting down next to me and getting dealt in. “You’re one to talk, I’ve seen the collection of bath oils in that bathroom you all use.”

Riot stares with his mouth open. Margot shrugs, not denying it.

I just shake my head. “Guess we’re just telling all our secrets tonight.”

Wrenley looks over her shoulder at me with that smile that guts me every damn time. “That’s how this works, remember?”

Right. No secrets. No lies. No walls between us anymore. I’ll die before I break that promise.

Before we get too deep into the next hand, the heavy thud of boots echoes from the hall. Elias steps into the kitchen, eyes bloodshot but lit with adrenaline. He’s carrying his laptop like it’s a grenade.

“I found something,” he says, voice tight. “Didn’t expect to, but I did.”