Page 9 of What Remains

That asshole met his fate when he “slipped down the stairs” in prison and broke his neck, though. Well, more like Carter had him handled. Not that he’ll admit it, but we all know what happened.

“Anyway.”

I can’t believe she just anyway’ed me about this. “Why am I just now hearing about this date? Also, how’d it go?”

“I didn’t want to bother you with everything going on, and you were just getting back from your op.”

I pull my hands away, resting them in my lap. “Well, come on. Spit it out. Where’d you meet him? Please tell me it was in person.”

“He goes to my school. His name is Wes, and he’s cute in a nerdy but cool way.” She sighs. “Figures I finally get asked out after being called a freak for so long and now . . .”

“Now what?” I can’t take the slow roll of intel, dang it.

“Your dad and mine is what.”

Oh shit. I can already tell where this is going.

“Can you imagine if Wes knew your dad and mine were up on the rooftop across the street from the movie theater watching us on our date through the scopes of their long guns?”

“I’m not the least bit surprised.” And now I know why Dad rushed home after our quick op in Yemen. Duty called. In this case, overbearing dads unite. “That might be a little overkill, I agree.”

“More like Wes almost did get killed.”

I lean back in my seat and fold my arms, feeling parent-like myself. “Why’d he almost get dropped?”

“Let’s just say he got handsy with me in his Jeep. And that trust I earned back? Poof. Gone.”

“Handsy?” Not a word she’d ever use.

“Dad said that, not me.”

Figures.

“Dad nearly broke the door off its hinges to stop our make-out sesh.”

Now my fingers itch to do a little recon on this kid. Run a background check on his family, too. Of course, after what happened to Elaina last year, I’m certain Liam already asked my stepmum to do that since she works for the CIA. I wouldn’t blame them for being extremely overcautious when it comes to anyone Elaina lets in her life.

“By the way, you’ll always be a child in Liam’s eyes, even when you’re my age.”

She sighs and goes for the last Oreo. “I doubt I’ll be seeing Wes again, or any boy for that matter. Word spread fast that Dad is crazy protective. So, now I’m the freak but with a scary dad on top of it.”

“You are not a freak.”

“Not anymore. But the kids at school don’t know that.” She twists the Oreo and guesses. Wrong again. Her eyes narrow, and, once again, I can see the flicker of regret about the gifts she’s set aside to have a normal life. “Oh well.”

“Well, if a guy can’t stand up to your dad, he’s not worth your time. Just FYI.”

She pushes back in her seat and stands. “Name one guy bold enough to stand up to yours?”

“And you wonder why I’ll forever be single?” I stand as well. “Come on, why don’t we walk around the hotel. See what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into?”

Once we’re in the lift, heading upstairs, she catches my eyes in the mirrored doors. “It’s still hard for me to believe Carter and Sebastian run this place so well together.”

“Because they’re two bossy alphas, and Sebastian’s basically the Irish version of Carter?” I guess.

She beams from ear to ear. “Mm-hmm.”

Sebastian runs a group known as The League. Rich do-gooders righting wrongs and helping people, mostly in Europe. Two years ago, Falcon and The League worked together to bring down The Collective—a group of wealthy families who once controlled the world, making decisions about other people’s lives to line their already-deep pockets. Working that op was a crazy time in all of our lives. Ultimately, good triumphed, and we survived.