Page 44 of Prey It By Ear

It’s a bit more than that, I believe, but I doubt the twins tell their father anything for fear of his wrath.

Of course, his wrath has diminished since they left, it seems, and they simply have no idea how indolent the man is now. He sounds perfectly vicious on the phone, and in person, he’s practically a spoiled sultan. Luckily, he’s not a terrible lay, especially with the addition of the harem into the fold. I will survive his disappointing stature and smelly tanning oil so Papa can achieve the next step in his plans.

But I won’t enjoy it, and someone will pay for that… mark my words.

Heroes

Delores

There’s nothing like coming back to campus after being gone for a while—assuming you like your campus and aren’t dreading every step you take because the entire institution is hellbent on destroying your sanity, soul, and schedule. Our living room is already humming with the soft whirring of the new air filtration system, but this morning it smells like happiness and cholesterol. There’s a spread on the table that would make Lucille faint, and at the head of it sits the grinning mastermind who cooked it, Chester Khan.

My cheetah has orchestrated a breakfast worthy of a condemned pred’s last meal. Belgian waffles stacked high enough to earn a structural engineering award, a bowl of whipped cream that could ice a wedding cake, and six types of berries tempt me. There’s bacon so thick and glossy it looks lacquered. He even filled a tiny, perfect carafe of maple syrup with an actual leaf floating in it, which is such a baller move I want to squeal with glee. But I don’t, because he is currently loading my plate like a grandma determined to make me develop diabetes before class.

After living with my mother, my friends, my ex, and their diet culture shit for most of my life, I’m still humbled every time my men enjoy my appetite and curves.

My mates all hover nearby, circling their prey, except in this house the prey is actually me. Ren and Aubrey are deep in conversation about something called ‘barcode migration’, which I’m choosing to ignore because I avoided library duties this year. Fitz is at the far end of the counter, methodically decimating a slab of bacon with the precision of a machine. His twin is alternating between pouring black coffee down his throat and staring at the laptop with an annoyed expression.

I take a bite of waffle and let the sugar hit my brain, because I know the conversation that’s about to happen is going to require all of my coping mechanisms. The minutes tick by with only the sounds of eating, soft banter, and the occasional snarl from Fitz when a berry rolls out of his reach.

Felix slams his mug down and says, “We have to talk about the call.”

Instant blackout, as if someone turned off every sense in the room except my awareness of the bite stuck in my throat. My stomach flips as I’m back on a video call where my mother was lounging on the deck of a yacht, and at her side was a man I recognized even though we’ve never met: Taka Khan.

I know it’s making the elder twin angry, and I don’t blame him. Our parents are utter garbage.

I put my fork down and take a drink to loosen the food that’s stuck. Once it’s gone, I blow out a long breath as I fold my hands in front of me. Felix shifts as he raises his brow, and Fitz scoots closer, placing his hand on my knee to squeeze it. He’s been extra gentle since last night, and I get why. He knows I don’t give a fuck about Bruno dying or who Lucille is fucking, except for the fact that it’s my mates’ dad. That’s her pulling her usual ‘I’m the better Drew’ crap she’s been doing my entire life, even though I never once tried to compete.

Chess puts his silverware down as well, wiping his mouth before he says, “We will not let them win, Angel.” He’s using my nickname, which means he’s trying to keep me present and out of the anxiety spiral that makes me want to barf up his perfect waffles. “But we have to be more careful with how we deal with either of them now. They’re playing dirty together, and we can’t let them see us lose our shit. It’s what they want; neither of those egomaniacs gives a shit about sex or love or any real emotion.”

That’s something he should say to Felix, not me. I’m well aware of those truths.

Renard glances up, his eyes glinting with fury. “That call was used for a power move, oui. We know more about the Society and the Treaty than they suspect. Also, we know which people we should look at, and we can identify where they are to find out what moves they are making. The Raj leaving the island also leaves him and the island vulnerable. We have the upper hand, even if it does not feel that way. ”

“Do we, though?” I mutter as I push food around on my plate. “Their big reveal felt a lot like getting pantsed on the playground, and then set on fire. Plus, she alluded to me knowing Bruno wasn’t my bio dad. So she has some idea of how far along we are.”

Aubrey smirks, rising to his feet and walking over to wrap his arms around me like a giant teddy bear. I’m not above seeking physical comfort, especially when life is making me want to scream. His hands are warm, and he tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. “I can always set them on fire, snack-size. It’s a fitting way to go when it’s time.”

“I was going to suggest decapitation,” Fitz says. “But immolation is a classic for a reason. We have plenty of time to decide how your mother goes. I think Felix and I will handle Taka, though. Making sure that it’s violent, while also humiliating is important—like being made up like a clown during the torture.”

The moment of levity works, so I stop vibrating out of my skin. “That would be pretty funny, Fitzy.”

Before anyone else can speak, the virtual assistant says, “I will run an algorithm to find the most humorous and embarrassing ways to die, Baby Girl. Would you like them to be messy or less labor-intensive?”

Goddamn him for being such a fucking genius with this shit; I can’t even stay upset now.

As we all laugh until it hurts, the cloud lifts overhead even more, and Felix spins it to face me. “Let’s go over how we’re going to amend our plans, now that we have this crappy information.”

Chess walks over to the living room table and grabs his tablet, standing in front of us with the stylus poised over the screen. “Hit me. I’ll change it here and then work on the boards after breakfast,”

“I’m going to call Taka today. I’ll act like I don’t know about him and Lucille working together, and pretend I want to bring him in as a sponsor for the Pred Games this year. If he bites, that means we get both him and your mother here for the big match. That gives us two weeks to prep the play with Mattie.”

I blink. “Wait, are you serious? We’re just… inviting the two most dangerous people on the planet to my school? That’s the plan? I was hoping they’d forget about it because both are a bit much, aren't they?”

“It’s the only way to guarantee they’ll both be distracted at the same time,” Felix says. “They’ll show up to show each other up, especially if they think they’re being honored or vying for attention. That’s when we hit our real mark.”

“The Mattie heist,” Chess says, grinning as he scribbles quickly. “We can be all Ocean’s 11 about it. Fitz, you and I can work on the details together.”

I want to vomit thinking about their father in my presence, but I also want to jump up and down. If there’s a chance to get my friend out and ruin Lucille’s glee, we should take it. “Okay,” I say. “Then we play it the dangerous way. What about all the security they will bring? Won’t that fuck up our plans? Farley and the Postmen are still in Paris.”