by Coralee June
I let out a huff and crawled into bed beside Grace. She immediately migrated closer to me, pressing her nose against my neck. She breathed me in like I was a lifeline, and I wrapped my arm around her naked body. We'd cuddled plenty of times—mostly when she was drunk—but this felt different. I used to tell myself that touching Grace was a part of my babysitting obligations, but looking back, I realized we held hands and snuggled close often. We found comfort in one another long before we realized it was comfort we sought.
"I've been keeping her safe since you left, Nix. That won't change just because you're back."
My determined statement ended our conversation. I knew we had more to talk about, and I needed to digest the fact that Nix still wanted me. I understood his motivations. People did stupid shit when they were scared. But right now, I just wanted to hold my best friend and fall asleep. I was thankful for how content she looked. She even smiled a little and hummed as she dreamed.
"Goodnight," Nix choked, his words full of tension and sadness. "I love you."
I didn't reply.
Chapter Fourteen
Grace
I woke up feeling safe and warm. I listened to the rhythmic sounds of peaceful breathing in and out. My naked body was covered by limbs and a soft duvet. I didn’t want to open my eyes; I knew the spell would break.
Fingers tightened around my thigh, circling the expanse of my flesh and creeping between my legs. I settled deeper into the mattress and arched my back, pressing my ass against the hard presence of an erection. My hair was fanned out around me. My body was sleepy and sore in that delicious way that came from orgasms and comfort. I’d almost forgotten that we were on the run.
“Sleep well?” Alessandro’s voice asked. He stroked my cheek, and I cracked open my eyes to stare at him. The hand around my thigh crept higher. Fingers stroked my need.
“Yep,” I replied, my voice shaky and unsure. “You?”
“You stole the covers, and Nix snores like a freight train,” he deadpanned. His comment was meant to make me laugh, but instead it made me freeze. Reality was like an efficient and swift tumor. It swelled and took over. My calm morning of peace and happiness crashed and burned across my mind, taking over every thought. What was Alessandro doing in bed with Nix and me? Was he mad? Had I hurt him?
My face twisted in shame, and the fingers teasing my clit tried pushing past my rigid body and uncertainties, pressing and pinching. “When did you get in bed?” I croaked.
“Last night,” Alessandro said softly. “Nix, stop fingerfucking her while I’m in bed please. A threesome is not happening.”
I squeezed my thighs tighter to keep Nix firmly in place. I wasn’t ready for him to pull away. Nix chuckled and placed his lips against the back of my neck. I was between my best friend and the love of my life. “Are we okay?” I mouthed as Nix plunged his finger inside of me. I had to force myself not to gasp. It felt so good. So wrong. What kind of friend was I to selfishly take everything Nix offered and dangle it in front of Alessandro?
He paused, as if thoughtfully choosing his words. Alessandro was always comfortable in the silence. “I love you,” he whispered before slipping out of bed.
His response was both an answer and not an answer.
I watched him get dressed and slip out the door, then I turned to face Nix. “I’m worried about him.”
Nix stroked my clit with lazy circles. I lifted my leg to rest on his thigh while wrapping my arms around his neck. “He’ll come around.” And then he swallowed my worries with a kiss, and I drowned in pleasure and hope and contentment.
“We’re leaving tonight,” Alessandro said while typing away on a laptop. He wasn’t wearing his usual suit; instead, the jeans he wore were clinging to his thighs, and he had on a white shirt that stretched over his lean frame.
The moment I sat down, Kaydence handed me a flat white and some avocado toast. She smiled at me and settled in the seat beside me. Nix was still in the shower, washing the smell of sex from his skin. I wasn’t ready to shower just yet. “Kaydence is going to help you change your appearance.”
I snapped my eyes to Alessandro. “What?”
Kaydence spoke up. “Temporary dye. It’ll come out in sixteen washes so you won’t have to worry about permanent damage. And I watched a few YouTube videos on how to cut bangs.”
I grabbed the ends of my hair. “I’m sorry, why do I have to completely change my appearance?”
“Because there are images of us on the dark web and a hit for half a million dollars,” Alessandro answered while turning his computer to face us. Sure enough, there was a photo of me walking into the lobby of the Sofitel hotel. I looked at another photo and nearly gasped when I saw Alessandro and Nix making out by the ocean. Nix was cupping Alessandro’s bulge over his pants and biting his lip. Wow. I expected pain or betrayal, but instead I just kept staring.
And staring.
And I leaned in closer to get a better look. Alessandro looked feral and hot, his hands gripping Nix’s back, those strong fingers of his digging in. Shit. It looked hot. I wanted to see it firsthand. I thought it would hurt, seeing them together. But last night, Nix made me feel special and wanted. This was something new entirely.
Kaydence coughed. “Damn, that’s hot,” she murmured before taking a sip of her coffee. John walked in just at that moment with his eyebrows raised.
“What’s hot?” he asked before plopping down at the kitchen table. Alessandro slammed the laptop closed and rolled his eyes.
I smiled. “Nix and Alessandro. Can you print that off for me?” I asked jokingly. Alessandro had just lifted his flat white to his lips, then nearly spit out his drink at my question.
“Me too,” Kaydence added playfully while elbowing me in the side. I wish I wasn’t meeting Kaydence under murderous circumstances, because I’m pretty sure she and I could be best friends.
Alessandro peered at me, a question in his gaze. “You want me to print off that photo?”
I chewed on my lip. Maybe yesterday my answer would have been no. But right now, I felt emboldened. We didn’t know how long we had, and we definitely had to take every second we could. “It’s better than my campouts on the patio,” I replied.
Alessandro looked like he wanted to say something, but he just stared curiously at me.
“Well, this isn’t awkward at all,” John replied before pulling out his phone and checking the time. “Kaydence, honey, did you get the supplies for Grace’s makeover?”
“Yep. We’ll get started right after she’s done eating.”
“Sweet. Alessandro and I are going to drive out to the bush and blow up his rental car.”
This time, it was my turn to spit out my drink. “What?”
“Well, they probably know what he’s driving already,” John explained casually. “And blowing up a Toyota sounds fun.”
Well alright then. “After that, Nix and I are getting a makeover of our own,” Alessandro added.
“Please tell me you aren’t going blond,” I replied with a cringe. He would look terrible with platinum locks.
“Nope. Shaving my head.”
I bit my lip. Yeah. Alessandro would probably look rugged and sexy with his head shaved. I could get on board with this makeovers.
“No one is touching my hair” Nix said while walking into the kitchen. He wore gray sweats low on his hips and had a towel slung over his shoulder. Oh man. It should be illegal to look that sexy. Droplets of water sunk down his rippling, dark skin, and he bit his bottom lip when he noticed me assessing him.
“A Mohawk,” I replied easily.
“Sounds legit,” Nix replied easily before walking over to Alessandro. Bending down, Nix placed a chaste goodmorning kiss on his cheek before walking over to me and kissing the top of my head. It was so normal. Could this be real? Could we really do this?
Alessandro looked down at the table before clearing his throat. “I want to talk to you about security measures. We need to know exactly what we’re up against
so we can plan our trip home accordingly.”
Nix’s entire easygoing demeanor faded. It was like those simple words had the power to weigh him down with an invisible burden that forced his shoulders to sag. “Right. What do you want to know?”
“Where are these...Ringleaders...mostly located?”
Nix grabbed some bacon from the middle of the table and chewed on it. “The better question is where aren’t they. Small towns with little to no infrastructure are our safest bet. Secluded areas. Avoid developed countries. Big cities with traffic cams. We’re going to have to take the long way back to the States. Large commercial flights will trigger in their database regardless of fake identities or whatever makeover you think will stop their sophisticated facial recognition software. Unless Grace wants to get a nose job, they’ll find her.”
“Fuck,” John cursed. Kaydence patted my shoulder in solidarity. I really was starting to like this girl. “Private flights to small towns, got it,” John said before whipping out his phone and typing away.
“And what’s the end goal? Where are we going to meet Gavriel?” I asked.
“I called Gavriel this morning. He’s not convinced he wants us bringing trouble or attention to his doorstep. If you thought he was protective before, you should hear how he is now that Sunshine is pregnant. He said he’s going to come up with some ideas and meet us wherever we are. We just need to keep moving or find a very secluded area and hide out for a bit.”
“Mongolia has 2.04 people per square kilometer,” John spouted off. “Could be good for hiding.” He sounded like the type of man to find facts and collect them.
“It's also a fourteen-hour flight away. We’d need to fly private. A small, untraceable plane. We need to stay in Australia, probably,” Alessandro added. I pouted and rubbed at my temples. I really didn’t want to fly again. Images of my brother’s jet being engulfed in flames took over my brain. “We’ll be safe,” he said before patting my clenched fist on the tabletop. I released my grip and nodded. “Melbourne is too populated.”
“No paper trails. Cash only.” Nix was mulling over this plan.
“Gavriel wired John money from an offshore account,” Alessandro replied.
“Good,” Nix said. “Cash it out. All of it.” I watched as Nix clenched his jaw. “I’ve imagined running away numerous times. We’re going to have to go completely off the grid. No contact with anyone. Don’t even think about the internet. We leave all technology here.”
“How are we supposed to know if they’re onto you then?” John asked.
“If we can track them, they can track us. Nothing. No cell phones. No computers. Nothing.”
“Okay,” I promised.
“And we need to kill the pilot when we land,” Nix added. “Make sure there is no flight log. Make the plane disappear. Hell, maybe we should drop out of it so it never lands.”
“We don’t have to kill the pilot,” I protested.
“Anyone can be bought,” Nix replied before sliding his gaze over to John and Kaydence. “I’ve watched men sell out their own families for the promises the Ringleaders offer.”
“If this is your way of threatening me, hold your breath,” John argued. “I won’t tell anyone shit. And I know a pilot that is used to doing drop-offs under the radar.”
“Whatever. You wanted to know what I know. I’m telling all of you. Trust no one. You want to survive, leave nothing behind, even memories.” Nix got up and stormed off. Alessandro and I watched his back, both of us holding our breaths and trying to process what he’d said. It was hard navigating the parts of Nix I knew and the parts of him that were cynical and unfamiliar.
“Well,” John said, breaking the tension. “Please don’t let him kill the pilot. It’s my sister, so I’d be very pissed off.” Kaydence started clearing the table, and I stood to help. “Let’s go. We got a car to blow up and half a million dollars to cash out undetected. No pressure.”
It sounded like I got the easy job today. I just had to change my hair. “Be safe,” I called over my shoulder while rolling up my sleeves to help Kaydence with the dishes. Surprisingly, two strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I felt Alessandro’s scruffy beard against my neck.
“See you later,” Alessandro murmured before giving my cheek a friendly kiss.
With everything so up in the air, I was thankful for the little mercies. Alessandro and I were still...us. Whatever us was.
Chapter Fifteen
Grace
I was holding my breath as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Kaydence looked very proud of herself, and if I didn't treat my red hair like it was a personality trait, I probably wouldn't feel so devastated. The dark hair was a sharp contrast to my porcelain, freckled skin. It didn’t suit me at all, but it did its job. I hardly recognized myself.
This entire trip was changing me. It felt like my appearance finally echoed how I was feeling inside. I was no longer the pining girl that got on a plane with her heart on her sleeve. I was no longer the girl that ignored her friendship with Alessandro, either. Although I felt a little lost and was still trying to find my footing, I liked the newness. Even if this makeover wasn’t what I was expecting.
"Do you like it? You are so rocking the brown hair, girl. And even though I had to take a Xanax beforehand, I did a pretty decent job of cutting your hair."
This was Kaydence after taking a Xanax? Her hands were shaking as they clutched the scissors. I appreciated her determination not to fuck up my locks, but that didn’t make this experience any easier.
I pinched a shoulder-length strand between my fingers and eyed the blunt bangs covering my forehead. "You did great," I lied. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't salon quality. I'd gotten used to my five-hundred-dollar trips to see my stylist, Cindy, over the years. Her client list boasted names like Kim Kardashian and Hailey Baldwin. I didn’t want to come across as superficial. I suppose my brother’s love language was spoiling me with high-end luxuries, and I let him. Since I spent my childhood in poverty and sleeping on a mattress on the floor with rats, I guess I was allowed to like the finer things as an adult.
But this would have to do. I didn’t really have another choice. I could handle a shitty haircut. I could handle having nothing. I could handle being on the run. Nix proved last night that he still wanted me. What we had surpassed my appearance. I was banged up, exhausted, and worn down, but he lapped me up like I was a decadent treat. I wanted to look good for Nix, but our relationship was so much more than looks.
Not to mention, I refused to be vain while running for my life.
"It'll grow out," Kaydence whispered, losing some of her bravado while eyeing a spot in the back. Nope. I refused to look at the back. As long as I could put it up in a messy bun, I'd survive.
“Thank you for this. Seriously. You have some major balls. I wouldn’t trust myself with a pair of scissors,” I joked while giving her a tight smile.
“Oh, I absolutely didn’t want to touch your hair. I’d kill for your red locks. And it was so long. So healthy—”
“Yeah. Let’s stop talking about how perfect my hair used to be,” I teased.
“Right. If it makes you feel better, I once accidentally gave myself a mullet,” Kaydence replied with a smile.
“I’m glad you waited to tell me that after you cut my hair,” I said. Both of us burst out laughing, and I had to clutch my stomach as I bent over in hysterics. It felt good to laugh about silly, normal things.
Once the last of the giggles faded, she spoke up. "I'm going to go look for those fake glasses I bought you," she chirped while exiting the bathroom. I watched her go, then turned my attention back to my reflection.
I looked in the mirror while trying to find traces of myself. Even though it was a drastic change to my appearance, there was still something new buzzing in my expression. I still had bruises and scratches from the blast. There were bags under my eyes from the lack of sleep, and there was a hickey on my lip.
But I stood taller. I looke
d alive for the first time in five years. There was a bright newness in my sparkling eyes. My smile felt wider. My shoulders were rolled back.
I had Nix back. Everything else was just the consequences of my happily ever after.
"Grace!" Kaydence yelled.
The urgency in her tone made me stop looking at my reflection and run toward her. She was standing in the kitchen, looking through the blinds outside. "Unmarked car. Not sure how long they've been parked out there."
"Where are the guys?" I asked.
"Still trying to cash out the money."
"Well, don't tell them someone is camped out. They'll run back and try saving our asses," I replied in a whisper, as if the parked SUV across the street could hear us. Hell, maybe they could. I didn’t know what kind of technology these people had.
Kaydence grinned and looked at me. "I knew I liked you," she whispered. "I’m not in the mood to be rescued. Ready to run?"
"To where? How?" I sputtered.
Kaydence pulled out her cell. "John has a tracking device on my phone. He'll see us leaving and will meet us. I don't want to call or text in case it tips them off."
“Meet us where, exactly?” I asked.
“An old meeting spot from when we were teens. He’ll realize where I’m going immediately,” she replied with a wave of her hand. Sounded like a solid plan, but I only saw one car. How were we going to get there? "Do you ride motorcycles?" she then asked innocently.
"Not really. That's more my brother's thing."
Kaydence spun me around toward the back door. "It's easy. You just have to hold on."
She quickly slipped on some combat boots, as if running from an evil organization was normal to her. Tying up her blond hair, she gave me a mischievous smirk and rolled her shoulders back. "You ready? I've always wanted to do a car chase."