Page 51

“Seriously, where the hell is he?" Z mutters, piling pasta onto plates with more force than necessary.

My muscles ache pleasantly, from my workout with Talon this morning. “He said he was almost done yesterday.”

Oscar glances up from his phone. “Almost done with what, exactly? Since neither of you thought it necessary to fill us in.”

The tension in the room has been building since Talon let slip at breakfast that Alex was working on something important. That unleashed a barrage of questions from the twins, which Talon and I had deflected with vague promises that Alex would explain everything soon.

“You'll know when we all know," Talon replies calmly, setting glasses of water around the table. His casual tone only seems to irritate the twins further.

Z slams a serving spoon onto the counter. “This is bullshit. We're supposed to be a team. I expect secretive bullshit out of Alex, but you two?"

“We are a team," I say, moving to help him with the plates. “Which is why Alex wants to be sure before getting everyone's hopes up. This isn't just some random lead. This could be it."

“You found Luca?"

“Maybe," I admit, glancing toward the hallway. "Alex is trying to make sure it's safe to pursue."

Oscar appears at my side. “And you didn't think we deserved to know this immediately?"

“We were going to tell you," Talon interjects, leaning against the counter. "As soon as Alex confirms it’s possible.”

The sound of a door opening down the hallway silences us all. We turn collectively as Alex emerges, looking like he's been through hell and back.

“I did it," he announces without preamble. “We’ve got a secure way into the auction.”

The room freezes for a heartbeat before chaos erupts.

“What auction?" Oz demands, his voice cutting through the sudden tension. “Start talking. Now."

Alex holds up his hands, fatigue etched into every line of his face. “The Collector is hosting another auction, online this time, in two days. High-end 'merchandise,'" he spits the word like poison “Including a male in his early twenties with an 'exceptional bloodline.' The description matches Luca."

Oz sucks in a sharp breath beside me. “How did you find this?"

"I didn't," Alex admits. "Talon did.”

“They emailed me,” he shrugs nonchalantly.

“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Z’s voice is razor-sharp, quiet in a way that makes the air feel heavier. “Why is it everyone knew—except Oz and me?”

"I wanted to be sure," Alex counters, crossing to the kitchen island. He grabs a slice of garlic bread, tearing into it.

“Technically…I kind of forced it out of him yesterday when you all were too scared to interrupt him.”

“Forced it out of him? What the hell does that mean?"

“It means I'm persuasive," I reply, raising my chin slightly. “And that Alex isn't as impenetrable as he likes to pretend."

Oscar's thumb traces circles on my palm, the gesture at odds with the tension radiating from his body. "So let me get this straight. The Collector is hosting another auction, and you think Luca might be one of the...items for sale."

“Well, not Luca physically. From the description, it looks like they’re auctioning off his samples," Alex says, reaching for another piece of garlic bread.

“And when is this auction?”

“Day after tomorrow,” Talon answers. “Thus, the urgency to see if this is even possible for us. If we can secure one of his samples,” he swallows hard at the word, “We may be able to track down their new clinic.”

“And if we can find the clinic, it can lead us to Luca,” Oz remarks.

“Exactly."