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Does he?

Does Jay feel the same burning need to finish this in blood and death?

He looks at his mates laughing and how it is quickly devolving into a wrestling match over Nix, while their omega laughs as he is oh-so-gently passed from mate to mate for kisses and scenting.

Yes. He guesses hedoesget it. For them, he will do anything.

He can only respond with a gentle kiss to Gideon’s parted lips. “Together, then.”

Gideon nods and gives him a gentle smile. “Together,” he says quietly, before raising his voice. “Who needs a snack? I only brought food for my kittens. You better get on their good sides, and maybe they’ll share.”

Turns out there was more than enough food—so much that even the pilots ate well. They were a beta couple who kept their private information private, except when they mentioned that they had enjoyed several anniversaries at Quest.

They were so complimentary of Gideon’s mastery in the kitchen that it spurred Nix into a jealous funk. He made growling noises and flooded the cabin with his burnt vanilla scent, to where Luca finally hauled him and Gideon off to the bedroom in the back for a “nap.”

Jay had to put his foot down with all three of them to keep the pheromones on low, or they could freaking crash the plane. At least Gideon and Luca had taken the plea seriously, fearful fliers that they were. Nix stomped his footand started uphorny bratmode, only to have Gideon whisper something promising that had Nix wide-eyed and serious in a nanosecond.

It had been good enough that he’d pantomimed zipping his mouth and climbed on top of Luca, who already had his skirt off and arms open in welcome.

Eventually, Grayson and Rowan couldn’t resist the lure of the sleeping pregnant omega pheromones and ended up squished in the queen-sized bed, too.

Jay took his tentacle-loving brave mate to lie on the couch, while Finn sat pensively in his captain’s chair, typing away on his laptop via his remote data connection.

They passed most of the flight in that fashion, the only sound being the roar of the engines and the tapping of the laptop keys.

With only thirty minutes remaining, Jay hands Finn half his second sandwich and encourages his mate to stop and eat.

“What have you been doing here, Baby? Work?”

It wouldn’t be a surprise, given that Finn was deep into writing a book about omega care basics, where he compiled the hundreds of hours of information shared with him from all the other visiting omegas.

It’s something the medical community had been clamoring for, since Nashville alone had seen fifty omegas come out of hiding last fall.

The hospital had become a hub for education and specialized care, and Finn, a sought-after authority.

Modestly, he had been reluctant to throw his hat in the “author” ring, given that he felt it was something best written by someone better qualified—but Riordan had convinced him, making the point that if not them, then who?

“Not on this trip. I’m looking under rocks for Carnell.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I can’t sit by and watch you both run around Florida looking for that snake in the grass. Not when I can help you find out exactly where he is. You brought us for a reason.”

Even if Jay hadn’t intended to bring them here, he was, with all his treasures out in the world and vulnerable.

Though he supposes that, in the end, it didn’t matter how they got here; it just mattered that they were. And he felt better about it than he thought he would, because at least they were somewhere he could see them.

“I also found out where he owns property. See? Here and here. But—” Finn clicks the mouse before pointing at the screen. “Look, I found this, and it can’t be a coincidence.”

There are two deeds open on the laptop screen; both have the nameRhodeson them.

“What the fuck?” Jay whispers, recognizing the addresses even after all this time.

“I don’t know. I haven’t had enough time to figure out how Carnell owns most of your parents’ house and every single one of your dad’s gyms.”

Jay can imagine a million scenarios where Carnell got his hooks into his greedy parents, and none of them are good.

“Most?”