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“I don’t think so, pretty. Wish it were.”

“Why me?” he asks with his forehead resting on the glass. It’s the questionthat had been lurking in the back of Jay’s mind, too. “What made him interested in me? How did he find me?”

“I don’t know.” In the next second, he’s got an armful of mate, and Jay eases onto his back, letting Grayson press his nose into his neck. Nix joins them, his hand gliding soothingly down Grayson’s back across Jay’s stomach. It doesn’t take long for Jay to start sweating with two super-warm bodies pressed up against him, but he doesn’t mind.

He doesn’t sleep, though. Instead, he lets his thoughts roam, turning the problem over and over in his mind. By the time they roll into the parking lot of the first car rental place, he’s no closer to an answer than he had been when he started.

They follow Lauren’s instructions, and in no time, Finn and Gideon return with the keys to a forest-green Honda CR-V. It’s just like one Leo had driven as a teen, and it makes him grin.

“Come on, Gray,” Leo says, his grin infectious as he claps the alpha on the shoulder. “You and I can test this baby out between here and the next place.”

Grayson sighs, but the corner of his mouth lifts slightly as he leans down to kiss Jay’s cheek. His hand runs absently down Nix’s spine, soothing even in sleep. “Not too far, Leo. Gray’s had a rough day, and we don’t want BBS on top of it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Leo replies, sliding behind the wheel. He doesn’t even suggest that Nix join them. The omega is fast asleep on the makeshift bed, bare-ass naked, his brown curls sticking to his forehead.

“Where are his shorts? At least?” Jay asks.

Luca looks away suspiciously, but he scrambles into the passenger seat for the drive four blocks over to the next rental place. This time, Gideon and Rowan go in, and they come out with the fob to a cranberry-red Buick SUV.

“You’re up, Jaybird,” Gideon murmurs, tossing Jay the key fob. “Let’s head over there, and we can leave the truck for someone to come pick up later. Then I want to call Lauren and let her know about that convoy.”

Finn rides with Jay until they get to the park.

It takes moments to empty the truck of their shit and a little longer to entice the sleepy Nix into Jay’s vehicle. Once Rowan is seated in the back, he starts by shaking the half-open bag of peanut butter Oreos as an incentive.

“I’m not a dog, Rowan. You cannot offer me treats and expect me to perform tricks. It’s rude,” he mutters around a mouthful of chocolate cookies, wrapped in his blanket toga.

Jay takes one more look around the truck and spots a flash of red sticking out of the glove box—no doubt thanks to Luca, Nix’s partner in no-pants-wearing crimes. After retrieving Nix’s shorts, he jumps down, clicks the lock, and throws the keys in, knowing Lauren’s crew will figure it out.

He waves the shorts at Nix through the window, and it lifts his spirits to hear his deep laugh.

“Baby, what if someone found these? They smell like pack.” Jay tosses the shorts into the back seat, only for Rowan to snatch them mid-air.

“I’ll take those, thank you,” Rowan crows like he’s just won a prize at the fair.

“Nix, you have to wear those when we get to the house. We may not be fancy enough for the Island Estates, but a naked, pregnant man is still too much for Northwood.”

“Blarg. You’re no fun. But also, not wrong.” Nix pouts, nibbling the edge of another cookie.

“Just out of curiosity,” Rowan begins, turning the shorts over to their rightful owner, “where might one find such a place in Clearwater? You know, a naked-pregnant-man-style location? Asking for a friend. And I get those back when you’re done with them, Nix,” he adds with a smirk.

Jay doesn’t answer. He’s not sure such a place exists, and even if it did, he wouldn’t trust Rowan with the information.

“The safe house is about twenty minutes from here,” Finn offers tiredly, and after checking the rear-view mirror for Leo’s CR-V, they’re off.

“You hanging in there, Baby?” he asks, sliding a hand over the console, enjoying the jolt of pleasure he gets when Finn places his soft, cool palm in his.

Finn squeezes and nods. “Tired. It’s been a long week. Icould sleep twenty-four hours straight.”

“Agreed.”

After several turns, it doesn’t take long before Jay gets a sense of creeping dread. “Fuck,” he whispers to himself, but not quiet enough that he doesn’t get the attention of every person in the car.

“Jamie? Are you okay? What—wait. Is that…Are we—? That’s our school, and I used to live over there…” His voice tapers off.

“We can go somewhere else, Baby. Finnie, get the address from Gideon for the Island Estates place…”

“No. I want to go here. Please,” Nix whispers, unclasping his seat belt so he can lean up between the two front seats and plead his case.