Page 13 of Eat. Prey. Love. (Apex Academy Capers #5)

I can barely sit still as I wait for my friends to get here. It’s been a while since I saw Rufus and Cori and coming with my charmingly aggressive lawyer makes their arrival even more exciting. Farley is the best solution to my Rockland problem, especially since it’s followed me to yet another school. If he can keep her at bay while Fitz sources hackers to research dirt on her, we might be able to remove her from the board.

Removing obstacles rather than adding them is one of my fondest hopes at the moment.

“Baby Girl, you have to calm down. Your anxiety is making me hyper,” Fitz says as he bounces on the couch cushions. He finally retrieved clothes while I ate lunch and while Aubrey and Ren took a flight to find hunting grounds, we kept pretending to watch TV.

As usual, my tiger and I are snuggled in with human shows on. Their media is far less likely to make me feel like an idiot when I stumble on shit I don’t know and Fitz enjoys stealing shit that amuses him. It’s a comfortable routine, and I’m impressed with his ability to sense I craved something familiar while I waited.

“I’m trying, but I missed them, Fitzy. And I’m not afraid of meeting the famous country litigator, but I am concerned about whatever info he has that made him hop on an international flight. Rufus told me last semester that Farley only leaves their lands for court or emergencies.” Raking my teeth over my lower lip, I look up at him. “I’ve been trying to pretend I’m not worried, but I am.”

Chess strides in from where he was working on cleaning up the kitchen and making lists for ordering, his hair in an adorable messy bun and donning an apron. “Angel, you know we can handle anything that nasty woman throws at us. We’re a team, so we’ll pull any strings and tap any favor we need to. But that’s only if you need it, and you’re a force to be reckoned with on your own.”

His confidence makes me smile and I pat the seat next to me. I’d like to have them both close for a moment. While he’s right—if I can handle Lucille’s bullshit on the regular, I can definitely deal with the butthurt fake psychologist. Once Chessie joins us, I twine our fingers together and sigh. “You’re right. I’m stronger and more powerful than ever before. I could definitely take her in a fight, but she won’t come at me that way because she knows I can kick her ass. Rockland works in the background when she aims for people because she’s an abusive bully and a coward.”

“Sorry to interrupt y’all, but I most certainly agree. ”

My eyes widen and I pop off the couch to whirl around. Rufus is standing next to a short, stocky man with a neatly trimmed goatee and dark, glittering eyes. His gaze slices through me as he takes me in, and I shiver a little. Chess and Fitz leap up to stand beside me and my friend snorts in amusement.

“Dollypop, call off your kitties. Farley isn’t going to bite you , no matter what it looks like.” The grinning badger stalks over and lifts me up in a huge hug, making me squeal in alarm.

Even if my guys lift me with zero trouble, my psyche goes all panic, no disco when I think someone will figure out what I weigh… Thanks, Lucille.

“Rufus McCoy, put that darlin’ young lady down before I tell Meemaw how rude you are.” His words make my friend freeze for a second, then he lets me wiggle loose. “Miss Dolly Drew, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance in person.”

I watch in wonder as the muscled shifter in a sharply pressed, bespoke suit bursting with muscles bows.. Do I….? I probably should. Smiling, I nod and bend my legs into a curtsey with a sweep of my arms. “And you, Mister McCoy.”

“For fuck’s sake…” Felix mutters as he comes in from the office space. He was busy unpacking in there with Percy while Raina started cleaning out the main bedroom for me. “What is this, Gone with the Wind? ”

Fitz beams at his twin, hopping over the furniture to give him a fist bump. “Nice ref, bro. You’re learning.”

My lawyer arches a brow at me, but I only wink. “Don’t worry about our hobbies. You’re here to help fuck this bitch up, right?”

“Indeed I am, Miss… may I call you, Dolly?” Farley says as he bustles over to the large armchair. “I know everyone does, but Rufus’ Memaw and my mother would pitch a hissy with a tail on it if I didn’t ask permission.”

I didn’t expect genteel manners from a dude who growls like a mafia boss on the phone, but it’s kind of cute .

“Of course you may,” I reply as I sit down primly, crossing my ankle as I look at him. “Just don’t rat Ru-Ru out. I like him as he is—mouthy and fun.”

Farley snorts, then lets out a boisterous laugh that brings three huge men into the room with narrowed eyes. I recognize the postman, Goliath, but the other one isn’t familiar. The badger waves his hand and they back up to the doorway silently. “Don’t be alarmed, sugar. Monstro is my most gifted messenger and his brother, Skelly, is one of my elite couriers. Skelly is busy at the moment, but they’re all here to protect me while I’m stuck in this godforsaken land of long-legged amphibians.”

Rufus groans and rubs his hand over his face as he takes the other end of the sofa. “Cuz, for the love of Boreas’ frosty balls, can you please behave less like a bumpkin while you’re here? If you run around insulting the French, we’re going to have more problems than we started with.”

“ C’est vrai, mon ami ,” Rennie says as he and Aubrey walk past the giant bodyguards. “My people are not so forgiving of those who take jabs at our heritage with no cause, even if you are saving our mate.”

“Fine, fine,” Farley grumbles as he opens his briefcase on the table. He pulls out a laptop, a pile of folders, and a sparkling gold pen before looking at each of us. “Now, before we begin, I need each of you to sign this binding non-disclosure agreement. The information we are going to share from now on may or may not come from legitimate sources and some may even be illegal. I don’t know what my men will shake loose while we’re here.”

He hands out the paper and suddenly, it occurs to me that Cori isn’t here. I feel like a total bitch, but there was a flurry of activity as the McCoys came in. She’s usually a ray of sunshine and the lack of warmth in the room is partially because she’s not here.

My eyes cut to my bestie and I clear my throat. “Shouldn’t we all be signing this? Where’s Coco, Rufus?” The sad expression on his face makes my entire body tense and I worry they’ve gathered everyone here to tell me something awful I’m the last to know. “ Where. Is. She? ”

“She’s setting up our room in the Theater Dorm,” he says softly. “While the triplets aren’t here because they split off to get settled in their apartment in Paris, Giselle opted to stay at Cappie at the last moment. She broke it off with Cori by text as we hit the tarmac to board the plane.”

“Fuck this, I need to go to her,” I say as I leap to my feet. “My shit can wait.”

Rufus shakes his head as he grabs my wrist. “She specifically asked for us to leave her alone for a little bit while she processes. You know how she was at Apex when there were break-ups, D. She slept on the plane ride most of the time and now she needs time to let it all out.”

Frowning, I look at Farley suspiciously. “Did she sign hers on the plane? What about the triplets?”

His reassuring expression helps a bit as he finds more pens in the briefcase. “Everyone who might have direct knowledge of your situation has, including your design house friends, significant others, and once we’re done, I’ll make certain your personal helpers do as well. It’s imperative that anyone close to you has something to lose if they speak with your counselor. I want them sweatin’ like a whore in church at the thought of even mentioning your name in passing.”

“Ugh, it’s so intrusive,” I grumble as I sign my copy. “I feel like I’m forcing everyone I know to put themselves on the line for me even though this part isn’t their fight.”

“Princess, anyone who truly loves or supports you won’t hesitate for a second,” Felix says in a confident tone. “Right, Farley?”

“Friends who refuse to protect you have the porch light on, but no one’s home,” he replies as the others hand in their form without even glancing at them. “Hopefully, this is the only paperwork y’all treat so cavalierly.”

Aubrey stomps over, looking down at the burly lawyer with soft puffs of smoke escaping his nose. “We’re trusting that our mate’s best friend would not allow his family member to fuck over his friend. If that trust is misplaced, I’m sure Chester can find a delicious recipe for chicken-fried badger that will satisfy the whole family.”

Oh, shit… pissed off dragon activated.

“Big guy, come join us. I can sit on your lap if the boys make room,” I call with a sweet smile.

He rolls his eyes, arching a brow at me. “You think you can calm the fiery beast with an eyelash bat, snack size?”

Rennie gets there before me, mumbling, “She could do it with a finger crook, you squishy loving grump.”

The librarian shoots him a death glare, but he trudges over and plops between Chess and Fitz, making the substandard couch groan. “This shit needs to be fixed before I break it all by accident.”

My hand reaches up to ruffle his slightly messy hair. He thinks I don’t realize he’s the last one to start growing it out, but I have and I enjoy making his dragon almost purr when I play with the short strands. “Now, now. We’ve been here two days and the crew is working as fast as they can.”

“As fascinating as this is to watch from a purely anthropological point of view…” Farley snarks, “…we definitely have to go over this material before I lose you to some private biological imperative.”

“Watch it,” Fitz says as he lays a hand on my thigh. “You can do your job with fewer fingers, I’m sure. ”

“I probably could, but pointless posturing won’t get us anywhere.” He opens a folder and turns it to face us. “This picture was taken less than a week ago.”

The lanky frame and bird’s nest hair tell me it’s Rockland, but I don’t know the other people she’s sitting with. There’s a squat, toadie looking woman with long hair, a dark haired woman dressed in athletic wear, a willowy blond woman, and a gorgeous man with familiar features. They’re all at a table with the Eiffel Tower in the background and the amount of food and drink on their table tells a story about how long they met for.

“You know Rockland, but the people with her are cause for deep concern,” my lawyer says. “Severine Ste Jean is the short one with glasses; she looks guileless on the surface much like her animal does, but she’s meaner’n cat dirt. She’s also your jury advisor, my sources say.”

Mother. Fucker.

“This isn’t good,” Rennie murmurs as Farley points to the next person.

“Nadia Antonovich is a relative of the alpha wolf your boyfriend took out at Apex. She’s your modern dance professor and word on the street is that she was very fond of her cousin.” His fingers stabs at the last two people and he looks angry as fuck. “Marlène Fabreaux and of course the royals will recognize Asani Khan—they are also your professors.”

Aubrey groans, leaning his forehead against my temple for a moment before he speaks. “The charlatan has made friends with those who would have already been our enemies by virtue of other circumstances. She’s more clever than we thought.”

“No way,” I say as I shake my head. “Someone is helping her. You haven’t heard the shit in her books. Rennie and I are struggling through them and… ”

Farley tilts his head at me, waiting as I reach for words that aren’t as harsh. “Go on, then, Dolly Drew. I dare you to find a nice way to say she’s so dumb she could throw herself at the ground and miss.”

My hand flies to my mouth as I cover the bark of laughter I can’t stop. Felix chuckles, then Chessie, and soon, Fitz is howling. We needed a good laugh and apparently, Farley is as brutally witty as his cousin. “I was trying not to be mean simply because she’s a bad person.”

Rufus rolls his eyes then stares at the photo like he’s memorizing the profiles. “Dollykins, some people are far too big for their britches. This chick was hired to fuck with your life despise having no beef with you and that’s her own goddamn fault. We have every right to speak harshly of her when she spent all that time breaking you down to the nubs so she could control you.”

“Amen to that,” Farley says as he grins at Ru-Ru. “She better give her heart to her gods, because her ass is mine—and I don’t miss.”

All my guys grin in that hungry pred fashion and I shiver.

Carina Rockland is a dead woman walking and she doesn’t know it yet.