Page 130 of Pack Me Up

She laughs. “I guess so.”

I sit up, lean forward, and tap her on the knee. “You trust me, right?”

I can feel her trust rush down the bond to me. “Yeah.”

I grin. “Good. Because I’ve got a plan, and it’s going to be the best date ever.”

There’s a knock at the door consisting of three sharp raps, then a pause, then one more, like Saint’s personal code. I pop the lock and step back as the Phoenix Pack’s oldest lumbers in, followed by Hunter, who’s in all black.

Saint surveys the room, arms crossed. “You two ready?”

Hunter throws me a look. “You sure about this?”

I flip him off, but Saint’s not having it. “Listen up. You stay in sight at all times. No detours. If it looks even a little weird, we’re out. The threats from Brittney’s past are gone, so she deserves to have more fun. That’s the only reason I’m allowing this.”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, Dad.”

He ignores the sarcasm. “I mean it, Cody. There’s more press in town. You want to do this, we do it safely.”

Brittney peeks out from under her wig, voice small but steady. “We don’t have to go, if it’s—”

“Nope.” I grab her hand, careful to lace our fingers together. “We’re going. You’ll love it. I already got tickets, and I’m not letting Saint change the plan.”

Saint just shakes his head, but I see the way his jaw tightens, a nervous tic that means he’s actually worried. Hunter picks up on it, too, and lets the mood drop.

He crouches in front of Brittney, dropping his voice. “You want to bail at any point, just say the word. Seriously.”

She looks at him, then at me, and I swear there’s steel in her spine. “I’m good,” she says. “Let’s go.”

Saint tells us the route starting with the service elevator, through the staff kitchen, and out the back parking lot. The whole time, he’s checking windows and texting security. Hunter opens the hallway door and does a sweep, like we’re walking into a sniper’s nest. For a second, I wish I could just magic her out the window and avoid all this, but I know better. If Brittney’s going to survive in this world, she needs to see that she can.

The four of us file into the elevator. Brittney’s hand is still in mine, her grip sweaty but determined.

“You look nervous,” I say, low.

“I’m fine,” she says, but the little tremble in her voice is all I need to hear.

I lean in, mouth just at her ear. “Want to know where we’re going?”

She glances up, curious.

“There’s a circus in town,” I whisper. “A real one. The whole deal.”

She blinks, confused, then grins. “I’ve never been to a circus.”

“Good. We can have this first together,” I say.

She snorts, then presses her forehead to my shoulder. “You’re such a dork.”

I nuzzle her hair, not caring who’s watching. “You love it.”

Saint watches the numbers on the elevator panel tick down, arms rigid at his sides. Hunter hums a dumb song under his breath, but even he’s tense, eyes darting.

When the doors open, we do the whole stealth routine. There’s a car idling at the curb waiting for us.

Brittney takes a breath, then slides into the back seat with me. I wrap an arm around her, not just for comfort but to anchor us both. Saint and Hunter get in the front, muttering back and forth in low voices.

We ride like that, pressed together, until the city drops away and the car pulls into a sprawling fairground.