Page 109 of Pretty When She Breaks

I felt my cheeks go a bit warm.

He jabbed a finger at me. “Don’t steal my shit again, though. I’ve combed Prince’s messages. He’s smart enough—actually, I take that back, his pack is smart enough—to use code. Even with that, his phone has given me a few interesting themes so far.”

He paused, shoving more noodles into his mouth while we waited for him.

“First, ‘rager’ is code for rofetamine—very original, Princess, thank you. Lots of messages about that. But nothing incriminating. Sounds like Dax handles the official parts of it.”

He held up three fingers, then frowned and, with difficulty, lowered one.

“Second—it’s clear they’ve been gunning for Daddy Thaddy’s throne for a little while.”

My mouth dropped open in horror.

Daddy Thaddy!?

Kaos continued as if he hadn’t come up with the most horrific nickname ever. He tried to raise his third finger again but gave up with a shrug and put up all five.

“Third is this secret weapon they brought with them from Boston. It’s code-named ‘Gem.’ All I know for certain is that they went to a lot of trouble to make sure it was secured here at the casino—without ol’ Thaddy knowing about it. They talk about it like it’s the key to their power grab here, and even bringing Thaddeus down if they need to.”

There was a beat as we digested this.

I frowned. Something they’d brought with them and hidden here?

“Any ideas, Laurel?” Finch pressed.

I shook my head. “The only thing I can think is that maybe it’s some kind of evidence. For extortion.”

Finch nodded thoughtfully. “Connect with Kaos after andlist any place you can think of that they might hide something like that here. You may be right, and that means we should try and get our hands on this ‘Gem.’ Good job, both of you. Anything else?”

“Nah. Prince is totally obsessed with Laurel, though. Almost stalker-level. But yeah, he’s not the top dog in that pack. If we want better intel, we want Dax’s phone. And ideally a live bug, not just a data puller.”

I chewed on my lip. A live bug would require a lot more time than a minute or two to install.

“No go?” Kaos said, patting my hand.

“I can do it,” I said insistently. “I just need to figure out a good time. I’d have to get it off him, in a situation where he won’t notice it’s gone. Also, it’d be better if I could have a safe place nearby to monitor while it installs. Then I’d have to return it to him.”

I paused, thinking.

“Our best bet is the engagement party next week. He’ll be wearing an evening suit, which is easier to steal from. I can slip away to the bathroom or a side lounge, and he’ll most likely be talking to people the whole time, so he wouldn’t miss it.”

I waited for either of them to shut it down, but instead, they appeared to be listening to me for once.

“I’ll work on a plan, then. I can decide on a place to meet and the ideal time if you get me the engagement party’s itinerary,” Finch said. I nodded. After a pause, he asked, “What about Thaddeus’s computer?”

“Yeah,” Kaos said, tugging our cuffed hands up so he could chew on his nail. His voice was slightly muffled as he spoke through his fingers. “Sorry, but that was a bust. Only the going prices for ‘alpha sculptures.’ Nothing else useful on it, I’m afraid.”

“Nothing?” I asked, trying to hide my disappointment.

Kaos side-eyed me and shook his head. “No, not unless you’re interested in the kind of por?—”

“That’s enough!” I said quickly, cutting him off. That was already far too much information. Thankfully, Finch changed the topic.

“How is Ocean after his fight?” he asked.

Right. How to say this?

“I have good news and bad news,” I started.