Page 244 of Soul So Dark

A burst of laughter escapes Alex’s mouth as he pulls a clean t-shirt over his head. I’ve been doing my homework on Brett, just like I have for Bowen. But, in this case, I’m trying to draw her in rather than keep her at a distance like him.

Until he can be appropriately destroyed.

Alex takes a seat on the tufted bench in the middle of the closet and starts pulling on his usual scuffed up brown Ariat boots. “So, what’s your plan,Angelína?”

“She always meets her best friend at Calhoun’s on Thursdays after work. If we stop there on the way to dinner, it’ll be just enough time torun into her,” I say with air quotes, “and invite her to your birthday next month.”

I am excited about that part, aside from the fact I’m using it as an opportunity to draw Brett deeper into the Lutz sphere. I’m planning the whole thing—soft lights, music, and a catered dinner party on the rooftop of our building. Aiden offered his house which, to the ordinary person, sounds fantastic. Who wouldn’t want to host a party on his palatial estate? However, I don’t want to think about what kind of debauchery happened there in high school involving my husband and brother while I’m sipping fancy drinks and making sure there are enough candles for the cake—German chocolate. I just have to make sure that Adrian and Luca don’t roll up with a handle of Tvarscki, hell-bent on getting Alex wrecked.

“Solid.” Alex lets his foot fall to the floor with a thud. “Then let’s hope you’re right about tonight.”

“She’s very rigid about her routines.”

“That’s the truth,” Alex mutters under his breath.

“Hmm, I wonder why you all get along so well,” I reply wryly.

Brett’s even more strict about her schedule than Alex, which I didn’t think was possible.

“You’re right, if she’s not there tonight, it means she’s probably dead and we have bigger problems.”

“Exactly.” I lean into the mirror and start combing my fingers through my hair. “I need Colson to see that she’s here, but think it’s total coincidence.” I shoot a diabolical grin at his reflection. “Like,oh yeah, that’s just my friend from work!”

“Speaking of which, why’s he still up in the great white North?” Alex asks. “We’ve been working on him, but even Mase hasn’t been able to convince him to come back down.”

Alex is right, I need to check in with Sergei soon, and the drive to Calhoun’s seems like the perfect time to do it.

“I’ve been busy,” Sergei replies when I ask him for an update. “Your brother’s a stubborn asshole, but it won’t be long now.”

That’s an understatement.

I always enjoy our clandestine phone calls from the top of the world, but sometimes the connection is so bad and his accent is so thick that I spend half the conversation asking him to repeat himself. I feel terrible when that happens, but at least he doesn’t seem to mind.

“Alright,” I sigh, my patience deteriorating each time I speak to him. “I know this is asking a lot, and I really appreciate you agreeing to help me.” Because I do.

“How can I refuse?”

Sergei is a very interesting person and I’ve learned two things about him; he lives in a grey area where context means everything and he’s constantly assessing risk and reward, but once he makes a decision, the world turns to black and white and it’s do or die.

“I’m so close, Brett’s here and I know Bowen’s going to crack. He’s given me all these pieces, but I need something to connect them all. If Colson came back…” I trail off for a moment, tasting the excitement before it fades away again. “I think he would throw Bowen off-balance.”

“Loud and clear, little sister,” Sergei replies in his signature monotone.

“I just hope I’m not miscalculating, you know? I can’t be wrong, there’s too much at stake.”

“Don’t worry, Queen, I’d bet on you any day of the week.”

“Thanks, I just—”

Wait, what?

An eerie sense of déjà vu hijacks my train of thought, and before I can respond, Sergei gives a curt farewell and he’s gone. But before I can think too much about it, I feel a faint buzz somewhere in my lap. I look down at my hand, but it’s not my regular phone vibrating, it’s the faithful burner in my bag. This is the first I’ve heard from Bowen since that night in the barn—hisbarn—with Austin.

BOWEN (6:02PM): Hey fucker

ME (6:02PM): Ur still alive?

BOWEN (6:03PM): Been busy…vacation turned into unexpected events