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CHAPTER 33

LOGAN

S loane had continued to pull away from me ever since our conversation about how she’d become an escort. I’d been doing everything I could to hold her close. But lately, it felt like I was clinging to sand—no matter how tightly I tried to grasp her, she was slipping right through my fingers.

She’d made me stay at her condo every night this week. I wouldn’t have minded, not before that talk, but now her place carried the lingering feeling of him—her uncle. It was like his presence was burned into the walls, and every time I stayed there, it felt like I was stepping into the devil’s lair.

More often than not, I’d wake up alone in her bed, the sheets cold and rumpled on her side. I’d find her in the studio down the hall, hunched over a canvas, dark circles carved under her eyes. She’d look at me like she hadn’t slept in years, but when I’d try to convince her to come back to bed, she’d just shake her head and keep painting.

“It helps,” she’d say, even though I could see the toll it was taking on her.

It was killing me to see her like this.

So, I decided it was time for us to move in together.

Even if she wasn’t ready to have that conversation yet.

It was clear this place was haunting her. And since money was still being taken out of my account on a weekly basis, her uncle was still haunting her too.

What she really needed was to leave this place behind. And if she wasn’t going to make that decision on her own, I’d just have to give her a little push .

I probably needed some help, though, I thought as I stared at her pretending to read on the couch next to me. Grabbing my phone, I sent the guys a text.

Me: Remember how vague Hero was about the dogs? How do we feel about rats?

Camden: What was vague? They were literally just dogs.

Ari: Were they, though? Because I remember a lot more happening that night. Like the loss of my big toe.

Lincoln: You didn’t literally lose your big toe.

Ari: How do you know?

Lincoln: …

Lincoln: Because you’re sitting in my living room right now with flip-flops on. Definitely seeing two big toes.

Ari: Knew you had a foot fetish, Golden Boy.

Lincoln: …

Me: Can we focus? We can talk about Lincoln’s foot fetish at a later date. This is an emergency.

Walker: An emergency involving…rats?

Me: Well, yes.

Camden: Will it involve meat?

Me: What? Why would it involve meat? Are rats carnivores?

Ari: Hmm. Not sure about that, actually.

Walker: I’ll look it up.

Ari: Of course you will.

Walker: I’m trying to be helpful!

Camden: Google says they eat both plants and meat. Not sure that helps.

Walker: Simp.

Ari: Flag on the play.

Lincoln: Why are we referencing football penalties now…

Ari: Parker influenced me.

Walker: What does my brother have to do with anything?

I huffed and Sloane side-eyed me. When I didn’t say anything, she went back to her book.

Me: CAN WE FOCUS.

Ari: He’s using shouty caps. I think he wants our attention.

Me: …

Me: Now that I have your attention.

Ari: It’s a fleeting moment so take advantage of it.

Me: I’m going to use rats to get Sloane to move in with me.

Ari: …

Lincoln: …

Camden: …

Walker: …

Walker: Not to be judgy—because really, to each their own. But why does Sloane have a thing for rats?

I stared at the phone incredulously, rereading because somehow I’d gotten off track in my messaging.

Me: What? She doesn’t have a thing for rats.

Ari: I mean if you’re into tail play, I don’t think rat tails are usually what people go to, but again…good on you.

Me: I’m not into rats! She’s not into rats either. That’s the whole point!

Camden: I’m very confused right now. I think meat is involved.

Me: I’M GOING TO USE RATS TO SCARE HER OUT OF HER APARTMENT SO SHE WILL MOVE IN WITH ME.

There was a beat of silence as I stared at the phone, waiting for them to answer.

Lincoln: Well, why didn’t you say that in the first place?

Ari: Yeah, I mean your communication skills need major improvement. Who starts a text out asking how we feel about rats?

Camden: I know they were trying to be supportive, but no one likes rats.

Me: …

That was obviously exactly why my plan involved rats. Everyone was scared of them.

Walker: It’s true.

Ari: Someone get Disney a muzzle. It’s too much for me today.

Walker: I would say my feelings are hurt, but I’m still in possession of my two big toes and I have the cutest daughter in the world, so life feels pretty good.

Ari: …

Ari: Touché.

Me: Also, I need to borrow a Stanley Cupcake for this plan to distract Sloane.

Lincoln: I still can’t believe that’s the name we stuck with.

Ari: Walker’s preening right now.

Walker: Ooh, Olivia can help! I mean I don’t think we should mention the rats…or any other part of the plan. But she really wants to hang out with Sloane.

Ari: Hey, Blake wants to hang out with her too.

Lincoln: Monroe wants to as well.

Camden: Hey, I’m not as fast of a typer, but Anastasia loves Sloane and would definitely want to hang.

A warm feeling hit me hard. Fuck my dad. Fuck my mom for leaving me. But who gave a shit…look at the family I’d found.

Rubbing my chest at the sudden emotion, I finally typed out a reply.

Me: Sorry, Grampalicious, type faster next time. Olivia’s been chosen.

Ari: Starting a group FaceTime to discuss this properly. If I can figure it out.

I got up from the couch and walked into the other room so Sloane wouldn’t hear our discussion.

Lincoln: Someone else do the call. He’s never going to figure it out.

Ari: I resent that, Golden Boy.

A second later Camden was starting the group call. The first thing Camden said…

“How’s that for a Grampalicious?”

* * *

I stood in the lobby of Sloane’s building, hands shoved into my hoodie pocket as Ari and Camden both lugged blanket-covered cages filled with rats through the side entrance. I didn’t know how, but Lincoln had somehow procured hundreds of them, and I shivered listening to their tiny claws skitter across the plastic. Ari was muttering to himself, his shoulders hunched like he was bracing for battle.

“You know what? I prefer Fifi,” Ari hissed. “At least she isn’t a rodent. Did you know these things spread the Black Plague? We could be doing that right now!” He peered around the blanket as if a rat was going to jump out and get him right then and there.

Camden smirked. “You mean Fluffy, and Fluffy was a he . Lancaster, it’s not hard to figure out what happened that night. You obviously offended the poor guy. Your big toe was his only option.” He sighed as we stepped into the elevator, and I punched in Sloane’s code. “But I agree, ‘dogs’ are definitely better than rats.”

“You said ‘dogs’ weird again,” Ari muttered as he stared at the cage he was holding. “These things are practically cats with tails. I saw them looking at me in the car. They’ve got murder in their eyes.”

“Rats don’t commit murder,” I said, sighing exasperatedly. “They’re more of a ‘scurry and scatter’ kind of creature. But also, quit talking about that night with Geraldine’s dogs, it triggers my PTSD.”

Camden smirked at me. “I don’t know, Rookie, seems like a good time if it was immortalized in stone.”

Ari growled at him and then shot us both glares. “Can we please not talk about Geraldine right now? We’re on a break until she starts appreciating me.” He winced as he adjusted his grip on his cage. “Also, you owe me for this. I’ll accept steak and tacos dinners for a year.”

“The only thing you want is steak and tacos?” Camden asked incredulously.

“Deal,” I muttered, glancing at my phone and checking the camera in Sloane’s necklace to make sure she was still out shopping with Olivia.

I grinned when the camera showed a rack of lingerie. Now, that was my kind of shopping.

“I want steak and tacos too,” Camden said and my smirk faded.

“Remember that whole thing about you owing me for the rest of my life after helping you get Anastasia?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I tried not to think about…that night.

“Worth a try.” Camden shrugged.

We slipped into the condo, Ari trailing behind us, struggling with the cage he was holding, looking like he was ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.

The place was immaculate, as always. Light filtered through the tall windows, bouncing off the sleek furniture and polished floors. My gaze instinctively flicked toward her paint studio, the one part of the condo that truly felt like her. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t let anything happen to it, and I intended to keep that promise. I strode down the hallway and closed the studio door.

Ari looked at the cage like it contained a ticking bomb. “How exactly are we releasing these things? Because I am not sticking my hand in there.”

“You just open the door and let them do their thing,” Camden said, lifting the blanket to reveal a cage full of beady-eyed creatures pressing against the bars. “They’re just…rats.”

“Says the guy who wasn’t locked in a shed with one as a kid,” Ari shot back, shivering. “You think they're just rats…until they turn on you.”

“Why is that story just now coming out?” Camden asked. “It almost seems like you made it up, Lancaster.”

Ari huffed. “I prefer not to talk about my trauma, Hero,” he said primly. “Rookie, these are your rats and your plan. You come open this cage.”

I snorted as I walked over.

Camden rolled his eyes and flipped the latch, tipping the cage on its side. “They’re not going to bite you. Probably.” The rats hesitated for a moment before scurrying out, their tiny claws clicking against the hardwood floors. Ari jumped back with a strangled noise, nearly tripping over the ottoman.

“Sweet mother of—get them away from me!”

Camden doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach until a rat ran over his shoe. “Ahh!” he screeched, jumping onto a barstool.

“You’re not laughing now. Are you, Hero?” Ari snapped, darting to the other side of the room.

“Did you see the size of that thing?” Camden yelped, pointing toward the couch where the rat had disappeared. “It’s a monster.”

I shook my head, trying to ignore my queasiness as I opened the other cage, and the rats scurried out. They were already exploring, darting under the couch and disappearing behind the TV stand. One particularly bold rodent climbed onto the coffee table, sniffing the air.

“Where did Lincoln even get all these rats?” I asked as I backed toward the elevator. “There’s like a hundred of them.”

Ari and Camden carefully climbed off the furniture they’d mounted and were also backing their way toward the exit.

“A lot of things about Golden Boy are on a need to know basis ,” Ari muttered. “I don’t think he’s going to consider this a need to know .”

Ari screamed as a rat darted past him, and he dove toward the elevator, crawling into it like a man escaping a burning building. “Close it! Close it! Close iiit! They’re after me!”

The elevator doors slid shut as Camden and I both stared wide-eyed at Ari on the floor.

Camden took out his phone and took a picture.

“I’m showing Geraldine,” he said. I snorted as Ari flipped him off and struggled to get up.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like your legs don’t work anymore?” I asked, as I checked my phone. Sloane had just sent me a text saying they were wrapping up. Perfect timing.

Ari was muttering something about rats and tacos as the elevator doors opened into the lobby.

“Good idea, Lancaster. Let’s get tacos,” I told him, supremely happy with how things were working out. “But we need to make this quick. I’m sure Sloane will be calling me soon.”

* * *

When the call finally came, I answered on the second ring, putting on my most innocent voice. “Hey, baby. How was shopping?”

“Logan, there are rats everywhere!” she cried, her voice shaky.

“What?” I asked, trying to keep the amusement out of my tone.

“There are rats. In my condo. Everywhere !”

“Are you serious? How the hell did that happen?”

“I don’t know!” she wailed. “But I can’t stay in my place. I’m in the lobby…I need to get out of here.”

“Okay, okay. Breathe, Sloane. I’ll be right there. We’ll get what stuff we can, and you can stay with me.”

There was a pause, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. Finally, she exhaled shakily. “Okay,” she whispered, sounding unsure.

I bit back a triumphant grin. “I’ll stay on the phone with you the whole time I’m driving.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, and I did a fist pump in the air as I started the truck.

I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt on the drive over.