Page 136 of The Secrets We Bury

“That hacker we contacted has seen movement on your mother’s accounts,” Lex says. “We’ve got a lead on her now. We also have Viks helping us.”

Shifting to the side, I look over my shoulder to meet Lex’s storm cloud-colored eyes. “You’re letting him help you?”

Lex grimaces. “‘Letting’ is a strong word. I wouldn’t say that we’re letting him so much as we are…”

“Being forced to reconcile the fact that we can’t do everything on our own,” Nolan finishes when it appears Lex can’t.

I snort. I can’t help it. The pure, boyish annoyance on Lex’s face is too much. Another laugh bubbles out of me and Gio has to release my hand when Lex turns his attention fully to me and squeezes my sides in retaliation.

“Don’t laugh at me, baby,” he says. “I still think he’s a prick.”

“He’s your uncle and it seems like he actually wants to help,” I remind him.

“Ugh.” Lex settles back against the couch and pulls me harder against him.

“Regardless of his reasons for helping us,” Nolan says, recapturing all of our attention. “He came through when we needed him. We can rely on him for now. He’s got men watching our families in case your uncle tries anything. You’re not going back to him. You’re coming home.”

“He’ll still need to be dealt with,” I say, my voice quieting and the laughter fading.

Nolan nods. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let’s just get you out of here and back where you belong.”

Where I belong…I close my eyes. He’s right. They are where I belong and I’ve never felt so loved as I do now, in their arms.

52

JULIET

Masks on, ghosts in the night, the Scorpion Kings and I leave the hotel room sometime later. Though I don’t want to release them, I also can’t allow myself to become too dependent. It would be easy to fall into their safety, to let them be my strength.

It’s a luxury I can’t afford.

Nolan takes the lead, then Gio, then me, and finally, Lex rounds out the back. His gaze burns into the back of my head, and I turn back to find his dark gray eyes piercing me with their intensity. He doesn’t say a word, doesn’t reach for me, but then, he doesn’t have to. I am his. He is mine. They all are.

We take the servants’ elevator down to the courtyard and cross through the gardens. The sound of music grows steadily closer and I clamp my fingers tighter against Gio’s and Lex’s as Nolan leads us. Even if Morpheus does catch us, it’s not like he can cause a scene in front of so many wealthy people. He can’t stop me. Not now.

“We’re going to cut through the hallways to the side,” Nolan says, his voice low but firm. “We don’t want to alert anyone in the actual ballroom.”

“These charity things usually go on for a few more hours,” I inform him. “But by now, most people should be tired or relaxed or drunk.”

He nods. “Good.”

Silence descends and we follow him to a secondary path that leads to the right of the last path I took to get to the hotel room. We enter a set of glass doors that come out along a corridor lined with golden wall sconces. My palms feel clammy, but neither of the men holding on to me say a word. They don’t complain and they don’t let go.

We walk forward when I want to run. It’s instinct to see the end in sight and to rush for it. It’s harder to hold myself back, but I manage and I’m not so naive as to think it has nothing to do withthem.

“Almost there, Prep Girl,” Gio murmurs, leaning over as we slow to a split in the halls. He presses a kiss to my temple and I sigh, squeezing his hand back in response.

Nolan glances down both of the new halls and then shuffles forward. We trail behind. A moment later, he pulls out his cell phone and types out a message.

“Viks has someone waiting for us on the east side of the hotel,” he says. “We should?—”

A sharp, feminine scream cuts him off and we all freeze in place. The scream sounds again, louder than before—shrill and terrified. I frown and turn back.

“Help! Please, oh God! Please, help!”

“What the fuck…?” Gio’s muttered question is met with another scream from the woman.

“Wait here,” Nolan commands, turning back.