Page 59 of Toxic Revenge: Part Two

If I was lucky, the shower would wash away some of my worries and leave me fresh and optimistic for Talia today.

Talia’s phone rang while she was taking her turn in the shower. I answered it without even thinking.

“Hello?”

What I didn’t realize before the fact was that it was a video call I was answering, and I was lying shirtless in bed.

Also, the person on the phone was her sister. Emilia—one of the ones I hadn’t met.

As reality sank in, my cheeks went pink and I tugged the blanket up until it covered me to my chin. Why were all of my first impressions fucking terrible? My luck was failing me epically.

On the small phone screen, Emilia hid her laughter behind her hand.

Talia had described her as the bookworm and tech genius of the family, and she looked the part. Her hair was up in a messy bun on top of her head, and she was dressed in a comfy looking sweater. Glasses sat on her nose.

“Sorry. Answered without thinking,” I mumbled. “I’m?—”

“Conrad St. Pierre. I know a lot about you already.”

“Yeah, uh, that makes sense. Talia said that you’re the brains of the operation.”

Emilia grinned. Was I winning points for flattery? “That’s me. Is Talia around?”

“In the shower. Should be almost done.”

She reclined in her chair, and I adjusted my blanket shield to make sure no part of my chest was on display. The silence grew awkward after we’d moved and adjusted, but at least the shower had turned off. Talia was done. She’d be out soon to save me from myself.

“I’m not usually the one who doles out the threats,” Emilia said suddenly. “But you’d better take care of her. She’s going to insist on running after the information I’m about to give her, and she’ll need you.”

“I’ll do anything for her,” I promised with two huge nods. “You don’t have to worry with me around.”

My neck injury ached as if saying she should worry. Everyone should worry. I wasn’t trustworthy.

Yet Talia trusted me, and that was all that mattered.

Exhaling deeply, I focused on the scent of her layered onto the nest. Cranberries and roses, the scent that hooked me from the second I smelled it. She was here with me even when she wasn’t, and I couldn’t let myself think too hard about the past.

“Conrad? Are you talking to someone?” Talia called from the bathroom.

With the shower off, she must have heard. “Your sister is on the phone.”

She stepped out of the bathroom while pulling a t-shirt over her head. My gaze tracked down the bare expanse of her torso as it was covered by the cotton fabric, then I looked up to meet her eyes.

Talia smirked at me knowingly, and my cheeks flushed hot yet again. Shoving the phone in her direction, I tried to at least save my dignity in front of Emilia.

“Hey, Emmy.” She grabbed the phone from me but didn’t let me get up to grab clothing. Talia hopped right up onto thebed and snuggled against my blanket-covered chest. “Have you found something?”

Emilia launched into an explanation of her process. It went completely over my head. All I gathered was that she somehow tracked Benjamin to find where he went after bonding Talia.

“And then he ended up at Ronald White’s mansion. He went in with a messenger bag and came out without it.”

“Then there must be something important in that bag.” Talia came to the conclusion while my brain was still catching up.

“Exactly what I thought,” Emilia agreed. “Obviously, that house isn’t going to be easy to sneak into, but we’re in luck. He’s hosting a gala.”

A fucking gala? Like with champagne towers and ice sculptures? I’d never heard of Ronald White, but he must be some kind of billionaire.

“You think we can sneak in the back while security is busy with the gala?” I asked.