Page 20 of In Prey We Trust

And someone’s going to tell our girl those half-wit exes of hers are going to be here, too, if she hasn’t figured it out yet.

“Not it!” I blurt out.

They all look at me in confusion and I growl when I realize I crossed from in my head to out loud. Dolly walks over, taking my hand and pulling me to the middle of the huge, recessed sofa nest. I follow her, but it doesn’t keep me from squirming a little as everyone else settles in. Her big blue eyes meet mine and she chuckles. “What are you ‘not it’ for, Fitzy?”

Fuck me running.

“I didn’t want to be the one to remind you all they sent here the second years, so your micropenis ex and the Bitch Squad will be here, too.” Frowning, I cross my arms over my chest as I pout a little. I royally fucked that one up.

She sucks in a deep breath, then blows it out slowly. “Yeah, I figured. But here’s the thing: I survived them once and I can do it again. With you guys on my side, as well as the back alley deal one of you worked to get Rufus and Cori here. I think I can handle whatever they throw at me. The Heathers don’t get to rule my life anymore; I’m free.”

I look over at Spicy Salamander with a wicked grin. “Does that mean we can rein hellfire and brimstone on them now?”

“Not if you’ll get shitcanned for it. I definitely need you guys here more than I need to see them get their just desserts.” Her eyes dance. “But that doesn’t mean I’m saying you can’t find creative ways to exercise your thirst for revenge.”

“Evil. I love it,” the gargoyle says happily. His tail flicks out behind him and I can see the wheels turning in his extremely mischievous mind. “I’ll confer with the two of you about my thoughts.”

“If you’re all done fucking around, I’d love to hear what happened from the Princess. Can we manage that without getting distracted?” Felix asks with a smug look on his face.

“If you can manage to not be an overbearing dick,” I mutter.

“Fitz!” My baby girl giggles, but dutifully turns to look at my brother with a prim smile. “I’m ready when you are, Sir.”

Oh, she’s clever.

I’m falling in love with this girl more every minute.

Falling in Love

Delores

Felix’s rant wasn’t as bad as I expected. It was obvious the shit with Chess shook him up as badly as the rest of us and he’s struggling with wanting to keep everyone safe. Unfortunately, every single person in our family is headstrong, stubborn, and really fucking tired of being targeted by random baddies. It’s constantly grating and seems to only get worse, even when we think we’ve made headway.

But that’s what the real bad guys do, right? They keep chipping away at you until you surrender or put them in their place.

Now that my grumpy tiger has his fears off his chest, we’re looking over the materials for Cappie while we eat the delicious Chinese food Chess whipped up. I’m watching Renard wield his chopsticks like a seasoned pro and when I look at Aubrey, he’s holding his the same way. My lips quirk when I remember Fitz came flying to my house yesterday because he found out their secret. It’s obvious he’s forgotten that minute detail, but as soon as the adrenaline wears off from our fight, he’ll be anxious again.

I can’t believe the two of them hid it from the others for a decade and everyone else at Apex for much longer.

Once you know what to look for, it slaps you in the face. The way they kid one another gently or make accommodations without asking isn’t just a friend thing. Their dedication to one another is noticeable when you see the ease between them as they move about their space. I’ve never seen Aubrey get his scotch without automatically grabbing a drink for Rennie. And the dragon definitely prefers his horde room, but alternated with the gargoyle’s nest without complaint. My winged warriors don’t flash it around like Fitz and Chess, but they’re settled like an old married couple.

“What are we going to do about the dorm situation?” Chess asks around a mouthful of Udon noodles.

I groan, looking at the map again. “The only good thing about this is the damn Reptile house is across the way from the library. It’s close to here, so if I end up with a roommate, I can sneak in and out.”

Aubrey arches a brow. “My worry was the safety of your belongings and your privacy. We know reptilian shifters are quite sneaky and avaricious. They can be bought.”

“Great. Here I thought having to use the tunnel from the mainland would stop the idiots because this thing says it requires a swipe card. Now you’re telling me the killer is in my house,” I grumble.

Would it be so hard for shit not to be complex while I’m adjusting to a whole new set of people and places?

“I think we scope out her dorm in the morning before more students arrive. If it appears her room is ill-suited, which it likely will be, ma petite can leave her things in the main room here where I had the Captain stow them.”

Felix narrows his eyes at the gargoyle. “Had this planned out, did you?”

Rennie chomps a bite of broccoli with relish before he winks at me. He’s talented at assessing all the angles from above, so he definitely saw this question coming. Fitz’s plan to house me in the Tower last year did wonders for keeping me safe as I slept, dead body notwithstanding. I know he realized leaving me in a dorm full time would make my space far too accessible to all of my enemies—known and unknown.

“I like that idea,” Fitz says, as he rolls over to hold a piece of beef up for me. “She can buy a spare set of shit to put there in case someone checks, but leave all her real things here. We’re going shopping tomorrow night to replace what we didn’t pack, anyway.”

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