Page 35 of In Prey We Trust

BabyGirl: Fitzy, I love my collection, but we can’t do that until we know why she’s creeping me out. Maybe she’s just icky, but not evil.

EmoBatMan: What kind of author, Chester?

CSpot: Self-published, but I didn’t ask because I was trying to get out of there.

TigerKing: Princess is right. We have to tread lightly until we have a foundation here. Fitz will hit the dark web and Aubrey will use the library. Chess, go charm the admin office. Renard, talk to your network. We’ll discuss tonight.

BabyGirl: What do I do?

TigerKing: Behave, Princess, and let us help you. When we’re all home, we’ll reconvene while we do that damn chip search we forgot about.

BabyGirl: Yes, Sir!

TigerWoody: Keep edging him, baby girl. It’s funny as fuck.

I smile at the screen and lock it before I put it back in my bag. We’re not taking any chances on security this year, which is why Felix is focused on making sure we don’t forget things like the trackers. I hate thinking about some damn things buried inside of me that help my mother stalk me, but we have to cut off her access. That she hasn’t reached out yet after I was called to school early doesn’t bode well.

Looking up at the crowd of women yelling at one another, I ponder for a second.

Maybe the enemy of my enemy is my friend?

Best Friends

Delores

“Ugh, I can barely walk,” I groan as I trudge off the field for the day. It took Zhenga and the gangly cheer coach almost a half hour to work out where the cheer squad could practice that wouldn’t put them in the line of fire and kept the warring girl gangs far enough away from each other. She made us do these ass aching sprints called ‘suicides’ while they plotted their detente, and I feel like I’m going to die.

I thought César was bad; Zhenga makes him look soft.

Fitz chuckles, pausing for a moment to give me his back. “Hop on, Baby Girl. Z isn’t known for being the only chick to compete in the male games for nothing.”

I blink. “She what?”

“Yep. She petitioned the fucking league and won the right to jump from the women’s team. It’s why my bro let her fight him all the time. He knew she wouldn’t let him win.”

Felix snorts. “Until she started using it for—” He coughs. “Well, until she was unscrupulous for a while.”

My eyes narrow and I’m surprised to hear a low growl echoing out of my chest. Both the tigers smirk when I have to shake my head to stave off the bunny’s instinct. “Stop making that face, both of you. I can’t control it!”

“That is why we’re looking so pleased, Princess. Your Battle Bunny doesn’t like the idea of Z using matches to cop a feel and neither of us hates it one bit.” Felix bobs his brows as I hold on to his twin, letting him carry me down the tunnel to land.

“Fine. But it’s just biology,” I grumble. “Don’t get all weird about it.”

“How is it the two of you have managed to fucking switch places? Now you’re all soft and she’s bristly. I can’t keep up,” Fitz complains. “You need to bang it out and get this shit under wraps.”

“Shut up, Fitz.”

Giggling into my piggyback partner’s hair, I squeeze him. “I don’t think anyone expected you to be such a matchmaker. You’re practically throwing me at people.”

Fitz stops, turning his head to put his nose against mine. “Not people, Baby Girl—our family. I don’t mind sharing you with our family, but anyone else will die painfully. Understand?”

I roll my eyes, booping my nose against his as I return the crazy look he’s giving me. “Ditto, baby.”

“Are you two done? I’d prefer we exit this fucking sci-fi monstrosity with our wits about us, if you don’t mind,” Felix retorts drily. “We have no idea what the fresh hell is on the other side of the airlock.”

“Understood, General Dick-tator!” Fitz says with a mock salute that makes me snicker.

“We’re all going to die. I can see it now.”

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