I settle into my seat, hating myself for having given in, but not able to turn back now. I've already gone against her wishes, I might as well see this thing through.

"So, Austin, Leo tells me you're in logistics. What does that entail?" Grace says to Austin, the guy who won't stop reaching over and putting his grimy hand on London's back and shoulder.

If looks could kill, he'd be dead from across this screen.

"You know, this or that. Keeps me busy," Austin replies vaguely.

"Could you be any more evasive?" London straight-up asks him.

"Excuse me?" Austin says to her with a tone that sets my nerves ablaze.

My jaw tenses as I reach for my phone, transferring the feed over to it as I make my way toward the door. I keep my eyes on the screen, popping in an AirPod and grabbing my keys off the table. I know I should stay here, not react, but my gut is sending out blaring warning signs that I need to be closer to her just in case something happens.

"I said what I said," London continues. "You're being evasive. She asked you a question and you didn't even attempt to answer it. Why?" London takes the drinks the waitress brings over, offering her a brisk thank-you before turning her attention to Austin again. "I'm waiting."

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" Austin looks to Leo. "Didn't tell me how disobedient this one was."

I slam the door to my apartment shut and jog down the stairs and into the parking garage as fast as I can. I shove my phone onto the front mount and don't even bother to put the helmet on or wait for my bike to fully warm up.

"You have some fucking audacity, don't you?" London says, but I don't catch it happening on the screen.

I'm too focused on bolting out of the parking garage, ignoring the oncoming traffic as I dart out in front of it. My front wheel comes off the pavement and I throttle through it with perfect control. If I don't stop at any of the lights or stop signs, I should make it to the restaurant in four, maybe five minutes. I drive onto the sidewalk, blasting past stunned pedestrians and back onto the street, slamming on my brakes to avoid a car, the back wheel coming up this time before I twist the throttle and leave them behind.

My gaze flickers down to the screen, the engine of my bike and blaring horns making it hard to hear what's going on. I twist the throttle more, not a care in the world other than getting to her as soon as I can. There's no telling what kind of shit Austin will pull, especially now that I place his name as one of the criminals Leo is friends with. I forgot he existed, nothing special about him other than the fact that he works with my brother. And even that isn't much to brag about.

Leo is successful, I mean, we all are, but every single one of us, me included, are notorious criminals. August might be the best one out of us but even that is a stretch. Ivy, on the other hand, she's a saint, and the fact that she puts up with the rest of us should grant her a special place in heaven if I believed in that sort of thing.

London's voice comes through my headphones. "Don't you fucking talk to me like that."

I push the bike harder, taking the last corner so fucking fast that the back tire kicks out and it takes all my strength to keep the bike from completely losing it. I pull up to the restaurant, manage to shove the kickstand down, and hop off without tipping the bike over, ignoring the valet as I march straight toward the entrance.

My phone rings and I push the button on my AirPod to connect it. "Yeah?"

"Archer," London says, catching me completely off guard.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come and get me?"

"I'm already here." I stomp past the hostess and go in the direction I can only assume London is.

"Wait, what?"

I lay my sights on her the second I'm through the door, her red head scanning the crowd to find me. We lock eyes and then I home in onhim.

My hands are at his collar the moment I reach him, lifting him from his seat. "The fuck you think you're doing?" I yell in his face.

Austin's eyes go wide, along with everyone else’s in this place.

"Archie, c'mon, man," Leo says.

I release one arm from Austin to shove it into Leo's chest as he approaches me. "Don't you fucking start with me." I shove him away and return my attention to Austin. "You think you can talk to her like that?" I slam him against the wall, knocking a picture frame loose. My vision darkens, and my pulse sort of slows down at having him exactly where I want him. "I will fucking kill you."

"Archer," London calls out from behind me.

"Say something." I force Austin against the wall, his stature not much smaller than mine.

He grips my arms and tries to pry himself free but it's no use, my rage is calling the shots now.