Page 70 of Reckless: Collision

“I am.” Ryker steps away, grabbing his jacket and marching out without once looking at her. Smart man.

“Toasty.” She follows him out, weaponized grace in motion, Jinx on her heels like a shadow.

“What did you sacrifice?” I ask Finn, grabbing his coat and holding it open for him to step into.

His smirk is pure mischief. “I threatened to change all our notifications to the Golden Girls theme song.”

I throw my head back in laughter, joy bubbling up like champagne. “Do it anyway.”

The SUV sits in the driveway like a promise of trouble—sleek, black, and large enough to hold five adults and all their questionable decisions. Ryker takes the driver’s seat like he’s preparing for battle, knuckles white on the steering wheel.

True to her word, Cayenne claims shotgun before anyone can protest. I slide into the back with Finn and Jinx, appreciating how the middle seat gives me a perfect view of the impending chaos.

“Don’t.” Ryker’s voice carries that edge of alpha command as Cayenne reaches for the overhead light.

She flips it on anyway. “I need to see what I’m doing.”

“It’s distracting.”

“You’re an alpha with enhanced everything. Pretty sure you can handle a little light.” She pulls out an arsenal of makeup from her clutch. “Unless you’d prefer I stab myself in the eye with mascara?”

From beside me, Jinx snorts, already typing on his phone. His sudden bark of laughter makes us all jump. “Holy shit, listen to this—Urban Dictionary definesrawas...”

“Don’t you dare,” Finn interrupts, but his beta curiosity betrays him. “What does it say?”

“When someone looks dangerous but in like, a sexy way.” Jinx reads with obvious delight. “Like they might rob a bank but make out with you first.”

Heat floods my omega senses as Cayenne’s scent spikes with satisfaction. In the rearview mirror, I catch Ryker’s jaw clenching.

“That’s...” Finn pushes up his glasses, fighting a smile. “Surprisingly accurate.”

“Damn straight.” Cayenne steadies her hand as we take a turn, applying eyeliner with surgical precision.

“Not the only meaning,” Jinx scrolls further, his grin turning feral. “According to Urban Dictionary,rawalso means?—”

“Sex without a condom.” Cayenne doesn’t miss a beat, hand steady as she wings her eyeliner. “I know.”

The car swerves slightly as everyone processes that deliberate bombshell. My omega senses flood with the spike of alpha pheromones—desire tinged with challenge.

Jinx’s laugh holds that edge of beautiful madness. “You knew exactly what you were saying.”

“Always do.” She meets his gaze in the rearview mirror, all beta defiance wrapped in deliberate temptation. “What’s wrong, Havoc? Can’t handle a little verbal sparring?”

“Children.” Ryker’s grip on the steering wheel could bend metal. “Perhaps we save the urban dictionary lessons for when we’re not in a moving vehicle?”

I catch Finn’s small smirk as he pushes his glasses up. Always the analyst, cataloging every interaction, every charged moment.

Ryker takes the next turn harder than necessary. “Ground rules.”

“Here we go,” I mutter, but his steel grey eyes find mine in the mirror.

“VIP lounge only.” His tone brooks no argument. “You want nights like this to happen again? You follow my lead. We go in through the back, we stay in our section, we leave together.”

“Sir, yes sir.” Cayenne mock salutes, but there’s an edge to her voice that makes me wonder if she’s remembering other orders, other constraints.

“I mean it.” He pulls into Sanctuary’s back lot, cutting the engine. “One hour of freedom isn’t worth risking everything else.”

The weight of what he’s not saying settles over us. Sterling Labs. Assassins. All the reasons we should be home instead of here. But I catch the way Cayenne’s shoulders straighten at the wordfreedom, how her scent shifts from embarrassment to anticipation.

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