Page 222 of Lodestar

“Then you have to weigh the balances of their baking with their evilness.”

“That you even had an answer for that is disturbing.”

“Says the guy who electrocutes people for fun!”

“Hey, you told her!” he grumbled at me.

I hitched a shoulder. “I was impressed.”

“I was as well. Here was me thinking you were this soft fucker who just plays with computers. Turns out you make your own torture equipment for fun! You totally belong in our clique, Conor.”

“Is this a sorority of two?”

Chuckling, I patted his knee under the table. “Four if you want to pledge.”

“Hey, who’s the third?”

“Savannah, but she doesn’t know she’s in it yet.”

“What do you think, Conor? Wanna join?” D taunted.

Conor smirked at us. “My masculinity can take the hit, just don’t tell my brothers or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

With a grin, I picked up my hot chocolate and took a deep sip. The immediate hit of dopamine had me sighing with delight. “I won’t kill her for now,” I informed Cin.

“See? If I’d given her coffee, that answer would have been very different.”

“No. It wouldn’t?—”

“Don’t kid yourself,” she interrupted.

Ignoring her, I continued, “—but if she fucks me over again, she’s dead meat.”

“Fair,” Cin concurred with a bored yawn.

“Are you sure you guys are okay with us stopping in New York first?” I asked when I saw a message from Link confirming he’d be escorting Kat to Hell’s Kitchen.

“Little late to ask that, Star, seeing as we’re almost there.” Cin sniffed.

“Did Alessa and Maverick agree to have one of our drivers collect Kat?” Conor questioned.

I nodded. “She’ll be there at five.”

“Great. We should make it by four-thirty.”

“Do we take it as a positive or a negative that you want to meet the people you love before we take off on this Herculean trial?” Cin inquired.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I retorted, “Shut up.”

“I mean, if we’re about to meet our Maker,” she continued, “how come I don’t get to see my mom and dad?”

“Are you even talking to them?”

“No.”

“What’s the problem then?”

“I’d have liked to be asked.”

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