Page 88 of Laurels and Liquor

Lex scoffs harshly. “And extortion doesn’t compromise it enough already?”

“Like you’re so fond of saying, I did what I had to do. I let you try it your way, and it didn’t work. Like I fucking told you it wouldn’t,” Jason retorts, not even flinching at her accusation.

I exchange a glance with Rhett and Lucas, both of whom have similarly tight expressions. Jason is hitting a little below the belt, but I don’t know if it’s right to stop him.

“We’re better than this, Jason,” Lex says simply.

“Give me a fucking break with that shit. You can climb down off your high horse anytime now and join the rest of us down here in reality,” Jason groans angrily.

“I’m sorry if I don’t want to become the type of monster I spent so long trying to escape. Forgive me for not wanting to inflict my trauma on someone else,” Lex says sarcastically.

“You’re acting like my parents are these innocent little lambs, and they just aren’t, Lex. Even if we’d agreed to their terms as written, they would never agree to let us leave. Now we are rid of them, once and for all.”

“But at what cost, Jason? What did we give up to obtain that?” Lex shouts, raising her voice for the first time.

Lex’s words hang in the air, as a frown pulls at my lips. Jason has a point. With this deal, we’re finally going to be free of our parents. With Seth dead and them handled, I can finally move on and have a future with my pack. But Lex isn’t entirely wrong either. Are we any better than them, using blackmail and extortion to get what we want? I look to Mateo, and his fawn-colored eyes are shadowed, the bond between us tense and dry, like grass under the summer sun. He doesn’t like this either, but he’s not speaking up to defend Lex.

“You didn’t give up anything. I specifically didn’t tell you what I did, so you wouldn’t have to live with the consequences. This is on me,” Jason says, volume rising as well.

“And what are you going to do now? Run this company you just stole from your father?” Lex throws back, more venomous than ever.

“If you’d paid attention, I specifically wanted Dad to give the company to Sammy. I don’t want anything to do with them, and this will give Sammy the freedom to get our parents off his back now. I just wanted out, no matter what it took,” Jason says, hackles up.

Lex growls, and I sit up, trying to reach her down our bond to calm her. But she’s blocking me, and I can’t deny the little pulse of hurt in my chest as I realize it. I look at Rhett, who’s looking back and forth between Jason and Lex, as if trying to decide whose side he’s going to take. But when I look to Lucas, he’s wearing an almost exasperated frown.

“I don’t know why you’re so mad about this, Lex. You’ve done some shady things, too, all in the name of ‘ends justifying the means.’” Lucas adds, tone much darker than I’d expected.

Lex throws him a look, and I’m caught off guard by the sudden flash of panic in her. Whatever he’s referencing scares the daylights out of my prime alpha, but it can’t be the business with Wickland House again. We’ve already cleared the air on that matter, and she knows we accept her mistake. This is fresh fear, something new.

“What’s he talking about?” I ask softly.

Lex gives me a long look, and the dread creeping across our bond shakes me to my core. I’m wide awake now, shifting to the edge of my seat. The longer she hesitates, the harder my heart thumps in my chest. And then the rest of my mates flinch back, bracing themselves. What do they know that I don’t?

I look at Mateo, trying to figure out the tension in the air. But my blood turns to ice as I realize he’s blocking me. I can’t feel him at all, and he won’t look at me. Panic and worry bubble up like bile in my throat, and I whip my head around to Rhett and Lucas. Rhett is focused on me, and I can feel his attempts to soothe me, but it’s distant. Lucas is still looking at Lex, not that she’s noticed.

“I’ll get my own lawyer, and you can keep your fixer out of this,” Jason says, voice ice cold.

I furrow my brow, even more confused. Who is Gideon, and why is Jason calling him a fixer? What does that even mean? Lex is still looking at me, not even acknowledging Jason’s comment, or the way he brushes past her toward a table of refreshments.

“What’s going on, Lex? What aren’t you telling me?” I demand, palms getting sweaty.

She hesitates again, and I’m about to insist on an answer, when an employee comes in and informs us that our plane is ready for us to board. The air between us is tense, ready to snap at a moment’s notice as we head out into the hangar and onto the plane. No one speaks through pre-flight checks, or take-off, though I keep my eyes locked on Lex’s face, waiting for her to explain. There’s a warring swirl of emotions on her end of the bond, though she’s careful to keep them to herself now. It bothers me that she’s trying to block me out, not that it’s successful. But even the attempt hurts. Finally, once we reach cruising altitude, she sighs and looks me in the eye.

“I’m sorry, sweetness. But I’ve been keeping something from you. I was waiting for a better time to talk, but I guess I don’t have a choice now,” she starts.

I nod, hurt and anger flaring in my heart. We’d promised each other no more secrets, no more plots, no more lies. To find out that she’s gone back on her word after so much work breaks my heart a little. Whatever it is, must have been eating her up inside, judging by what she’s allowing through the bond. I can only hope it’s nothing earth-shattering.

“Seth is still alive.”

Chapter forty-five

Lydia

Lex’swordsfalllikean anvil off a cliff, each syllable hammering against the inside of my skull. My whole body locks up, my heart beating erratically against my ribs as I struggle to breathe. It can’t be true. I refuse to believe it. But the longer the silence stretches and no one contradicts her, I know it is. Seth is still alive.

I think back to all the times I’d been essentially alone since Seth’s “accident.” How I thought I was safe enough to be at home by myself, to not be as worried about locking the doors and windows and trust that no one was watching me anymore. He could have been there the whole time, waiting and biding his time. He could be anywhere, waiting to hurt me again.

I stand up, trying to move away, to be anywhere other than this room, but Rhett and Lucas refuse to let go of my hands. I try to pull away, fighting them, but they won’t release me.

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