Fearless Like Us (Like Us 9)

While Sulli is checking on a drunk Audrey Cobalt, I’m securing the perimeter of the Cobalt Estate with Akara. We walk down the driveway, ensuring no one is in the bushes or behind tulip trees. All the cars are gone. Akara already called Rose and Connor, and they’re headed home from a Cobalt Inc. engagement in Center City.

They thanked us for keeping the party crashers out of the mansion and clearing the backyard. Epsilon has been called in to inspect the perimeter with us, but we all know this is a win for Akara’s security firm.

After Akara updated SFO about the high school party, Oscar spoke on comms, “Kitsuwon Securities 2 – Triple Shield 3.”

“Moving on up, boys,” Farrow chimed in.

Except Akara hasn’t unleashed what we found on Orion’s collar yet. It’s hard to believe the Royal Leaks could be over tonight.

Feels good to be headed there.

Feels like hell knowing it took us this long. “How’d we miss this?” I ask him quietly while we check behind a rose bush. Just a handle of vodka here and a shoe. Someone took off without their Nike.

Akara shakes his head. “It had to have been a cat sitter. That’s the only person who would’ve had access to the animals.”

“Grandmother Calloway?” I theorize.

“She avoids the pets like the fudging plague.”

I furrow my brows. “What motive would a cat sitter have?” Seems unlikely they’d really want to harm the families’ stocks and businesses.

“We still have to figure that out,” Akara says, texting quickly on his phone. He’s either contacting Connor Cobalt or Price. Probably both.

What might’ve saved us is Sulli dog-sitting during a Plan B run. If that hadn’t happened, if she hadn’t gone outside even with the potential threat of paparazzi—there’d be no leak and we never would’ve found the device on Orion’s collar.

“She saved us,” I tell Akara what I’m thinking.

He slips me a brief glance. “Your big dick saved us.”

I let out a laugh.

“And she did too,” Akara adds with a smile, but we’ve fallen quiet fast as his phone buzzes. He checks the text. “Jack is asking about his little brother.” Jesse.

“What was Jesse Highland even doing here? I thought he’d be in California.”

“From what I gathered, Ben heard Jesse was in town and invited him to the party. Ben is friendly with everyone.” Akara scopes out another bush. “Jack said that Jesse skipped school and flew out to Philly to come help him with post-production for Suddenly Famous.”

The docuseries about Oscar and Jack must’ve stopped filming. I don’t pay too much attention to production’s schedules unless they get in my way.

I nod a few times. “Skipping school, huh?”

Akara smiles. “Evidently, Jesse’s mom gave him an earful about it.”

I surprise myself as I say, “The only person I probably would’ve skipped school for is my big brother too.” Skylar.

Even in the dark, I see Akara’s gaze softening on me. “You love him.”

“I love him. I hate him. I don’t know if that’ll ever change, Akara.”

He squeezes my shoulder as we move forward together. We quiet as SFE shines their flashlights close to our area of operations, and Akara shouts, “It’s all clear here!”

They nod, but Winona’s bodyguard—Greer Bell—sends us a death-glare. The Meadows bodyguards aren’t that happy we’re banging Sulli. And they just found out she needed Plan B.

I wave at him to keep the peace. What I think Akara will want.

Greer flips me off.

Akara flips him off with two middle fingers.

I end up smiling.

He whispers to me, “Meadows family trips with Greer and Wiley are going to be such a blast.”

Meadows family trips. To think I could be going on those someday as Sulli’s bodyguard and boyfriend—I must’ve really hit my head. Maybe a migraine fucked me over and I’m actually dead. Seems more fucking believable.

I smile more. Guys like me end up in early graves. Living for the long-run is the most exciting adventure I could ever take.

Akara’s statement reminds me of something. “You’re back together with Sulli?” If he’s going on a Meadows trip, it’d be as her boyfriend. He’s still Luna’s bodyguard.

“Yeah. We’re a triad.” He frowns. “Isn’t that obvious?” He drops his voice. “We all had sex.”

I smack his chest. “I know that. She doesn’t.”

“What?” His face screws up. “She knows. Sulli knows. We said we missed each other…we hugged…it was obvious.” He contemplates longer.

“Did you actually say the words? ‘Cause she needs it spelled out, Akara.”

His face slowly falls. “Shit.”

I punch his arm lightly.

He curves inward, already expecting the hit for the curse. “I have to tell her.” He glances back up the driveway. We still need to secure the area.

So we move faster, and I laugh.

“What?”

“For someone that’s so damn good at communicating with your men, you kind of suck at it when it comes to your girl.”

He shoots me a glare and corrects haughtily, “Our girl.”