Fearless Like Us (Like Us 9)

The motive is there.

“Will they be arrested?” I ask Moffy and Jane.

Moffy is staring at his phone. “They have as much money as our families. I doubt they left any evidence. They have fall guys.”

“Tatiana,” I realize. Fuck.

“What about her confession?” Luna asks.

“It’s just her word,” Jane replies sadly. “If there’s no evidence, we’ll only be able to go after Tatiana for planting the bugs.”

We’re not cutting the head off the snake. But Akara texts me that the Hale, Cobalt, and Meadows’ lawyers are aimed at the Rochesters, and how litigation can be the best form of pressure.

It’s time they’re under some.

“They’re taking down the website now,” Jane says. “Look.”

I pop up The Royal Leaks.

The most recent leak about Plan B is there. I refresh the gossip site, and the web browser says magic words that breathe power and life into us.

Sorry, the page you were looking for does not exist or is not available.

“Fucking finally.”

The air untenses for a while, but I have another announcement that jostles my nerves. An announcement that I discussed briefly with Akara and Banks on the drive here. I wait to tell my cousins until we’re with security.

Once SFO arrive, we all pick ourselves off the floor and meet them in the living room. The door opens, and we all stand, waiting for our bodyguards.

I expect them to be spent, sort of dragging their heels. Groaning at the long, long fucking day. But they’re not exhausted or drained.

SFO come inside with mighty, unrelenting confidence. Like pillars and rocks of our lives. Like they’re ready for more.

Donnelly lets Orion and Arkham loose, and Moffy and Luna embrace their puppies. Quinn, on crutches, is invited inside, even though he’s no longer SFO. We all signed his cast. And Gabe is a new bodyguard on the small fleet.

They all face us, and we face them.

I breathe in the care, the safety, the protection—not manufactured or some fucking illusion meant to trick and deceive into a false sense of security. They’re the reason I came out of New Year’s Eve without a scratch. They’re the reason the chaos of our lives is livable.

Now it’s up to us to live out our lives.

“It’s over,” Akara declares.

“Thank fucking God,” I exhale, approaching Banks and Akara. They hug me, and I let them know I told my cousins about our reunited triad. But I notice a black jewelry box in Akara’s hand. “What’s that?”

Is he proposing?

No.

No fucking way.

“A gift from Connor,” he tells me.

I exhale a breath. Okay. Right. Makes way more sense. Banks can see through me. He’s watching my expression, and I try to hide my reddened face by urging Akara to open the box.

He shows me the platinum cufflinks.

My lips rise. “That was nice of my uncle.”

Very quietly, Akara tells me, “He’s not the dad I wanted to impress. But I’ll take this win.”

I haven’t had time to talk to my dad about our newly reunited triad, but I know after everything we went through, he’ll be in my corner. He promised to protect my love, and that means not being on opposite sides of Akara and Banks.

Before I can respond, Oscar shouts over everyone, “Looks like it’s now Kitsuwon Securities 3 – Triple Shield 3.” All of SFO start clapping for Akara.

I join in with my cousins.

He points over at me and Banks. Like we solved the fucking mystery. I shove his arm. “Come on, it was the two of you, Hardy Boys.”

Akara messes my messy hair. “You were there too, Nancy Drew.” He smiles at me. “Claim this win with us.”

I’m about to mention how I thought Jane was the Nancy Drew. But…then I realize I can be one, too.

“When you put it like that, Kits, you know I’m not going to say no.” All feels right. All feels happy, except I’m about to launch more news. No time is better than now. “Everyone, I have something to say.” Facing SFO and my cousins isn’t as hard as before, but where I’m headed is a whole new adventure. One I’ve been on before.

And I begin to smile before I say the words.

59

AKARA KITSUWON

Early morning after the never-ending night and Sulli’s big announcement, which she’s going to announce to the world today—Sulli wakes at dawn, and I whisper, “It’s later and soon.” Meaning, we have more time to talk about our public-facing relationship.

“Let’s go to the treehouse first,” Sulli says to us. “I left something there.”

Now the three of us are in winter jackets and crunching snow, hiking through the backyard of the Meadows cottage, and my life is resting in the tips of my fingers. What I want and love, I’m holding.

Sulli.

Banks.

SFO.

Studio 9 is still standing, for now. Kitsuwon Securities is back on track after a few missteps. I even plan to stay as Luna’s bodyguard for a little longer, the twenty-year-old fanfic writer who’s in pursuit of a business degree. She could use an experienced bodyguard until Quinn recovers, and I want to keep Gabe as the floater.