Infamous Like Us (Like Us 10)

“I have no idea,” Akara sighs heavily. “I told Sulli it’d be safe there…and it wasn’t.” He runs a stressed hand through his hair. And when I put a hand to his shoulder and stand up, he rises with me, saying, “The building’s security is sending me footage of the parking garage’s cameras. Someone broke in. They’re hoping we can identify the thief.”

My brows furrow. “How do we know this isn’t an inside job?” It seems more reasonable that someone who had access to the parking garage would take the Jeep.

“It could be.” Akara massages his knuckles. “Maybe staff or another resident. We won’t know until we look at that footage.”

“Footage of what?” Sulli peeks around the hood.

Akara and I both go quiet, just as Price’s SUV passes our vehicle. Passenger window rolls down, and Ryke waves a hand outside. “See you guys soon. Pack for warm weather.”

We’ve been invited on a Meadows family trip. As Sulli’s boyfriends first. Bodyguards second.

Where we’re going—hell if I know.

Ryke and Daisy decided they’d surprise all of us, and Sulli and Winona’s guesses have ranged from Alaska to Chile to Costa Rica. I don’t care where we go, as long as we’re together.

And packing isn’t even on my list of things to do when we haven’t even unpacked from this trip yet and some shitbag has Booger.

“Will do,” Akara waves a hand.

I nod curtly.

Ryke gives me a weird look, but he loses time to respond as the SUV drives on by. Leaving the tarmac with other cars. The only ones left are Luna, Maximoff, Farrow, and Baby Ripley. Looks like Farrow is snapping Ripley into his car seat.

Sulli spins back on us. “What’s going on? What footage? And why do you look like you stole a cookie from the cookie jar?” Her eyes are on me.

I look that fuckin’ guilty? I explain, “We have intel that we’re trying to keep discreet.”

“Am I in the need-to-know category and I don’t need to know?”

“You need to know,” Akara and I say together.

She sighs heavily and rubs her eyes wearily. “It’s bad news, isn’t it?”

Fuck, I hate laying this on her. We’re getting pounded with shit storm after shit storm, and even if I like being on my toes, I wouldn’t choose this disaster in a million fucking years. Give me a normal overly excited fan to tell, stay back. Give me an annoying cameraman who’s slightly pushy.

Hell, give me twenty questions about me and Akara fucking (even though we’re not fucking)—anything but this.

I want Sulli to bask in the high of her Olympic wins, but we can’t keep this secret from her. Not for a day or an hour or even a minute.

She’d hate us for it.

I’d fucking hate me.

Akara opens his mouth and his phone chimes. Sounds of planes taking off the runway rumbles the ground. Sulli focuses on me for answers as Akara checks his cell.

“There’s no good way to say this, Sulli.” I gear her up for bad news. “Booger was stolen.”

She doesn’t say anything. Has no expression. She’s in clear shock. “What?”

“Stolen,” I tell her. “The Jeep. Booger. She’s gone. But we’re gonna get her back.”

She fights tears. “She’s the only thing I have of his.”

Adam Sully. Her dad’s best friend. A rock climber who died on a mountain in front of her dad. The guy she’s named after. That Jeep is sentimental in ways I understand. I was willing to miss my brother’s wedding for Booger when she broke down on the road trip out west.

I did miss most of his wedding.

That Jeep means too much to the people I care about, and I would do almost anything to get her back. I know Sulli and Akara would too.

I remember how Akara said Booger is famous. So famous, some fan even made an Instagram account to document sightings of the Jeep in public. “Maybe the fan page has spotted her.”

Hope lightens her green eyes. “Maybe.”

“Crap. Effing garbage,” Akara snaps. He looks up at us. “They just sent the footage. The file is too big to download. I need a computer.”

“Mount up,” I tell them both. “We’re headed home.”

Only when we’re all in the car, and I go to grab the wheel, do I realize I’m still holding the envelopes. The ones Lo gave to Sulli to give to us.

“What’s that?” Akara sees.

I realize they have tiny letters on the back. I pass him the one with an A. “From Lo.”

We rip open the envelopes, and Sulli sticks her head between the two front seats, peering at the contents.

Not a check for security.

Not security related at all.

It’s a short, concise letter.

Welcome to the family.

It’s messy. But you already knew that and wanted in anyway. Either you’re nuts or you must really love my niece. Either way, you’ll fit in.

Treat her well or there’ll be hell to pay.