I laugh.

“What?” She’s smiling. “Banks, I literally shouted at you like a fucking dummy, then I tried to shake your hand, which was covered in oil. So I elbowed you.” She winces with a face-palm. “And then Kits came inside, and you two were so buddy-buddy. Teasing me, and I realized how much your friendship attracted me to you guys. But I was so fucking ugh.” She cringes. “I’ve replayed my awkwardness like a fucking million times.”

“You weren’t awkward.”

“Really?”

“You know that smile that I gave you?”

“Yeah?”

“That was an I’m into this smokeshow smile.”

“Really?” Her lips part. “Seriously?”

I nod repeatedly. “I still had my AirPods in, but I could hear you shouting over the music.” I smile a faraway, loving smile, remembering then and now. Emotion pricking my eyes, and I take out my AirPods from my pocket. I fit one into her ear, one into my ear. And I find the song on my phone. “This is what was playing that day.”

She listens.

And her head whips to me as soon as the music starts. He green, green eyes welling and diving deep into my gaze. “Banks.”

“Swim to me,” I breathe. “Oh my heart.”

Song to the Siren by Tim Buckley. What I sang poorly to Sulli at the Olympics.

“I…” Words catch in her throat.

I nod, seeing how much this means to her, and I wrap an arm around Sulli. I tuck her to my side, and she leans her weight into me.

We listen to the song, and she whispers, “I really fucking love you, Banks.”

“I love you too, mermaid.”

When we hear the crunch of twigs and the sound of a car peeling away, Akara walks over and pauses. “Am I interrupting—?”

“Come here.” I stand up and put the AirPod in his ear. “Remember that time I was working on the Beetle and you came down into the garage? I was listening to this song.” I nod towards Sulli. “And apparently, she had the hots for us and our friendship.”

Sulli raises her hands. “Fucking guilty.” She points to me. “But Banks had the hots for me.”

“Yeah, I know,” Akara says like it was obvious. ‘Cause it was.

Sulli blows back. “What?”

“Akara was into you too,” I remind her. “He was just in denial and resisting.”

“And you were resisting because you were a good friend and I was an ass,” Akara declares.

“A lovable cock-blocking ass.” I bob my head, arms loosely crossed, and Akara listens to the music with a growing smile. We’re all smiling at each other—loving how our path weaved and connected.

The three of us together.

Once the song finishes, we all end up in a huddle on the cliffside, and I pocket the AirPods. “Everything squared away?”

Akara nods. “He’s not going to file the police report. A tow truck is headed here.” A stillness swims around us, but it’s broken sharply by the sound of a car.

“Who’s here?” Sulli asks.

I have no clue, but by the lack of confusion coming from Akara, I’d say he knows.

63

AKARA KITSUWON

I texted Price on our way to the Poconos.

I decided to involve him like Ryke wanted, but I didn’t think he’d come out here. Not until he called and said he was a few minutes away. And that he wanted to talk.

Sure.

Okay.

Whatever that means.

Now Price has parked his SUV and examines the Jeep quickly, hands stuffed in a light jacket. “Good work,” he tells me.

Banks stands rigid next to me, ready to launch a verbal assault at Price the first chance Price slingshots one at us. Sulli’s parents aren’t here this time, and it’d be easy to go toe-to-toe with the Alpha lead.

“You wanted to talk,” I remind him.

He nods, and glances cautiously from Banks to Sulli. He’s a fortress ready to fight for me. She’s a champion ready to challenge him for me. She wears my red windbreaker, her hair blowing in the breeze.

The loves of my life.

Both of them.

I rub my palms, my knuckles. “You can talk in front of them.”

Price threads his arm, clears his throat a little. “This is about your business.”

I frown. “My gym?”

“Your security firm,” Price corrects. He stares at his feet. “I…I should have helped you start it up. We’re not competitors. We’re colleagues.”

“It’s running fine,” I say sharply. Defensive, sure.

I try to cool down.

“Akara.” He opens his arms. “You don’t know how much I charge the parents.” He specifies, “Lily, Lo, Rose, Connor, Daisy, and Ryke. You’ve never known how much they pay my firm.”

I go cold, confused. “Clients on Security Force Alpha are charged the same amount as any other client.”

“No, Alpha bodyguards are paid the same as any other bodyguard, except for leads. I’ve always charged the parents a lot more to cover the expenses of running the firm. If you haven’t charged Maximoff and the rest of your clients more than what they were paying through Triple Shield, I’d be fucking floored if you’re not in the red at this point.”

Tags: Krista Ritchie Like Us Romance
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