Steel 7 (Multiple Love)

When she emerges from the elevator, I can tell she's on the warpath. Her face is pinched, and her head is angled down like a battering ram, and I have to take a deep breath to push down my anger. This is about Luna. It's not a fucking competition to prove who's top dog. If she really cared, she should be willing to take on any ideas about the stalker.

"You have to be quick," she says. "I have a lot to do today."

"I'll be quick," I say, standing so I can be at a height advantage. Subtle things like body language can make a big difference in getting what you want in a situation. "The issue with the stalker is going to hit the press sooner rather than later."

"Why? Do you know something?"

"I mean that it's inevitable. If they get any closer, Luna could get really hurt, and then everything will be out. All the focus will be on us and what we've done about it."

"It's not our responsibility," she hisses. "This is up to the police to deal with."

"The focus will be on us because whoever has been doing these terrible things has been close. There might be insinuations that it's someone hired by Blueday…one of the crew."

"No one in my crew could do such a thing. How will they know it's not one of you?"

I stand taller, looking down my nose at the woman who's making my life so fucking difficult. "That's why we're going to the police to volunteer our fingerprints. We want to make sure that we're completely out of the frame. It's the only responsible thing to do."

Angelica narrows her eyes, and I can almost see her mind whirring over exactly the route Mo predicted. She fiddles with the beaded necklace at her throat. "I can see what you're saying. Maybe it would be good to get ahead of the game."

"So you'll ask all the crew to volunteer their fingerprints?" I hold my breath waiting for her answer. Inside my guts are in knots. I know if this doesn't happen, I'm going to be fighting to maintain my control. I'm going to want to tear Marcus limb from limb, even without evidence. I just want this all to end.

"Yes," Angelica says. "We'll do it here in London."

"Okay. Great," I say. "Can you let me know if anyone refuses?"

"Nobody will refuse," she spits, already turning to leave. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do." Angelica stomps off, her sensible heeled shoes clomping against the marble-tiled floor.

"Well, that went well," Ben says.

"The proof will be if anything comes out of this. For all we know, that guy might just have been bought up by strange parents. It happens! And if it's not him, we have exactly zero leads to go on."

"Whatever happens, we're not leaving Luna alone," Mo says softly. "If we have to trail her around the world on our own dime, we will."

"Absolutely," I say. "Now, let's get this shit done. We can head over to the hotel, pick up the rest and get to the nearest police station. Then, two of us will need to relieve Hudson and Asher at Luna's hotel."

As we're leaving the echoing space of the hotel reception, Mo rests his hand on my arm. "We'll figure this out, Connor. I know we will, and when we do, we can concentrate on what's really important."

I hope he's right.

34

JAX

Getting my fingerprints taken in a London police station is not how I expected to spend my vacation time. The process is quick, though, and when we’re done, Connor calls Angelica to find out what is happening with the rest of the crew.

As she talks, his eyes narrow, and his mouth draws in, turning his expression to thunder. When he hangs up, Mo immediately asks what’s wrong.

“They’re all coming to have their fingerprints taken except Marcus. He’s saying it’s a human rights issue and that they can’t coerce him into going.”

“What the fuck?” I growl. “Does that mean all of this shit was for nothing?”

“No,” Connor says. “Angelica had the talk with everyone over coffee. When Marcus stormed off, she bagged his coffee cup, and she’s bringing it with her. He might not want to give his prints willingly, but we’ll find out if it’s him one way or another.”

“Wow,” Hudson says. “I wouldn’t have taken Angelica for a forensics enthusiast. I didn’t think she bought into your plan.”

“I guess when she saw Marcus balk at the idea, she started to get suspicious too.”

“So we’ll find out soon?”

“I guess we will. There are prints on the cards left with the underwear and a partial print left on the water bottle. If they can get enough prints from the coffee cup, they’ll have enough evidence to arrest him.”

“That’s if he sticks around,” I say. “Now he knows things are closing in on him, he might get on the next plane.”