nod, then tightened his hands on the steering wheel like he was imagining wrapping them around Chase's neck. "We should just kill him and deal with the consequences later."
I gave him a sharp look. "No."
"I'm with Zed on this one," Lucas offered. "Chase can't have covered all his bases. You guys make people disappear all the fucking time; what's one more?"
My teeth clenched as I tried to get a leash on my frustration. These arguments didn't help ease the brittle tension that had existed between the three of us since I'd shot Cass, but what the fuck was I supposed to do? I couldn't change the past, and I wasn't going to make a stupid, reckless move to try and make it up to them.
"We've been over this, Lucas," I snapped, "too many times already. We're not making any direct moves against Chase yet. Not until I know it's safe for everyone."
Because my ex was far from stupid and his moral compass was so far from north it was laughable. We had proof of that already. After the incident at Club 22, my aunt, Demi, had found a series of explosive devices planted around her home in Italy. If I'd shot Chase the second he’d shown his face in my meeting, Seph would be dead. Along with everyone else in that house.
"I spoke with Steele this morning," Zed told me, clearly on the same train of thought. "They've moved Seph to a new safe house, and I've submitted a request to the Guild for assistance."
My brows rose. He hadn't mentioned he was going to speak to the Guild. "What did they say?"
"No reply yet." He gave a one-shouldered shrug. "You know what their waitlist is like."
I stifled an irritated sigh at the edge in his voice. He was still mad as hell at me, and it was bleeding into every word we exchanged. But he was still here. He was still on my side and hadn't turned his back on me yet. Neither had Lucas. They'd forgive me eventually. I hoped.
In fairness, the mercenary guild did have an insane waitlist, but the fact that Zed had a prior relationship with them usually gave us some kind of priority.
"Well, they need to come and collect all their guns, anyway," Lucas commented. "I don't want my mom going home until they're gone."
Running a hand through my hair, I stared out the window. These problems just kept piling up, and it was becoming daunting to imagine how the hell we'd solve them all. Lucas's connection to the Guild, his mother's shady past, Chase waging war on my business and personal life, Zed... being Zed. And Cass. Fuck. Cass.
My chest ached, and I rubbed the heel of my hand down my sternum. We were almost at Club 22, and I needed to get my Hades face on. My plan for dealing with Chase was paper thin, but it was better than no plan at all.
"Maybe you two should wait in the car," I suggested as Zed pulled into the Club 22 parking lot. The glares I got in response said exactly what they thought of that idea, but I just shrugged.
I climbed out of the car and smoothed my hands down the front of my dress. Poker face firmly in place, I strode into my club with Lucas and Zed at my back.
Chase wasn't hard to find, considering the bar had only opened half an hour earlier and was all but empty. He sat dead center in front of the main stage, sipping on a tumbler of Scotch and eyeing up the terrified dancer who was unlucky enough to have the first set.
His one-eyed gaze slid over to me, and he stood from his seat in a smooth, liquid movement. A wide smile split his face, and if I'd been any weaker, I would have vomited right there on the carpet. He made my skin crawl.
"Darling!" he exclaimed, coming toward me with his arms outstretched. "What an unexpected surprise."
Bullshit. Straight up bullshit.
3
My jaw tightened and my sweat turned to ice as Chase fucking Lockhart leaned in like an old friend and kissed my cheek. Shivers of revulsion crawled all over my flesh from where he’d touched me, but I didn't pull away.
"Well, isn't this a welcome change," he murmured without retreating even an inch from my face. Instead, he reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear, then his fingers trailed down my neck in a longing touch. "If I'd known you'd be