Page 65 of Unlucky Like Us
“Wait,” I call out, my heartbeat quickening. “I’m really fine. I can just stick around Eliot and Tom today. This is my fault. I don’t want to involve anyone else.”
Ian’s hand freezes at his collar, and severity I’ve never seen before sobers his eyes. “We’re in different times, Luna. I can’t be doing this.”Doing this. He means bending rules. He’s bent a lot for Eliot, Tom, and me over the years.
“Different times,” I say the two words out loud, and I regret when I do.
Ian’s gaze flashes to Beckett.
He’s rigid beside me, trauma like shards of glass behind his yellow-green eyes, glazing them in a strange way I’ve never seen. He watched his bodyguard take down multiple men and be beaten in the process. It’s also unlocked a new fear for me.
Hence, no Frog today.
“Ian’s right,” Beckett says, his voice as smooth as idle water. “You can’t be ditching your bodyguard.” The next words come hushed. “Especially since you’re friends with Donnelly.”
Do you regret that friendship?I want to ask him, but I’m scared of the answer. Because if it’syes, my heart will shatter for Donnelly.
I study him for another beat, wondering if Charlie told him that Donnelly and I have not so chaste feelings for one another. Beckett has never struck me as manipulative or cunning—he would’ve outright saidsince you love himif he knew more. My best guess: he thinks we’ve always been in the friendship zone.
Mixed feelings roil in my stomach, and I don’t have time to make sense of them.
“Beckett!” Eliot storms over to us.
Uh-oh. “Eliot,” I start, but he’s fixated on the phone in Beckett’s fist, and Tom curses loudly, distraught since his talking points must’ve landed flat and he’s nowhere near as strong as Eliot. I’ve seen Eliot lift more thanBeckettin the gym, and Tom said Beckett’s ballet schedule includes gym timeeveryday.
He’s on a war path towards Beckett. “Give me my fucking phone—”
“Stop!” Ben cuts him off midstride, thrusting a palm at his chest.
Eliot glares beyond him and tries to bulldoze Ben, but Ben isn’t thin or scrawny. These two are more evenly matched, seeing as how Ben is considered the jock of the Cobalt Empire. And he’s six-five.
Ben just pushes Eliot harder. He barely stumbles.
“This isn’t worth it!” Ben yells.
“This isn’t worth it?!” Eliot shouts back like Ben just stabbed him in the heart. “So when it’s somethingyoucare about, yourangeris worth it—”
“That’s not what I meant.” Frustration grates his voice.
“Then what the fuck did you mean?” Eliot asks painfully, eyes flashing hot.
“It’ll make things worse!” Ben rages.
“Things couldn’t get much worse!” He shoves his brother.
Ben shoves back. Eliot can’t escape the towering wall that is Ben Cobalt, not without a fight, and they begin grappling more forcefully, more furiously—but they’re not even furious at each other, not really.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Tom breathes, jogging over but staying a foot out of the brawl. “You’re an uncle now, dude! This isn’t good uncle behavior!!”
Ben has Eliot on the ground, trying to pin him. Eliot is wrestling Ben back, their faces reddened with visceral anger.
Eliot vs. Ben.
This isn’t the strangest sight to witness. I’ve seen it before at the Key West rental house, back during my brother’s bachelor party. Ben was trying to restrain Eliot, and Eliot was on a dark voyage, headed for revenge—but I don’t even know ifrevengeis the source of his wrath now.
And back then, Moffy was there.
My older brother was the one who put Eliot in an MMA hold. He was the one to end the entire heated moment, and without him present, I can’t see how this’ll go.
Tom catches Ben at the waist to pull him off Eliot.