Page 120 of Forsaken Secrets

48

Eli

"Seriously, Jaiel? How long do you need to get ready?" I cursed, knocking on the bathroom door again. We needed to leave for breakfast with my aunt and uncle.

"Liam, will you just stop nagging? Just because you don't care, doesn't mean I shouldn't."

I grimaced and laid back on the bed, sprawling as much as I could.

We'd brainstormed all night, but had yet to come up with a way to stop both the Ellingsworths and win back Kaiya.

A knock sounded on the door. "Lordling. Open up!"

What in the seven hells was Lynk doing here? I hadn't seen him since the picnic.

I strode to the door and turned the lock. He slipped through the door and paused, taking in what I was sure looked like a mess of a room.

It was hard to fit two men into a small space …

His brow lifted, but he just shook his head and turned to face me. "Kaiya is missing."

My heart froze. "What?"

"I stopped by her house and it's empty. It looks like someone ransacked the place, but I highly doubt it was a robbery. Those two had nothing left to rob …"

I winced. "What about her aunt?"

"She's gone, too."

"Could the ladies have taken the opportunity and left?" Jaiel piped in, stepping out of the bathroom, clad in only a towel.

Lynk's brow climbed higher, and he looked between the two of us. Fuck. I mean, Jaiel was certainly attractive enough … but I didn't want Lynk thinking that I'd been fucking around behind Kaiya's back. "Meet Jaiel, my mentor. Jaiel, meet Lynk — the —"

" — old man. Right," Jaiel said, sauntering forward and holding his hand out.

Lynk just shook his head and turned back to me. Ha. Yet another person immune to Jaiel's charms.

Jaiel looked down at his arms, then over at me, confusion twisting his features. I could practically see him wondering if he was broken.

Served him right.

"In answer to your question, prince, no." Jaiel's brow climbed higher at Lynk's words. How did he know? “I do not believe the ladies left. Their belongings are all still in the house."

My stomach dropped.

"Gods damned fucking Ellingsworths," I said, striding to the bed to grab my jacket. "They are going to wish they'd never —"

"Stop, lordling. We cannot go into this running on emotion. We need to make a plan or risk all of us being killed."

I looked between him and my cloak, fear and anger pulsing in my chest. He was right, and I knew it. But gods — I didn't want to wait anymore!

"The lordling — love the name, by the way — and I have been brainstorming all night and have yet to come up with a way to fix this situation with the Ellingsworths without exposing the Rogues or Kaiya to more danger." Jaiel interjected.

Lynk stared at Jaiel for a moment, then turned back to me, ignoring the other man completely. Jaiel's mouth dropped, and I had to smother my smile.

"What're you thinking?" I asked. He wouldn't have come to us without a plan of some sort that required my participation.

He smiled, but this smile had no humor in it, and held out a small envelope. "This."

---