Chapter 119 Naughty.

Chapter 119: 119 Naughty.

"Unfortunately, I beat you to it," I said, pressing the burner phone to my ear.

It didn’t even make it through half a ring before the line clicked open.

"Miles, darling," Lacey’s voice purred through the speaker, thick with amusement. "Don’t tell me you’re calling just to hear my voice... though I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the little backstage show you put on for me."

I paused, wincing as a sharp pain lanced through my ribs. "You watched that?"

"Oh, honey, I don’t let a party this big happen without keeping an eye on every dark corner," Lacey said, a sly, feline edge to her tone. "I’m reviewing the tapes right now. My, my. Looks like Golden decided to play a little rough, didn’t he?"

I sighed, half in relief and half in pure exhaustion. "Yeah. Things got a little crazy. He apparently decided a thirty-million-dollar bounty from an arms dealer sounded a lot sweeter than your paycheck. He tried to take my head off."

"Such a naughty boy," Lacey mused, her voice practically dripping with dark delight. "I have to say, Miles, watching you crush him under all that heavy machinery... it was quite a thrill. You really know how to work up a sweat. Though I do wish you’d left a little piece of him for me. Firefly would have loved to punish him for breaking our contract."

"It was self-defense, Lacey. He was going to level the building."

"I know, sweetheart, and honestly? You did me a favor. The girls’ debut was an absolute smash, and Psyren’s theatrical exit was just delicious." She paused, the playful purr dropping just a fraction to let the cold reality slip through. "But let’s not kid ourselves, handsome. Regardless of who threw the first punch, you just hospitalized Golden Boy. He’s still the son of Extraordinary. He’s still an A-lister. I can spin the press to make it look like part of the show, but I can’t stop the feds from coming to play. Expect some very loud knocks on your door, Miles. And a subpoena shortly after."

Fuck.

"But let’s not ruin the mood with legal talk!" Lacey pivoted seamlessly, her voice immediately returning to that teasing, manicured pitch. "What we have tonight is a gorgeous opportunity! Not only did my girls survive a terrifying ordeal, but they are now facing off against a dark, mysterious new villainous organization! Oh, we are going to have so much fun with this."

I groaned. I should have known this would be her angle. "Listen, Lacey. I’m not starting an evil organization. I don’t want to franchise. What I did out there was pure improvisation just to keep your show rolling."

"Of course, of course. Whatever you say, darling," Lacey said in that infuriating, patronizing tone that told me she was already sizing me up for a new costume. "We’ll talk about your new brand over drinks later, shall we?"

"Alright," I rasped, too tired to argue with a woman who treated corporate sabotage like foreplay. "I’ll call you later. I’ve got other things to deal with."

"I bet you do. Take care of yourself, Miles. Ta!"

The line went dead. I sighed, shoving the phone back into my pocket.

Well. That could have gone worse, I supposed. A subpoena I could handle. A dead Golden would have been a lot harder to explain to a grand jury.

I looked out across the dark water toward the distant, rolling ocean. The stars were barely visible against the neon glow of Metropolis.

A lone lighthouse blinked out on the bay, casting a long, sweeping beam over the water. The only sounds were the gentle lapping of the tide against the wooden pilings of the pier and the faint, dull roar from the Omnidome miles away as the audience continued to vent their adrenaline.

I tilted my head as the faint jangle of metal chains and jewelry announced Psyren’s approach.

"I think it went off great, boss," she murmured.

"Thanks," I said, though it was hard to muster much enthusiasm. I’d managed to make her big exit look terrifyingly good, not to mention hauled her out of there without a scratch, but my gut was still twisting in knots.

I felt like there was a piece of the board I wasn’t seeing. A heavy shoe just waiting to drop and kick me in the teeth.

Psyren slipped in beside me, snuggling up against my side to block the ocean chill. Instinctively, I wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her close.

"What are you thinking about, boss?" she asked, resting her head against my armored shoulder.

"A few things," I muttered.

"Like Golden Boy?" she scoffed. "What a fucking tool. He should have known he couldn’t take you down."

I nodded slowly, but my mind was racing. Golden had absolutely gotten the drop on me.

If I hadn’t managed to deploy my magnetic chest plate in a fraction of a second, my ribcage would be caved in right now. I’d be dead on that stage.

Delirium had hired him. Delirium had been probing Firefly’s data brokers. He knew the details of the concert.

Which meant Delirium knew exactly where I was tonight.

I felt the blood drain completely from my face, a freezing wave of sheer terror washing over me that had absolutely nothing to do with the ocean wind.

If Delirium knew I was here, at the Omnidome... then he knew exactly where I wasn’t.

"Fuck," I gasped, my grip tightening on Psyren’s waist. "Oh, fuck no."

"Boss?" Psyren said, pulling back to look up at me, her pink eyes wide with sudden alarm.

"The chalet," I said, panic rising in my throat like bile. "Rhea is at the chalet. We have to get back. Now."

Psyren didn’t waste a single second questioning me. Her playful demeanor vanished instantly. She threw her arms tightly around my neck, locking her legs around my waist and pressing herself flush against my armor.

I didn’t argue. I didn’t reach for my phone to call the car. I didn’t care about stealth, and I didn’t give a damn if the BSA, the feds, or every hero in the city saw us soaring through the sky.

With a violent, thunderous burst of magnetic force, I launched us off the pier, shattering the wooden planks beneath my boots as we blasted into the night sky. I pushed my thrusters well past their safety limits, tearing a path straight toward the chalet.

Because I had a terrible, sinking feeling that I might already be too late.