Mad Boys (Blue Ivy Prep, #2)(24)

I grimaced. We needed to send a message to Teddy. The last message was from the front desk, letting us know our coffee delivery was here. I glanced at the wall clock. The message was four hours old.

Fuck. Sorry, Dix. I pushed up from the sofa I’d perched on and went to the door. Flipping the lock, I pulled it open. There, sitting right by the door, were three shopping bags and a pair of take-out coffee cups. I stared at the latter almost mournfully, but when I picked them up—they weren’t cold.

At all.

After getting everything inside, I checked the coffees. They were fresh. Maybe coffee had been delivered hours earlier, but someone had gotten us more. Not for the first time, I wished I had my phone. I tested a sip and sighed happily as I carried the second one into the bedroom.

Aubrey lifted her head to squint at me. Her hair looked as bad as mine, haphazard and definitely sticking straight up in places. I shouldn’t have gone to sleep with mine wet, but I could deal with the mess in a bit.

“You got us coffee?” Aubrey said with a yawn. I shook my head, then jerked my thumb at the door. “Someone delivered us coffee. Huh.”

I made the “D” letter with my fingers.

Relief crossed Aubrey’s face. “I love that man.”

Chuckling, I left her to wake up while I carried the caffeine back to the other room to check the bags. My coffee was almost perfect. As much as my throat was still scratchy and sore, the coffee was the perfect balm.

There were running shoes in the first bag. Two different pairs. One was the same brand I normally wore, the second was slightly different with a note that just said, These are better.

Weird.

By the time I finished emptying the bags though, I was pretty damn sure these hadn’t come from Dix. Sports bras. Moisture-wicking panties. Running shorts, leggings, and sweats—there were two moisture-wicking t-shirts, a tank top, and a very familiar jacket.

It wasn’t until I pulled out the last item that a piece of paper fluttered out. Pausing, I knelt to pick it up.

Ace,

You guys were sleeping, I grabbed another set of coffees for you, but I had to go. Will find you tomorrow. Call me.

There was no signature, but it didn’t need one. The addition of a phone number had me doing a slow blink. When Aubrey eventually emerged from the bedroom, she studied the note then me.

“So, he’s back…”

I nodded slowly. One thing I’d kind of been counting on this year was his absence. Maybe it had been a foolish hope. Ramsey practically worked at the school and Jonas was in my grade. Lachlan was supposed to be gone.

Sighing, I sat back against the sofa. Despite who brought the coffee, I’d still finished it. How had he figured out my favorite drink? Aubrey’s? Yeah, I wasn’t going to focus on that for too long.

It was creepy and… sweet? I tested that last word. Creepy seemed almost too dark and sweet too light. Nonetheless, I legit didn’t know what to label his choices. Throw in the fact the man bought me underwear and bras… and got my sizes right? It was too much.

Aubrey’s phone buzzed. She checked it. “Dix landed. It’ll be a couple of hours, maybe more, but he’ll be here. I can’t believe he got a flight that fast. I don’t even want to think what he had to pay to get on the flight.”

Me neither. I glanced around our suite then back at her. We needed to...

“I’ll call down and get him a room. Then I’m getting us more food. How’s the throat?”

I tested it. “Still hurts.” It sounded garbled, raw, and froggish. It also definitely didn’t feel pleasant to talk.

“Honey,” she announced. “We’re also gonna call Dr. Don.”

I made a face. Doctor Don was the physician who’d actually traveled halfway around the world when we’d all gotten sick while in Japan. He’d stuck with us through the Asian leg of our tour, until we headed to South America. He’d also been the one who treated Yvette when she had to have her tonsils out.

He specialized in singers. Aubrey was right. Granted, it hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours, but my voice was instrumental to my work. Maybe I should look at investing my money and being a little more cautious.

While she made calls, I turned on the television. It had been a while since I’d even checked the news for sightings of me. Honestly, I preferred to not know what the press knew or what they were speculating. It was just easier that way.

Jackie indicated there were hints on the gossip sites, but our early evening news—a local broadcast—had the fire at the school as their lead story. Images popped up on the screen, offering footage from cell phone cameras. It was weird to see some of it play out on the screen.

It was dark, the flashes of light, the ominous oranges and all the smoke. There was Ramsey… I sat forward as the camera tracked him heading straight inside. He didn’t slow down. Even when he came back out helping people, he rushed back in again.

He was safe. He’d even gotten out of the hospital before I did, but I was holding my breath when he went back inside again. Dressed only in what had to be pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, he lost the shirt on one of the trips.

Hand over my mouth, I waited when he plunged back inside. Aubrey was there, and Gentry, as well as Madison. They’d gotten out—and then he was carrying me out. Me and one of my guitars.

“He went back for the other one,” Aubrey said when the screen cut back to the anchors. The pair of guitar cases were sitting near the bar. I hadn’t opened them, but they were here. “I know how important they are to you, but I’m going to stress to you right now…they are not worth your life.”