Chapter 22 Empyrosis
Briar's POV
I stared at my phone screen for a full thirty seconds before finally pressing the call button. The line rang twice before Rowan's voice came through.
"Hey, what's up?"
I didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Rowan, are you liquid right now? I need to borrow money."
There was a screech of tires. "How much are we talking here?"
"Five million."
Rowan's voice came back, high and strained. "Five million?! What the hell did you do? Did you piss off some Alpha badly enough that they're demanding compensation?"
"It's for the Apex bid," I cut in quickly. "I need capital to cover research costs, production expansion, marketing. The deadline is three weeks away and I just promised Eric I'd have the money in seven days."
Another pause, this one slightly less panic-stricken. "Okay, so you're not about to get your legs broken. That's good. But Briar, I can pull together maybe a million, but that'll take time. Five million is way beyond what I can manage."
My chest tightened. I'd known it was a long shot, but hearing the confirmation still felt like a punch to the gut.
"Have you considered asking Kieran?" Rowan's voice took on a thoughtful tone. "He's got way more capital than I do."
The image of Kieran Ashford's ice-cold expression flashed through my mind and I actually shuddered. "Absolutely not. I'd rather sell a kidney."
Rowan laughed. "Fine, if you're determined to be stubborn about it, at least let me buy you dinner. I'm heading to Prime & Oak right now. Meet me there in twenty minutes?"
---
Prime & Oak was one of those upscale steakhouses that tried very hard to look rustic. I spotted Rowan immediately when I walked in, but my steps faltered when I saw she wasn't alone. Ash and two of his friends were sitting in the large six-person booth with her.
Rowan waved me over. "Sorry, they didn't have any two-tops available, so I figured we might as well share."
Ash immediately stood up and gestured to the spot next to him. "Here, take this seat."
I slid into the booth. The server appeared to take our orders, and I was just starting to relax when the door opened again and Lucian walked in. He scanned the restaurant with casual confidence, and then his gaze landed on our booth. He walked directly over and slid into the empty seat next to Ash without a word.
The server returned to add Lucian's drink order, and I focused very hard on studying my menu.
Then Rowan leaned over and stage-whispered directly into my ear, "So, are we going to talk about how you were practically drooling over Lucian at Neon Nights?"
I choked on my water. The glass slipped from my fingers and I barely managed to catch it before it spilled everywhere, but not before water splashed down the front of my shirt. Every single person at the table turned to stare at me, and I felt my face go nuclear.
Ash leaned in with pure mischief. "Wait, you were checking out my brother? That's actually kind of flattering. He works out a lot."
Rowan collapsed against my shoulder with laughter. "Oh my god, you should have seen her face."
I wanted to crawl under the table and die. Lucian was sitting directly across from me, his expression completely neutral except for the faint quirk at the corner of his mouth. I grabbed a napkin and started dabbing uselessly at my wet shirt.
The server arrived with our drinks, giving me temporary reprieve. I reached for what I thought was my lemon water and took a long gulp, only to realize halfway through that it was Coke. I froze, my eyes darting to the glass in front of Lucian, which was now conspicuously empty because I was currently holding it.
Lucian noticed at the same moment I did. His gaze dropped to the glass in my hand, then lifted to meet my eyes with an expression that was far too knowing.
"There was a mosquito," I blurted out, pushing the glass back across the table. "It fell in. You shouldn't drink that."
Lucian picked up the glass and examined it, his thumb brushing over the rim where my lips had just been. "A mosquito. In November. Inside a climate-controlled restaurant."
"They're very resilient," I said weakly.
He set the glass down without drinking, but the smile playing at his lips told me he knew exactly what had happened. "Thank you for the warning."
Soon the whole table was trading stories about terrible business partners and exploitative contracts.
I found myself studying both of them with renewed interest. They were young, photogenic, and clearly had some kind of social media following if brands were approaching them. If I could sign them as brand ambassadors for Vance Botanicals...
The server appeared with a flaming dish, and I heard the whoosh of igniting alcohol half a second before I felt the heat. Something went wrong with the pour and suddenly there was liquid fire arcing directly toward my face.
I didn't even have time to flinch before Lucian's arm shot across the table, his forearm taking the brunt of the flames. The fire licked across his skin for maybe two seconds before the server frantically smothered it with a towel, but I could already see the angry red burn forming.
"Oh my god, sir, I'm so sorry!" The server looked horrified. "Let me get the manager—"
"It's fine." Lucian's voice was perfectly calm. He stood up smoothly. "Excuse me for a moment."
He headed toward the restrooms, and I was on my feet before I'd consciously decided to move. I grabbed ice from my water glass and followed him.
The hallway was narrow and dimly lit. I caught up to Lucian and immediately pressed the ice against the burn on his forearm without asking permission.
"You didn't have to do that," I said quietly.
"Maybe. But I wasn't interested in finding out."
The hallway was barely wide enough for both of us, and I found myself standing closer to him than was strictly necessary. I tried to shift back to give him space, but that just pushed him further against the wall, and somehow we ended up even closer than before.
My gaze caught on his left hand, specifically on the black metal ring he wore on his pinky finger. I'd never noticed it before, but up close I could see intricate symbols carved into the band. They looked like runes, old and strange. I leaned in without thinking, trying to make out the details.
"What are you looking at?"
His voice startled me, and I suddenly became aware of how close I'd gotten. My face was maybe six inches from his chest. I jerked my head up and found myself staring directly into his eyes.
They were gray-green in the dim light, deep and fathomless and completely focused on me. I felt my breath catch. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, letting out a low, yearning sound that made my skin feel too tight and my pulse race.
"The ring," I managed finally, my voice slightly breathless. "I was looking at your ring."
One corner of his mouth lifted. "Were you."
Heat flooded my face. I tried to step back but my shoulder hit the opposite wall.
"I should go get burn ointment," I said quickly. "There's probably a pharmacy—"
Lucian's hand came up to rest on my shoulder, firm but gentle, steering me back toward the dining room. "Don't bother. It's already healing."
We made it back to the booth, and I slid into my seat. Rowan gave me a look that promised an interrogation later, but before she could say anything, a sharp voice cut through the restaurant noise.
"Rowan, is Kieran still avoiding my calls?"
"If my brother wanted to talk to you, he'd answer his phone," Rowan said flatly. "Now get out of Briar's seat before I make you."
Sienna stood slowly, but when she turned and saw Lucian and me standing behind her, her entire demeanor shifted. She straightened up, her chin lifting with an air of superiority that made my jaw clench.
"I heard you've been trying to raise money recently," Sienna said, her tone dripping with false concern.
I frowned slightly, my mind immediately jumping to the most obvious conclusion. "Did Eric tell you that?"
Sienna laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Why would I need Eric to tell me anything? In a few days, he and that precious patent of his will both belong to us anyway."
The implication in her words hit me like ice water. I forced myself to stay calm and focus on extracting information. "You're not worried the information might be wrong?"
"Wrong?" Sienna paused, then caught herself. Her lips pressed together briefly before she recovered with a dismissive wave. "Please. The people who want to see you fail are lining up around the block."