Page 476 of Bad Prince
“So do you.”
The elevator doors open before either of us can get dangerous again, which is probably for the best.
The brunch room downstairs overlooks the water from a glass-wrapped terrace, all white linen and silver coffee pots and discreet service. Newport does not do casual, not even before noon.
Jade and Leo are already there. Leo stands first when he sees us, grinning in that easy, expensive way of his, but it’s Jade I clock hardest.
Small compared to me, but somehow not small at all.
Dark hair.
Sharp eyes.
A face built for beautiful expressions and ruthless honesty.
She looks like the kind of girl who has survived being underestimated and learned to enjoy the correction.
She takes me in once.
I do the same.
And something immediate passes between us.
Recognition.
“Oh,” she says.
I laugh softly.
“Oh” is right.”
Tristan’s hand shifts at my back.
“This feels threatening.”
Leo claps him once on the shoulder as he rounds the table.
“It should.”
Then he hugs him—quick, hard, real enough that my chest squeezes a little just watching it.
“I missed you, bro.”
Something in Tristan’s face softens instantly.
“Yeah,” he says. “Missed you, too.”
Leo pulls back, looks him over, and shakes his head.
“You really do look like you belong out here.”
Tristan huffs a laugh.
“That your way of saying I’ve gone soft?”
“It’s my way of saying you look less miserable.”
That earns a snort from Jade.
