Pulling up to Starbucks, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, instantly lifting my spirits. There's nothing like that first whiff of caffeine to make everything feel right with the world. I'm already counting on my freebie, especially since I've been dragged here for reasons I'm still trying to figure out.

I'm a little bit obsessed with coffee—scratch that, I'm completely obsessed. I can't survive a day without it. Jace must have noticed the excitement on my face because when I glanced over at him, he shot me a wide, infectious grin.

And for a second there, I think I might have just died a little inside.

But before I could muster up the energy to smile back, I heard a heavy sigh from the front seat. The kind of sigh that could only come from someone who wasn't nearly as excited about the coffee run as I was.

"Well, come on then, I don't have all day."

West yanked his car door open with a little too much force, slamming it shut so hard the entire car rattled.

Wow, what's his problem? Guess it's not just girls who have those days.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the annoyance, then took a deep breath. I opened my own door and stepped out, immediately greeted by a sharp gust of cold wind. I wrapped my arms around my body, cursing myself for only wearing denim shorts and a loose top, as the cold nipped at my exposed skin. Great decision, Hope.

"Here, take this." Jace appeared behind me, draping his denim jacket over my shoulders just as I was about to head toward the doors.

I shivered slightly from the cold and glanced back at him. "But won't you be cold without it?" I asked, feeling guilty for taking his jacket.

He chuckled, flashing me a smirking grin. "Don't worry about me, Carter. Do I look like I'm afraid of a little cold? I couldn't just let you freeze to death."

His words caught me off guard, and I felt a blush creep up my neck. How could anyone be scared of him? He was just... so casual, confident, and effortlessly cool. I couldn't help but get lost in the way he spoke.

"Well, thank you, Jace," I said, trying to sound casual. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem," he replied with a wink, his voice carrying that usual laid-back tone.

Walking through the doors of Starbucks, I immediately spotted West sitting by the window, already sipping on his coffee. Well, thanks for waiting for us, I thought, but before I could make my way over to give him a piece of my mind, I heard a familiar voice.

"Freckles."

I wasn't one for nicknames, but freckles? It had started to grow on me in a way I didn't expect.

Turning around, I found Callum grinning at me. "As promised, I said I'd buy you a coffee. What can I get you?"

Without hesitation, I replied, "A café americano, please." I flashed him a quick smile, and in return, he winked at me.

"I'll be right back with it," he said, heading toward the counter.

I shook my head with a smile as I walked toward the two boys already sitting at the table. West glanced up at me, his face unreadable. Of course, he's in a mood today, I thought, rolling my eyes. I slid into the seat next to Jace, hoping the conversation would at least be more pleasant than my interactions with West so far.

"Do you want your jacket back?" I asked, glancing at Jace as I adjusted the denim jacket on my shoulders.

"Keep it, Carter," he said, his voice casual as he leaned back in his seat. His eyes were fixed on me for a moment, a small, playful smile tugging at his lips.

"It looks better on you anyway," he added, and I felt a rush of warmth spread across my chest. His breath had a faint scent of mint as he leaned in slightly, and I couldn't help but notice how close he was. I quickly looked away, trying to mask the sudden fluttering feeling in my stomach.

"Not a fan of coffee, I see," I said, trying to break the tension and steer the conversation somewhere light. I leaned in slightly, watching as he set his hot chocolate down.

"Not really. Coffee leaves this awful aftertaste, and it keeps me up all night," he said with a shrug, clearly not bothered by it. I smiled, amused.

"Yeah, it gives you a buzz," I said, remembering how jittery I used to feel when I had too much.

"Right, one coffee for the lady, as promised," Callum suddenly appeared, holding my drink with a playful grin. He set it down in front of me, giving me an exaggerated bow. I couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

But just as I was about to thank him, I noticed a scoff from across the table. I glanced up and saw West staring at us, his face stone-cold, his eyes narrowed.

I wasn't surprised at all when the scoff came from West—of course, he would make his presence known somehow. But honestly, what was his problem? He'd been acting like this ever since I met him, and I was tired of trying to figure him out.

"Right, we need to discuss something with you, so don't interrupt me," West said, his voice stern as he crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly, fixing me with an intense stare.

I took a deep breath and crossed my legs, trying to keep my composure. I wasn't in the mood to deal with whatever nonsense he was about to throw my way. Instead, I took a long sip of my coffee, letting the warmth spread through me before setting the cup down on the table.

"Shoot," I said, wiping a small drop of coffee from the corner of my lips.

As I did, I caught Callum's gaze. He was sitting beside West, and his eyes were locked onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. His stare was unwavering, and there was something in it—something playful, mischievous, and maybe even a little lustful—that sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

His lips quirked up slightly as if he knew exactly what kind of effect his gaze was having on me. It made the air between us feel charged like the tension was palpable.

I tore my eyes away, trying to focus on West's words, but my mind kept drifting back to Callum and the strange mix of emotions swirling in my chest.

"Let's make a deal."

My heart skipped a beat at West's words. "A deal?" I repeated, trying to steady my voice, but something in the air felt charged, like the tension was building between us.

"Yep," West replied, popping the "P" like he was dropping a bomb, his smirk growing wider as he saw my reaction.

"I'm listening," I said, leaning in slightly, despite the tight knot forming in my stomach. I couldn't help but wonder where this was going.

The three of them exchanged glances, the kind of look that only comes when they're about to reveal something big, something important. Callum's gaze was intense, but there was a strange flicker of something softer in his eyes—almost as if he was waiting to see how I would react.

They all looked at me, that damn smirk still in place, and for some reason, it made my cheeks heat up against my will. I could feel my face turning bright red, but I couldn't break their gaze.

"If you help us take down Mason Chambers," West continued, his voice low and serious, "we will help you find your brother's killer."

I froze. The words hit me like a punch to the gut, the air thick with the weight of what he was offering. My brother. The one person I had lost. The one person I would do anything to bring justice for.

My mind raced, torn between the anger that bubbled up whenever Mason's name was mentioned and the hope—however small—that this could be the opportunity I'd been waiting for.

But could I trust them? Could I trust them to help me get the answers I needed?

How does he even know about Miles? and take Mason down? That means they do know him, but how? Why? wait wait he said to take him down, Mason is a part of a gang. This means the three guys I am having coffee with and have grown to like are a part of a gang too.

"How do you know about my brother?" I asked, my voice sharp as I glanced between them, an eyebrow arched in suspicion.

Jace was the first to break the tense silence, his usual playful demeanour replaced with a more serious tone.

"We asked around about you, Hope. You intrigued us the first day we saw you," he said, his gaze steady on me.

"Don't worry, we didn't stalk you or anything, freckles," Callum added with a chuckle, the teasing glint in his eyes making me roll my own.

I couldn't help but smirk at his words, leaning back in my chair. "I wouldn't put it past you, Reed," I shot back, a wink slipping past my lips before I could stop it.

The reaction was immediate—Callum's pupils dilated, his gaze momentarily cloudy. Not now, hormones. I quickly focused on the conversation, trying not to overthink what had just happened.

"Alright, let's say I agree to this deal," I said, trying to focus on the task at hand. "How the hell am I supposed to help you take Mason down... and his gang?"

The three of them exchanged a few glances, each one seeming to weigh something in the air before Jace spoke again.

"I don't particularly like West's plan either, Carter, but it's the only way," Jace murmured, eyes shifting uncomfortably as he looked back at me.

"Neither do I, freckles," Callum added quietly, his voice tinged with something I couldn't quite place.

I couldn't help but feel a tight knot in my stomach. This wasn't going to be good.

West's expression hardened as he leaned in, his eyes fixed on me. "It's the only way, guys," he sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. "You need to get back together with Mason."

The words hit me like a brick. I blinked, momentarily stunned. "WHAT?" I yelled, standing up so quickly my chair scraped against the floor.

Get back together with him? My mind couldn't process it.

"Are you out of your damn mind?" I continued, completely stunned by the suggestion. "There's no way in hell I'm getting back with that idiot. Not after what he did."

"Calm down, Carter," West said, unphased by my outburst. "It's not impossible."

Did I say that out loud? I thought, mentally cringing at my slip-up. West's smirk deepened, and I immediately regretted speaking my thoughts.

Jace's expression softened a bit, but there was no mistaking the seriousness in his tone. "You're the only one who can get close enough to him. You need to find out his weaknesses, spy on him, get intel so we can bring him and his whole gang down."

The anger in West's voice was palpable, and it sent a chill down my spine. I shot a glance at Callum, who was still silent. His face showed a mix of concern and frustration, but there was something else in his eyes—a hesitation.

I thought about Miles. The promise I made.

"I'll do it," I said, the words slipping from my mouth before I could fully process them. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I couldn't back out now.

"Really?" West said, a glimmer of approval in his voice.

"Good." He gave me a faint smile, and for a moment, it made him seem... almost human.

"Wait, there's one small problem," I interrupted, a nervous chuckle escaping my lips.

All eyes turned to me, and I felt the weight of their attention. "I kind of kicked Mason in the... well, you know... this afternoon and told him I wanted nothing to do with him anymore."

I winced, hoping none of them would lose their patience with me.

Jace burst into laughter, his chuckles filling the air like music. Callum joined in, a deep, warm laugh that made me smile despite myself. West just smirked.

"From what I've seen, he'll take you back in a heartbeat, baby girl," West said, his voice low, that nickname slipping from his lips like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Baby girl? Did he just call me that? I felt my cheeks flush against my will. What was it with these nicknames? I kind of... liked it though.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, sitting up straighter, leaning in with an inquisitive look.

"We're not blind, Carter," West replied, his voice smooth but serious. "You're beautiful inside and out. Mason's a fool if he doesn't see that."

I noticed Jace tense up slightly at the last part, a low growl slipping from Callum's throat, but it was so quiet I almost didn't hear it. What was that about?

I shook it off. "I'll see what I can do, but I'm not promising anything."

Before anyone could respond, I added, "But I have to tell Lily about this."

"No way are you telling her," West growled, the irritation clear in his tone.

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow at him. "Fine by me, Shaw. But I'm telling her."

West scowled, his jaw tightening. "Suck it up or find another girl for your deal."

There was a loud bang as West slammed his hand on the table, making some of our coffee spill.

I smirked. "You owe me a coffee now."

"You'll be doing it, or have you forgotten? You need us just as much as we need you."

"Calm it, West," Callum's voice cut through the tension. "Don't speak to her like that again."

I turned toward Callum, offering a small, grateful smile. He nodded, his expression softening slightly as he sat back, sending a glare toward West that made my chest tighten with a strange warmth.

Before anyone could say anything else, the door to Starbucks swung open, and in walked Rose, immediately gravitating toward Mason. As soon as she saw me, I noticed her posture shift, clearly trying to flirt with him. Mason caught my eye, and I felt my stomach twist into knots.

He smirked at me, that cocky grin that used to send butterflies through my chest. But now? It just made me want to puke.

His gaze flicked over to the three guys sitting with me, and his smirk faded, replaced with something colder. Hatred.

Well, this was about to get interesting.