Page 31 of Viper

So much for ignoring him and keeping him at arm's length.

TWELVE

VIPER

If Vlad thinks he’s coming after me, my son, my club, or Eden, he’s got another thing coming.

The sounds of my phone ringing pulls me out of watching the show on TV. And a thrill of excitement rushes through me when I see Eden’s name on the screen. She was ignoring me all day, so I decided not to push, but maybe she’s starting to come around. I mute the TV and swipe my thumb across the screen. “Spitfire, I hope this is a late night booty call request,” I drawl softly into the phone.

“No,” she replies curtly. Instantly, I know something’s wrong, and I’m on edge. There’s something in her voice. Dread? Fear? Concern? I’m not sure, but everything in me goes alert.

“What’s wrong?” I demand.

“I need to talk to you, but I don’t know if I should over the phone or if I should talk to you in person,” she admits. “It’s about something I overheard tonight.”

“Are you in danger?” I ask, standing and trying to figure out what to do about Archer, who is asleep. I won’t leave him alone, even for Eden. Shit.

“I-I don’t know,” she admits. “But I know you are.”

“Me?” I repeat carefully. What the hell is she talking about? But then my blood runs cold. Vlad. It has to be him or one of his men and she overheard them talking. “Alright, then we need to talk. Let me see if I can get someone to come and watch Archer and then I’ll head to your place and we can?—”

“No,” she interrupts. “You can’t come here.”

“Eden…”

“No, if someone is watching my house and they see you come here, then they’ll definitely know I’m involved, and I can’t risk that.”

She’s right, but everything in me is screaming for me to go to her. Damn it. I need to call Shadow and possibly Cryos and let him know what’s going on and go from there. “Alright, then here’s what I want you to do. Do you own a gun?”

“No. But I probably will have to get one after this.”

“We’ll look into it,” I assure her. “ I want you to go to whatever room you feel safest in and lock the door. Keep your phone on you, and I’m going to call you back. I assume you locked all the doors and windows?”

“As soon as I got home.”

“Good girl. Then I want you to do what I said, and I’ll call you back in a few minutes, okay?”

“Alright,” she sighs. Then she hangs up and I ruefully shake my head. The woman is seriously one cool cookie and I’m glad of it. I can deal with hysterics, but hysterics means mistakes and someone else possibly overhearing. Eden’s tough, smart, and she’s clearly cool under pressure.

I quickly call Shadow, who answers on the second ring. “What’s the problem?” he asks in a low, but slightly raspy and sleepy voice. Clearly he was already asleep.

“Got a call from Eden and she said she overheard something that seems to point to me being in danger. And she’s now locked herself in her apartment and doesn’t want me to go to her place in case they see me and implicate her.”

“You’re thinking it’s Vlad,” Shadow summarizes, sounding more alert. I hear rustling and him soothing Quinn back to sleep. Then the sound of a door closing, no doubt to keep from disturbing her.

“I can’t think of any other reason. So I need your help.”

“Anything,” Shadow replies instantly.

“I need you or Crypt to go to her place and bring her to the clubhouse without her being seen. I’ll wake Archer and we’ll get there in my truck. Then we can figure out what kind of shit is going on.”

“I’ll have Crypt come here and watch the house, and I’ll get her myself,” Shadow says. “I don’t want to leave my girls unprotected.” He sounds worried, and I don’t blame him. Quinn and Macy have been through enough, and considering Quinn was kidnapped by Dagger and Dmitri, I can understand his reluctance to leave them.

“Alright. I’ll get her address and send it to you. You mind calling Cryos and explaining the situation while I handle Archer and Eden?”

“Already on it. See you soon, and be careful.”

We hang up and I call Eden back. She answers on the first ring. “I have a brother who is going to come get you and take you to the clubhouse,” I tell her quickly. “His name is Shadow and?—”

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