Page 42 of Karma

Karma

Waking up in the clean sheets with all of LA rousing outside the huge windows of the hotel bedroom was almost better than falling asleep in them. Scorpio is still sleeping beside me, naked, his head buried in the pillow, his muscular back rising and falling with his even breaths. It’s his phone going off, rattling against the nightstand that woke me. I lean over him, pressing my chest against his warm back, enjoying the undulating softness as I switch it off. It was Joker calling, I saw that much. And all the warmth, sweet hardness of his body and the sheets that smell faintly of lavender can’t stop the chill rising in my chest at seeing it.

“Good morning,” he mutters as he somehow manages to wrap his arms around me and bury me under his body before giving me one of those morning kisses that are even better in reality than in dreams.

Funny that the phone call didn’t wake him, but my weight on his back instantly did. That’s better than dreams too.

A lot about our last two weeks together has been like that. And I don’t want to wonder how long that will last. But I do.

Grim clears his throat by the door, accompanied by a strong scent of freshly brewed coffee. It smells much better than anything I can make with my little machine. But I’m the one who makes the coffee. So instead of feeling glad I have some already waiting for me, I’m upset. What is with me this morning?

“It’s time to go,” Grim says.

That’s it. That’s the reason that nothing—not sweet good morning kisses from Scorpio, not the smell of lavender on the sheets, or the scent of freshly brewed coffee—can put me in a better mood.

“Do we have to?” I ask, but Scorpio has rolled off me and Grim’s already dressed. Right down to his boots and cut.

“We better,” Grim says. “Come on, I ordered breakfast. I hope you don’t mind. I can pay you back.”

That last was meant for Scorpio who’s sitting on the edge of the bed, frowning, his messed-up hair covering half his face as he checks his phone. It’s going off again. Joker really wants to get in touch with him. But he silences the phone and lays it screen down on the nightstand.

“No need, this was my idea so it’s my treat,” he says. “We can get some more stuff. Or at least empty the minibar before we leave. I won’t ever get to spend all the money anyway.”

Grim looks about as confused as I feel, but he just grunts, nods and leaves the bedroom. There was tension between them last night when we first got here. But they seemed to have worked it out in the hot tub later. I’d have joined them, but couldn’t share with them because of my new tattoos. And I figured maybe they needed some time alone. The tension seems to be rising again though, and it’s just another thing making me sad this morning.

Scorpio puts on his jeans and nothing else and doesn’t wait for me to get dressed too. I just grab the sheet off the bed and follow him out of the bedroom, determined to push away mydepression, or whatever is gripping me, and make the most of this day. Starting with the clean, lavender-scented sheet, which I won’t give up until I absolutely must.

I find them sitting at the table on the terrace, each with a huge plate holding a normal sized portion of a bacon and eggs breakfast.

“I got some cereal and fruit for you, Karma,” Grim tells me when I join them. “In case you don’t want the eggs.”

That thaws a little bit of my chest. He can be so considerate when he wants to be. It’s been a while though. Guess the hotel stay worked to brighten his mood too. At least we’re not sitting here wallowing in sad memories. So why can’t I cheer up?

Scorpio’s phone is buzzing again. I can hear it through the open door of the bedroom which also leads onto this terrace.

“Should you get that?” Grim asks, his mouth full of eggs. “It’s been ringing for a while.”

Scorpio shakes his head. “It’ll just be about the war.”

He stuffs his mouth full of eggs, but his eyes are sad as he glances at me.

“What war?” Grim asks, looking confused and shocked as he freezes in the act of bringing more eggs to his mouth.

I already know about this, so I dig into my Cinnamon Toast Flakes—my favorite kind of cereal, which Grim also remembered when ordering breakfast this morning. I wish I could just be happy.

Scorpio scoffs. “What war? The one with Devil’s Nightmare MC, obviously. How many other wars do you know about?”

“Oh, that war,” Grim says and resumes eating. “So Joker heard about some more spoils he could steal from the defeated?”

Grim sounds disgusted by that practice, which I know he is. But we’ve helped Joker and The Lost Sons MC secure a lot of strip clubs and drug selling operations after their originalcreators were wiped out in this war that the Devils are winning, despite at least six MCs fighting against them.

“No, it’s different this time,” Scorpio says and leaves it at that.

Why did he even bring this up, if he doesn’t want to talk about it? But at the same time, I don’t want to hear it again, so maybe it’s for the best that way.

I lean back in my chair, pull my legs onto the chair and balance the cereal bowl against my knees, staring off at the waking city as I eat. The sun’s barely up so it must be early. I had better plans for how this day would start when I fell asleep last night. But here we are.

“OK, I’ll stop asking questions. You just tell us when you’re good and ready,” Grim says, sounding annoyed. Maybe Scorpio doesn’t even know that’s so, since it’s such a small change in his voice, but I know Grim’s getting as frustrated by this conversation as I am. And the damn phone is ringing again.

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