Page 14 of Roses and Skulls

“I think you needed that,” Uncle Dan says, breaking the silence.

I sit up and pull my phone out, still unwilling to share my voice with him.Like a hole in the head.

He laughs. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your snark. Let’s go back up to the warehouse.”

We get inside just as mom and dad arrive. They look tired.

Now, I feel bad.

Are you okay?I ask, or my phone asks anyway.

Dad and Raffe usher her to the couch. “I’m fine, sweetie. Just a little bump on the back of my head. I’ve had worse.”

Dan grunts beside me and goes to see for himself. He runs a giant hand over the back of her head. I watch as these three burly men fuss over her. I guess I haven’t noticed just how protective they are over her too. Maybe I’m not the only one.

She huffs, shoving Dan’s hand away. “I told you all, I’m fine. Just… just go figure this out.”

A look of seriousness passes between the three of them and then their eyes are on me. I take a few steps back, but my dad’s fucking eyebrow halts me in my tracks. “You, table, now,” he says, leaving no room for argument. For a few seconds I think he meansthetable but no, he points towards the kitchen. I’m kidding myself if I think I’ll ever be invited to the table where all club decisions are made.

Think, think, think. I need a good explanation for that bird, fast.

I sit down and all three of them sit across from me.Don’t roll your eyes,I remind myself.Don’t do it. It will only make things worse.

My dad clasps his hands in front of him and then he leans forward, making me shift back into my chair. “Where did you get that bird?”

I type slowly, trying to buy myself a little time. Yeah, this could work, hopefully it works. I hit play, holding my breath.

“You expect me to believe you just bumped into a man behind the bar, who was releasing this bird back to the wild and you convinced him she would be better off out here,” he says calmly.

I shake my head wildly.Dad, town is no place for a wild animal. She’ll be much happier here.

“And why did he have the crow in the first place?”

She’d been hurt. He nurtured her back to health.I hold my breath, hoping the inquisition ends soon.

He nods, looking at Dan and then Raffe.

The latter doesn’t believe me. “Who was he?” Raffe asks, knowing full well I know all of the people who live in this town.

Shit.

I shrug my shoulders.He must have just been passing through.

Raffe narrows his eyes at me. I look away, focusing on Dan but he isn’t buying it either. Whatever this crow means to them, it’s serious. Fucking Draven. Killing him is sounding better by the minute.

So, I decide to turn the table.Why? It was just a stupid crow. You know I love animals. Why did mom freak out when she saw it?

All three of them drop their heads.

This is more like it.

But my dad doesn’t cower so easily. “It reminded her of someone. An unbelievably bad someone.” He raises his head, a storm brewing in his eyes.

My mouth forms a tiny o.

“Now, how about you tell us what this man looked like?”

Dad, I was looking at the bird, not the guy.

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