Page 27 of Victorious Vice

“Listen,” he says, interrupting me. “My job is to keep you safe. And until we know who sent this text and what exactly it means, you’ll be the safest locked away in a location that no one knows about.”

I cock my head. “What are you even talking about?”

“I’ll let your brother explain.”

“Fine. I’ll give him a call.”

“You don’t have to. He should be here any minute now.”

I sigh.

Just then, the doorbell rings.

I start to walk toward it but Jared gestures me to stop. “You don’t answer the door anymore, Raven.”

I look back at him, raising an eyebrow. “It’s my brother.”

“Yes, it is.” He quickly walks ahead of me, holding a hand to keep me in place. “But you need to get used to not answering the door. I’m here, and I’ll answer it.”

He walks to the door, opens it, and my brother walks in.

Falcon’s dark hair is mussed as usual, and he’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

I run into his arms. “Falcon, what’s going on?”

He strokes my peach-fuzz head. “We’re trying to figure it out, Ray.”

I look up at him, wiping a tear from my cheek. “It can’t have anything to do with Vinnie. He’s gone.”

“He is, but it’s no secret how he feels about you or how you feel about him.”

“So you think someone’s using me.”

“That’s my best guess. Someone is using you to get to him.”

I break from my brother’s embrace and walk a few steps away from him. “But he’s out of the country. They can’t lure me somewhere and then expect him to come rescue me. He’s not here.”

“They may not know that, Ray.”

“Oh for the love of God, Falcon.” I turn around and face my brother. “These are mobsters. They know everything.”

Falcon doesn’t respond.

No doubt because he knows I’m right.

“Listen,” he says. “When I went to prison, I had Hawk build a safe house. Savannah and I stayed there for a while after I rescued her from Miles McAllister. Vinnie’s been there too.”

“He has?”

“Yes. We brought him there when he first came back into this country.” He grabs my hand, squeezes it. “I know you love him, Raven. And I know he loves you too. I believe he’s a good man, but he had to make a choice. I believe his choice was a good one. If he’s going to bring down his family, his hands are going to get very dirty. Neither he nor I want you anywhere near that.”

“Yes, I know. You both think you can make my decisions for me.” I roll my eyes. “Poor little Raven with her bald head. Poor little Raven who needed her big brother’s bone marrow. Poor little Raven who can’t take care of herself.”

“Christ, Raven,” Falcon says. “You know that isn’t what we think.”

I poke him in the chest. “I’m not so sure about that anymore.”

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Let me see the text.”

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