Page 53 of Sunshine & Ink

And as the meeting continued, my anxiety for Sunni grew.

While this group of women looked innocent, sitting in a circle together with cups of tea cradled to their chests, they were illegally plotting.

Plotting how to get more water, how to undermine the dictates of the Holy Words, how to bypass the Elders’ sacred distribution of water.

And Sunni was there in the middle of it, trying to connect lines on a rolled-down map as Willow read from what looked like scavenged copies of older books.

What were theydoing?

I strained to listen.

“If I’m right,” Willow was saying in a low voice. “These lines here represent underwater sources that the Elders have been keeping from us.”

“And if we can somehow get to them—” Elise broke in excitedly. “Imagine how much water that is!”

“Imagine being able to get as much water as you wanted, whenever you wanted,” Sunni added as they all nodded.

Oh, shit, what Sunni was doing with these people was goddamn foolish and illegal. If she got caught trying to find any of the ancient river ways, or tampering in any way with the Elders’ control of the water, she could be severely punished and her water rations lowered to almost unlivable levels.

My stomach clenched thinking about Sunni and her baby trying to thrive with low water ration levels.

And I realized something important.

Teacher had tried to warn me that I might lose status by bringing Sunni back, but I did not care.

I wanted her no matter what. I wanted herandthe baby.

Even though it was another man’s.

Even though my stomach lurched with sick nausea at the knowledge that if I hadn’t let my temper go, I wouldn’t have gone to jail and Sunni wouldn’t have another man’s baby in her belly.

I would do everything in my power to protect them now. They were going to be watched, protected, and cared for. I wanted to leave every avenue open for her to forgive me, but if I had to, I would kidnap her and force her to live at the clubhouse to keep her from getting in trouble with her foolish dreams of a revolution.

Leo could be allowed to live. If he stayed the fuck away from her.

As the meeting stretched on, Leo eventually showed up.

Fuck

This fucker must be a slow learner.

I got up abruptly and stalked to my motorcycle. He absolutely was not allowed to be around her.

Since it was night, there would be checkpoints all along Souls territory, like there were along Saints territory.

So I rode my motorcycle partway, then left it at a safe location and went the rest of the way on foot, slipping between homes and past chain-link fence, cutting wire where I had to, to get into Souls territory.

By the time I arrived, the coffee shop was dark. The meeting must be over.

Then I looked up and that goddamn jackass was leaving her apartment.

Anger coiled in my gut.

It was 11 pm. Howdarehe be at her house at that hour?

Checking to make sure the door to her apartment was locked, I followed Leo silently down the street.

He was a fucking idiot in more ways than one, because he was literally taking his life in his hands by even being around my girl.

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