Page 33 of Victorious: Part I

Straw.

Craning my neck to the side, my feet don’t fail me. I take two long strides toward Haven, my hands rushing to her face, forcing her to look at me. “Stop. This stops now. We’ve both had our moments of weakness, but this is only going to get harder from here. Do. You. Understand?”

Haven’s shoulders stiffen, her body tensing, her posture straightening back to her normal stature. “I understand.”

Drawing in long, deep breaths, our eyes lock. “I’m going to need Blue Jay to come out to play.”

A slow smile crosses her face, and she nods. “I think I can arrange that, but there is probably one other thing I should tell you about what happened with Javier Rojas.”

Tensing, I lower my hands from her face to her hips, keeping her pressed against the wall. “Tell me.”

“He had a bird with him. Someone I trained,Nighthawk. She helped us escape, but I don’t know if she made it out or not. If she did, I want to try to find her. See what information we can get from her about her time working with Javier while he was rebuilding the Cartel.”

Furrowing my brows, I roll my shoulders. “So, there’smorebirds out there? We didn’t free them all?”

Haven shrugs. “I honestly don’t know at this point. We thought the Cartel was gone, but now they’re back. We thought The Nest was gone, then up pops an ex-bird. All I know right now, Alpha, is we have to get past one obstacle at a time. Right now, we focus on Livvy, then we move to the next step.”

Sighing, I nod. “Okay. Let’s go see the rest of the club, fill them in, and get some food for Poppy.”

Haven reaches for my hand, and then we take off for the family waiting area. With each pounding step I take, my body feels heavier, knowing I’m going to have to fill in the club on what’s happening.

I’ve left them far too long.

But I needed to be with my family.

I needed that time to get my head around this.

Now, I can start making plans—start prepping for what comes next.

Start preparing for how we seek vengeance for Livvy.

As we approach the family room, it’s easy to hear that the club is inside. And for some reason, the loud commotion of those noisy fuckers brings a genuine smile to my face. Haven cuddles into my side as we round the corner, entering the room. Loki, of course, is typing away into his laptop, Bea next to him on her cell. Rhyan’s sitting with her parents and Montana, playing some card game, and Dutch is arguing with Montana about the rules. Sadie and Maverick are sitting at the back, looking through what I think could be a pregnancy magazine. South and Ingrid are on the floor with Louis, trying to keep their young boy occupied. Clover, Phoenix, Rip, Ink, and Strings are standing by a makeshift food station that Navy, Hope, and Indigo are manning while Eggs and Weaver are fighting over the remote control for the television.

It’s loud. It’s chaotic, but it’s just like the clubhouse—comforting.

I glance at Haven, and she smiles, snuggling into me further as we step inside the room. Clover notices me first, her eyes practically bulging out of her head. “Oh my God, Pres, it’s so good to see you,” she states, rushing straight for me.

Everyone snaps their heads to face us as Clover launches and unexpectedly slams into me, embracing me so tight I can barely breathe. Hesitating for a moment, the emotion washes over me again, and I wrap my arms around Maverick’s baby sister to hug her back.

“Jesus, Clo, give the pres room to breathe, will you?” Maverick calls out, shaking his head at his sister.

Clover pulls back, her eyes wide in shock as she stares up at me. “Shit. Sorry. It’s just the waiting, you know?” She frowns, stepping back from me.

Exhaling, I nod, wracking my jaw from side to side. “Yeah, I do. I should have come out to see you all far sooner than this. As your president, it’s my job to keep you informed, and I have failed to do that—”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Pres. This shit’s heavy. You’re entitled to take a beat,” Loki states. His words registering in my mind.

I tilt my head, sighing a little at the realization. “Has Rhodes told you what’s happening with Livvy?”

Loki closes his laptop, then steps forward, his expression somber as he rests his hand on my shoulder comfortingly. “He’s been keeping us updated the whole time,” Loki hesitates, his eyes falling to the floor. “The last time he came in, he said it probably wouldn’t be much longer.” His eyes shift back up to me, fear etched in them. “Is she?”

I grimace. “Still holding on. We’re giving Poppy some time with her mother, but we wanted to go and find her some food. Should have realized Navy would have taken care of it for us.”

Navy smiles comfortingly at me from the back of the room behind her buffet table. “The nursing staff werenothappy with me, but you know me, Pres. I fight for my club and what I need to happen for them. My people need to be fed, so I bring them sustenance.”

I shrug. “That’s why you’re the best, Navy. Can you put together something for Poppy for me?”

Navy beams from ear to ear. “Already on it, and don’t think I’m not making you and Haven a plate too. I know neither of you have eaten either.”

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