Page 47 of Victorious: Part I

Standing abruptly, my pulse quickens as I walk up to Haven. “Don’t sugarcoat it. Just tell me everything I need to know.”

Haven exhales, then nods. “All right. When I was there, with Livvy, the bird I saw, her name is Nighthawk—”

“Nighthawk was there?” Poppy interrupts, sitting on the edge of the bed.

We both turn to look at her, her eyes wide in excitement, but Haven tilts her head. “She was there on mission with the Cartel, Poppy.”

The recognition on Poppy’s face takes hold instantly. Her face scrunching in horror. “Nighthawk hurt Mama?”

I spin back to face Haven, and she nods. “She did, but shewason mission. She was following orders. She didn’t know who Livvy was, why she was there, or why she was ordered to torture her. Just that Livvy was her mark by any means necessary.”

My stomach churns as I think about all the trauma Livvy must have gone through, but this isn’t adding up. “I don’t understand what this has to do with Montana and Valerie, Haven?”

“So, this is where it gets weird. When Montana was visiting Val, he was getting vibes. Weird ones. Even the guards were warning him of the hierarchy changing inside. He was told about new inmates coming in, and they all have a matching tattoo.” She turns her head, pulls her hair back, and shows me her V-shaped tattoo. If you look closely enough, the V is made up of tiny birds.

Swallowing harshly, I huff. “You’re saying the women’s prison is filling up with newly recruited birds?” I ask incredulously.

Haven shrugs. “They’resomeversion of birds. Normally, as we know, girls are taken from a young age and trained. But we disbanded, well, at least, most of those women and children. So, the Cartel obviously has to come up with methods to train this new batch of birds for The Nest, which Javier has now clearly gotten back up and running.”

Scrubbing at my face to ease the tension, I try to get this shit all straight in my mind. “So, you’re telling me we have a new leader of the Cartel, a new version of The Nest, anda new style of birds we knownothingabout?”

Haven inhales, a grimace clearly forming across her face. “Aaand Nighthawk’s birth file shows that she’s Governor Bennett Marshall’s daughter, whom he sold to the Cartel to boost his political career.”

My stomach falls through the floor, my eyes wide as I stare at Haven, my mouth forming a perfect O as silence fills the room. After what feels like a solid thirty seconds of Haven staring at me, waiting for me to say something, I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and turn to look at Poppy. Her expression is just as shocked as I am. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me?”

Haven steps up, gently taking my hand in hers. “I wish I were, baby.”

Turning back to face Haven, my eyes meet hers, understanding flowing back from her.

We’re in this now.

We’re deep in it.

But I can’t let this overwhelm me.

Does it look like the odds are swayed heavily in the Cartel’s favor right now?Fuck yeah.But there’s one thing Javier didn’t count on when he began this—if you want to start swinging atmy family, there’s a whole club of us who will step up to the plate.

If he thinks his Cartel can come in to take over Los Angeles, then he doesn’t know Defiance MC.

It might have taken me a minute and my daughter and Old Lady pounding it into me to get it through my thick head, but this club isn’t just my family.

No.

It reaches well past the Californian Coastline.

My family isnotjust Angelenos.

They arenotjust blood.

My family is the thumping heart of Defiance MC, andthatis what Javier doesn’t realize.

I crane my neck to the side and straighten my posture. Moving past Haven, I reach for my club cut on the desk and shrug it over my shoulders, feeling the power of my position embrace me. “Wegottaget ahead of this and protect everyone. We don’t loseanyone elseto this damn fight!”

Haven weakly smiles as Poppy jumps up from the bed, rushing to my side. “I got your back, Daddy.”

Glancing down at my daughter, the determination flowing through her, even through the loss she just suffered, is infectious. I can’t help but smile. Scuffing her hair, I let out a small chuckle and shake my head. “C’mon, let’s go, you little maniac.”

Poppy takes off for the door at lightning speed as I turn back, reaching out for Haven’s hand. She takes it, and we walk out into the hall together. She wraps her arm around my waist, whispering into my ear, “We’veallgot your back, Pres.”

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