Page 53 of Victorious: Part I

But the thing people never realized isDaviddidn’t win with might—he won with Defiance!

Chapter Fourteen

CLOVER

Scrolling through my feed, trying to figure out what the hell I’m going to say to my clients about my impending road trip to Vegas, I let out a long sigh. Sinking further into my chair and the depths of misery, I sigh.

A slight chuckle from beside me has me lifting my eyes from my screen to Sadie, who’s still eating her breakfast.Maybe it’s a second breakfast at this point?I’m not really sure. All I know is I finished mine in what feels like half an hour ago, and she’s still going as she brings a piece of toast to her lips, grinning at me.

Raising my brow, I slide my cell onto the table, then fold my arms over my chest. “Okay, little miss giggles, after everything that’s been happening the last couple of days, what couldpossiblybe so funny?” I quip.

Sadie continues chewing on her toast and shrugs. “I don’t know… I just think the faces you make when you’re doom-scrolling are funny.”

Scowling at her, I jerk my head back with a scoff. “I donotdoom scroll! Everything I do depends on social media. It’s like myentirejob, so I have to be active, review the trends, and keep up with the latest gossip. Not to mention theconstantalgorithm changes. It’s areal thing,Sadie,” I tell her, the frustration evident in my tone, even though I didn’t mean it to be.

She smirks, placing her half-eaten piece of toast onto her plate. “You want to tell metherealreason you’re having a minor freak out in that cute little brain of yours?”

Dropping my chin to my chest at how easily she can read me, I quickly glance behind me to make sure the guys are still meeting in the Chapel. I turn back to her, my knee bopping up and down with my anxiety, but she reaches out, placing her hand on my knee for support. “Clo, I’m practically your sister-in-law. I’m pregnant with your little niece or nephew. Just talk to me. What’s going on?”

Letting out an exaggerated breath, I clench my eyes tight because I feel like the mother of all assholes right now. “I’m supposed to be heading off to Las Vegas for this job, and I know I need to contact them and tell them I have to turn it down because I need to be here with my family, considering everything that’s going on right now.” Opening my eyes back to look at her, I sigh. “And please don’t get me wrong, I want to be here. Ineedto be here. But this was the first paying job that I earned all on my own, and I can’t help but be really fucking disappointed that I’m letting my firstrealclients down.”

Sadie weakly smiles, leaning in against me. “You know what I adore about you, Clover?”

Furrowing my brows, I shake my head. “My amazing fashion sense?” I joke.

She snorts out a laugh. “Other than that, I love how caring you are. You put others’ needs before your own. All the time. You put your brother’s needs before yours constantly. You do things in your life that you think he will approve of, and don’t get me wrong, I love that cranky sonofabitch. But I loveyoutoo. You’re your own woman, Clover, and trying to detach you two from each other is like trying to separate super magnets.”

Gnawing heavily on my bottom lip, I completely understand what she’s saying, but it’s hard. It’s just been me and Maverick for so long. He’s been the one taking care of me until we came here, of course. And then we met Haven and found out she’s our older sister. But still, Maverick has always been the one to step in, step up, and ensure I have whatever I need.

Whenever I need it.

“I don’teverwant to let him down,” I tell her honestly.

Sadie’s shoulders slump, her hand sliding up to move some hair behind my ear. “Oh, honey. There is absolutelynothingin this world you could do that wouldevermake him feel that way. Maverick beams when you’re around. You just have to believe in yourself and then also trust him in the process a little more too.”

“That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t really help with my situation. We all know what they’re talking about up there… the stuff that happened with Livvy means the club’s going into full battle mode. There’sno wayI’m going anywhere at the moment. I’m just going to have to face reality and pull up my big girl panties. Part of being in business, right?”

Sadie wraps her arm around me for support but gently nods her head. “I’m sorry, Clo. Maybe you could reschedule with them for another time?”

“Yeah, I’ll try that. Fingers crossed.”

Thumping footsteps of multiple boots make their way down the stairs as their boisterous chatter begins to flood the clubroom. It’s amazing how quiet this place is when all the guys are locked away. The rest of us in the clubroom turn to look at the guys as they disburse through the area. It’s clear from the stress written over their faces that the meeting wasn’t all kumbayas and high fives.

Turning back to Sadie with a grimace, my muscles tense all over. “This doesn’t seem like a good omen.”

Sadie reaches for her half-eaten toast and takes another bite. Clearly, she’s stress eating. “No. No, it does not,” she replies, her mouth full of food.

Maverick storms his way over to our table. It’s easy to see by the way he’s carrying himself that a burden weighs him down. He steps in behind Sadie and leans down, pressing a soft kiss to her hair, then moves to the bench seat next to me and slides in, not saying a single word.

My anxiety is starting to creep up as I nudge my shoulder into his playfully. “So the meeting in the Chapel seemed like it was intense. You guys talk about the fact that Doughnut keeps breaking out of his pen, and poor Rip has to chase after him, yelling and screaming out his weird surfer words that no one understands?”

Maverick finally breaks a smile. I think I even hear a slight chuckle. “Ahh, no, we didn’t talk about that. But it sure as shit is fun to watch Rip chasing after the club’s goat.”

“Right?” I giggle.

His smile slowly falls back to the grim expression he walked out here with, and he reaches out, taking my hand in his. The movement instantly sends a shock wave of nerves coursing through my veins. “Clo, this war that’s coming…” His intense eyes shift to Sadie behind me, and I see the fear in them. Maverick’s rattled, and I’m not sure the last time I saw him scared like this. He moves his focus back to me and continues, “With the information I have and the fight we’re up against…” He shakes his head, tightening his grip on my hand. “I don’t want youanywherenear this shit.”

My breathing quickens, panic starts rising inside as I turn to look at Sadie, her hand on her stomach, her face turning pale. Snapping back to my brother, I try to catch my breath. “Then we go. You, me, and Sadie. We leave as a family while all this is going down.”

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