Page 20 of At the Edge of Surrender

Could almost hear the shift of Otto’s tone as he touched on Sanctum business. That same unsettledness I’d been riddled with last night rolled through me. That nagging sense that things were going to have to change within my crew.

Guessed it had been coming for a long, long time.

I couldn’t stand aside and let River keep running these jobs. Not when it put him at even greater risk.

It wasn’t like I wasn’t constantly in those types of situations. Running my own gig. No doubt, I should have stood up and intervened a long damned time ago.

Maybe I’d worried it’d put a spotlight on me.

But now that he was with Charleigh and Otto was with Raven?

I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

The last text had been sent more than two hours ago, and I hesitated before I let my fingers fly across the screen.

Me

Works for me, but I think we need to talk about the other situation.

Immediately, the dots popped up before a text blipped through.

Otto

Ah, he lives. Was wondering when you were going to drag your lazy ass out of bed. It’s almost noon, man.

Me

I own a club and three bars, dickwad. These are my normal hours.

Theo

Doesn’t have anything to do with that stunner you went all white knight over last night?

Otto

Ohhhh a stunner. And white knight? Details please.

Theo

One look, and our boy here looked like he was going to come out of his skin. Levitate from his seat.

He had no idea.

River

When is Kane not salivating over some sweet thing?

Theo

Not like this, man. This wasn’t the hunt. Dude had fucking hearts in his eyes and venom in his blood when some prick decided he was gonna get up on his territory.

Otto

Now this I would have paid to have seen.

Theo

Don’t worry, I recorded it. It was a moment that required documentation.

---