Page 70 of Victorious: Part 2
“I should call Sin,” I say, while pulling out my cell again. “Let him know we’re here before he decides we’re dead in a ditch somewhere.”
Clover nods, settling cross-legged on the bed next to Dracula, who immediately starts purring like a tiny engine. She pulls out her own phone, probably checking messages from home, and her face lights up from the screen. There’s something different about her now, still alert, still watchful, but some of the tension has eased from her shoulders.
Being away from LA and the immediate threat is good for her.
Even if it means we’re playing with fire, being this close together.
Leaning back against the wall to focus my attention away from Clover and the extremely bad things I want to do to her in this room, I hit Sin’s number and wait for him to pick up, already preparing for the verbal ass-kicking I’m about to receive.
“Phoenix.” His voice comes through the line like gravel mixed with annoyance. “You’re two fucking days late.”
“Yeah, we had some detours. Car trouble, you know how it is.”
“Do I?” There’s a pause, and I can practically hear him counting to ten. “You were supposed to check in two days ago. Do you haveanyidea what’s been going on back home whileyou’ve been playing tourist?”
Guilt hits me like a sledgehammer. While we’ve been taking our time, finding excuses to stretch out the trip, focusing on our own drama, the club has been dealing with real shit. The kind that could get people killed.
“We’re here now,” I say. “Safe and sound.”
“Good. Because I was about to send Nitro and Bear to track your asses down.” Sin’s voice carries that particular brand of irritation that means he’s been worried and is covering it with anger. “Given what’s happening with your club back home, I figured you might need some backup. Someone watching your six while you’re in my territory. I’ll send a brother to your location, just text it to me.”
I glance at Clover, who’s watching me with curious eyes. “We appreciate the offer, but—”
“It wasn’t an offer, brother.” His tone reminds me he’s doing us a favor, letting us operate in his city. “You’re carrying precious cargo, and you’re inmy city. That makes youmyresponsibility. Whether you like it or not.”
Precious cargo.
If Clover heard that, she’d probably have some choice words about being called cargo. But I get what he means. She’s not just Maverick’s sister, she’s the heart of LA Defiance in a lot of ways, and if something happens to her on Sin’s watch, there’ll be hell to pay.
“We’ll come by the clubhouse tomorrow,” I tell him. “We can discuss it then.”
“You’ll come by tonight if I tell you to come by tonight.”
“Sin.” I keep my voice level, respectful but firm. “We just got here. We need to get settled, get some food, and figure out our next steps. Clover’s tired. I have to ensure her glucose doesn’t drop. I want her to take it easy. Maybe have a walk along The Strip, see the lights. But I assure you, wewillcome bytomorrow.”
Another pause, longer this time. Then a sound that might be a laugh if Sin ever did anything as undignified as laughing.
“Fair enough. But Phoenix? Don’t make me wait again. I don’t like waiting, and my patience is already stretched thinner than a cheap condom. No one likes it when they break. And you don’t want me to break, Phoenix.”
Smirking at his analogy, I nod, even though he can’t see me. “Understood.”
“Good. Bring Clover by tomorrow. I want to meet the woman who’s got you wrapped around her finger.” The line goes dead before I can protest that assessment, leaving me staring at my phone and wondering how the hell Sin managed to read the situation so accurately from a thousand miles away.
Fuck.
“How’d that go?” Clover asks, amusement clear in her voice.
“About as well as expected. He’s pissed we’re late, wants to assign us babysitters, and somehow knows way more about our situation than he should.”
“Club presidents talk to each other. Alpha probably filled him in.” She scratches behind Dracula’s ears, earning another purr. “What did he say about protection?”
“That we’re inhis citynow, which makes ushisresponsibility. And that he doesn’t trust us to stay out of trouble on our own.”
“Smart man.” She looks up at me, and there’s something in her eyes that makes my chest tight. “So, what now?”
Now? Good fucking question.
We’re here, we’re safe, we’re alone in a hotel room with one bed and three days’ worth of unresolved tension crackling between us. The smart thing would be to grab some food, get some sleep, and pretend the air isn’t thick enough to cut with a knife.
