Page 21 of The Vows We Keep
I grip Catalina’s chin. “You did. And I’m going to punish you for that.”
“Need any help?” Bates says.
Normally I’d find a comment like that funny as fuck. Bates is my partner in crime. Literally. We do everything together, but one thing we won’t be doing together is Catalina.
So, I ignore him and keep my eyes on her. I should probably explain to King what’s happened. Or come up with a comeback for Bates. I glance over at Neva, who is struggling against Switch’s grip. But Catalina has a certain kind of energy that my own responds to, and I look back at her. There’s no other reason to explain why I sat in that chair for as long as I did without losing my mind.
I’m usually a mess on hideouts ... anything where we have to sit and wait. Especially when I’m hungry.
Which, fuck—what I wouldn’t give for whatever breakfast food Neva picked up. I’m starved and still dealing with a hangover from—
“Niro.” King’s voice is a shout. Loud. Like he’s been trying to get my attention. But my eyes are still firmly on Catalina. And I kind of like the fact her eyes are on me.
“Sorry. What?”
“Why did two women associated with Los Reyes abduct you from outside the club?”
I let go of Catalina’s chin, even as I wonder if she keeps that kind of eye contact when she fucks.
Bet it’s hot.
“Catalina’s dad was a rider in the party that came to visit with us when Cue Ball had put that hit on your head. Eight men left their clubhouse. Five showed up in the clearing. Her dad wasn’t with them, and neither were two others who made it back to their clubhouse. We never saw any of those three that day. Yet we buried eight.”
“Fuck,” Halo says. “Why you telling them all this shit?”
“We know most of that shit,” Neva shouts from behind me, and Halo glances in her direction.
“Yeah? How’s that?” he asks.
“Fuck you,” she replies.
“Drugs,” I say, answering Halo’s question. “The reason I told them shit is the fact Neva pumped the closest thing to a truth serum that’s two steps away from being a lethal injection into my veins. I dare any of you fuckers to try it for the ride.”
“Weirdest fucking rescue,” Clutch mutters under his breath.
Vex shrugs. “Things have been weird in this club for a while.”
“Can we all just focus for a fucking minute?” King asks. “So these two show up why?”
“Because I can’t just accept my father died on a run with no explanation. I need to know what happened to him. And I made a promise to him that I’d take him home and lay him to rest there,” Catalina says.
King shakes his head. “Makes no sense now though. It’s months since anyone was here. Hate to sound like a dick, but if your dad did die, he’s probably a puddle of liquid and bone by now.”
The color drains from Catalina’s skin, but she scowls at King. “Lovely visual. Thanks for talking about my fucking father like that.Estás pero si, bien pendejo.”
I chuckle. Not many people get away with calling my president a fucking idiot, but given King doesn’t speak Spanish, we’re all good.
King glares at me. “Something funny?”
I ignore the question.
“What do you want to do with them, Prez?” Bates asks.
“I’m keeping Catalina for a little while,” I say.
I’m not sure when I made the decision. Maybe last night when she stood her ground. Maybe this morning when it was just the two of us and we talked. Maybe it was when she turned allStreet Fighteron Bates and Clutch.
I wasn’t lying when I said it made me hard.
