Page 81 of The Fates We Tame
“Not really, but yes. A lot just happened.”
I cup both her cheeks. “Did it ever. We need a plan. To get you out from beneath that guardianship. The club has a lawyer…at least, they used to. I assume they still do. Wait, no. We move and I find us a lawyer. I have a place in mind we can go and be safe.”
“I need to stop for a minute and get my head around what’s just happened. Everything is moving too fast.”
And then Sophia laughs uncontrollably. Distress is written on her face.
“Fuck, I had a handle on this.” She gasps.
“BAT,” I say, gripping her wrists. “Do it with me?”
“When you focus on me like this, I find it hard to breathe,” she admits.
I can’t help but smile. “Kinda like sweet words from your mouth, Sparrow. Now breathe with me.”
She takes in a deep breath, and I nod. “Now adjust.”
Sophia rolls her shoulders back and stands a little straighter.
“Good girl. Now think.”
“It’s harder to control when I’m under stress.”
“Makes sense. My words disappear when I am. We’ll go somewhere you can rest. I promise.”
The brothers start to peel back into the clubhouse.
“What just happened?” Rae asks King. “What was that Sophia said about a contentious vote?”
“Club business, Duchess.”
Rae takes one look at Sophia. “It’s not club business when it affects one of the old ladies. It becomes all our business.”
King sighs. “Sophia’s family came to take her back.”
“My family organized an arranged marriage,” Sophia says. “I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I feel like my accident and my injuries were sustained trying to escape it.”
Iris looks at Spark, her face like thunder. “Were you one of the ones going to vote against backing Theo up when he saved his wife from an arranged marriage?”
“Little chick. It’s not as simple as?—”
“Don’t ‘little chick’ me right now.”
King puts his hands up. “We’re not doing this.”
Vi looks to Bates. “Was it you?”
Bates grimaces. “They’re the fucking Sicilian Cosa Nostra, before you give me shit. The best interest of the club is not pissing them off.”
“I understand,” Vi says sweetly. Too sweetly. “You had to put your own safety ahead of your brother and his wife who needed your help.”
“That’s not what I said.” Bates rubs a hand across his jaw.
“Fuck me,” says King. “We need to stop. We don’t discuss club business like this.”
“Given I was taken against my will, you better not have voted against,” Briar says to Saint. “Or you will be sleeping in the spare room you just finished painting.”
Saint tugs on the end of Briar’s braid. “I was a yes before King even asked for the vote.”
