Page 12 of Safe Haven
“WHAT THE FUCK!” I look around, trying to get my bearings and find Haven sitting next to me with her hands up and out of the way while her best friend holds a glass in his hand with his hip cocked and a glare that would freeze hell over.
“Welcome back to the land of the living. Now, talk.” He’s holding my gun in his other hand, which he makes sure to point at me now.
FUCK!
“Alright, take it easy. Mercy gave me a letter for Haven if anything happened to her tonight. I haven’t read it, but it probably explains a good portion of what’s going on. And if I know my best friend, an apology. She wasn’t proud of her childish behavior back then, and she missed you something awful. She always wanted to make it right between you.” I pull the envelope from my cut and shake it out with a curse.
“That is if your bitch ass didn’t fucking ruin it.” I sigh and hand it to Haven.
“Um, I need a minute.” She stands and walks over to a desk in the corner and turns her back to us.
“Who did your tats?” I raise my eyebrow at Corvin.
“Our Sargent at Arms has a shop.”
Corvin sits down and examines my arm closely.
“You in the military or something?” I roll my eyes, but I lift the sleeve so he can see more of my ink.
“Fuck no. I’m the Vice President of the Royal Harlots. We’re a one-percenter motorcycle club.” Corvin looks even more confused now.
“Like the Mayans?” Great, another person who relies on television or the internet for their life information.
“Nothing like it. That is fiction. I live this lifestyle. We aren’t always on the correct side of the law, but we only do it for good reasons.” He purses his lips and snorts.
“Right, like Jeffrey Dahmer only ate people cause he was hungry.” I shake my head at how short-sighted some people were.
“So narrow-minded. No, Robin Hood. We aren’t beyond stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Or grab guns or drugs that were meant for school zones. We try to better the community.” He sits back and crosses his arms.
“For free?” Ok, he’s got me there.
“Nothing in life is free.” We stare at each other for a minute before he blinks and looks away.
“You got that fucking right.” A sob coming from where Haven is sitting draws our attention back to her.
“Wow, she never cries.” Corvin stands and walks to his best friend.
I stay and watch as they have a quiet conversation, and Corvin takes the note from her. He starts reading it, and the variety of emotions that cross his face are so expressive that I know the exact moment he reads about tonight’s job. The paper gets crumpled into his fist as he turns angry eyes at me.
“She died trying to save a bunch of women and children escaping the skin trade. But the cargo container was empty. They double-crossed us, and they will only talk with Mercy. We can still save them.” Haven shakes her head.
“You told her they were secure.” I nod.
“She was dying. I lied. I need your help. Please.” If these people knew that I never ask for help or beg, then maybe my statement would have moved them more, but I’m met with skeptical looks that mirror each other so perfectly, it shows how long they’ve been friends.
“Why? Convince us.” Corvin is back to that guarded tone again.
“I don’t need you. Just her.” His finger comes up as he walks closer to me.
It shakes back and forth with no gesture.
“Nah, we are a package deal. All or nothing. Besides, this bitch can’t get anything done without me.” Corvin looks over his shoulder at Haven.
“My sister and niece are in that container.” I blurt the words out.
“It’s how I met Mercy. She saved me. She was doing this for me. I got her killed.” I hang my head in shame.
Chapter Seven
