Page 30 of Safe Haven
Cursing, I throw the blanket off and grab my jeans.
I slip my legs back into them and grab my lighter off the coffee table. I quietly slip out the door and close it carefully so I don’t wake Haven. I’m just finishing rolling a joint when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
I light the joint as I answer the call.
“Talk,” I’m not known for being a talker.
“Heard you were visiting the old lady. Got anything you need to tell me?” Our national President Bulldog’s suspicious voice meets my ears, and I grin.
“Jameson, nice to hear your voice.” I take a long pull and wait.
“Start talking!” I laugh as I blow out the smoke in my lungs.
Pissing him off is my favorite pastime. I’m sure it’ll get me killed one day.
“I need to update my status.” That gets him to calm down.
“You settling?” Not a chance in hell, but the reason is still gutting me, so I clear my throat before I speak again so I don’t sound like a complete pussy.
“She’s dead, Jameson. They killed my old lady.” I’m not sure why I thought I’d be able to hide the emotion that chokes me up.
I take another hit as the words I spoke drop like the bomb they were.
“Do you want to claim retribution?” I huff out a laugh.
“What do you think?”
He curses softly.
“My condolences, man. I can’t fathom what you’re feeling.” I take one more hit as he talks, then stomp out the roach.
“Just update my status and talk to Duchess about the new Prez of the Harlots. She can fill in the blanks. I’ll be off grid for a while, but I’ll check in when the dust settles.” I wait for him to acknowledge he heard me, but all I get is static over the line.
“Hello?” I hear a few beeps and then the phone goes dead.
Ice runs down my spine as I stand up straighter and look around.
Something is wrong. I feel eyes on me, but can’t see anyone. I keep my movements steady as I open our door and quickly close it. I grab my gun as I slip my feet into my boots.
“Haven,” I call out to her firmly.
I use the barrel of the gun to move the curtains just enough to see outside.
“Mmm,” she mumbles as she sits up in bed.
“We gotta go. Grab your shit.” I see a car that wasn’t in the lot earlier, and out of the side of my eye, I catch three figures in masks creeping along the building.
“NOW.” I back away from the window and toss my own shit into my bag.
“What’s going on?” She asks as she puts Diesel on a leash.
“Out the back.” I point at the closet, and she frowns.
Diesel starts to growl, and I know we’re out of time.
I shove her inside the closet as the front window explodes. I have the closet door closed and the secret latch pushed when a small explosion rocks the walls.
“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?” I don’t bother answering her with the dog barking and the shouts coming from the room.
