Page 185 of The Seven Rings
“Well, I can’t match that, but.” She rose, hugged Sonya hard, and held on, swaying. “You, Sonya MacTavish, are an Amazon. You’re a goddess. You’re an evil-dead-witch destroyer. You’re a motherfucking woman.”
“I really wanted to punch her. I’ve never punched anybody in my life. I wanted her to be my first.”
Clover hit it with the Queen of Soul and “Respect.”
“I don’t know how long I’d have trembled down there if Clover hadn’t given me that boost. If they all hadn’t. But there’s more.”
She gripped Cleo’s hand, then Trey’s. “If she could kill me—just take me out—she would have. She needs me to do it myself, and not a chance there. I’m not saying she can’t hurt me, or any of us, but what we tossed around as a solid theory I see as a one-hundred-percent-solid fact now.”
“She said the same thing to you she said to Owen about you,” Trey pointed out. “No true Poole.”
“Because my father wasn’t chosen, because he became, and he was, a MacTavish. So am I. But that doesn’t change bloodline, or DNA.”
“She fears that,” Cleo added. “She fears you. If she didn’t before, I guarantee after your demonstration, she does now.”
“Makes her more dangerous. But then?” Trey lifted a hand to Sonya’s cheek. “So are you. A dangerous woman. People who are afraid, angry, lash out. Don’t leave your phone on the counter.”
Sonya picked it up, pushed it into the slash pocket of her yoga pants. “That’s a promise. But you can go to work knowing Cleo and I aren’t alone. We’ve got a whole tribe standing with us. And we stand with them.”
“Damn right we do. Son, we’re going to get those rings back.”
“Count on it. I just hope I can punch her in the face first.” She gave Trey’s hand a squeeze. “Go to work.”
When he hesitated, she let go of Cleo’s hand to take both of his. “I’m not just fine, I’m seriously gloating. Feels good. And if you postpone your meeting, it takes just a little shine off the win. You were there just at the right moment, and I know you will be again. That’s only one reason I love everything about you.”
“You’ll call if there’s trouble.”
“Solid promise. But I’m pretty sure we’re clear for a while. She pulled out a lot of stops, and she lost. She’ll need to regroup.”
Because he felt the same, it eased his mind.
“And I’m going to make a celebration dinner.”
He looked at Cleo. “I was going to suggest we take you out to celebrate.”
“Not tonight. Let’s just rub it in her face. The four of us,” Cleo said, “and all the rest of us, celebrating in-house. Hell, I might just bake a cake.”
“Talked me into it.” He leaned down to kiss Sonya again. “Dangerous women all around. I’m going to get some coffee to go and leave you to it.”
When he had, Sonya turned to Cleo. “It matters that he can do that.”
“It does. It matters he believes in you enough to trust you’ll handlewhat comes. Add that to the way he carried you downstairs, like you were so precious to him. Oh, my, my.
“Now, what the hell am I going to make for dinner?”
“Whatever it is, I’ll help. And, Cleo, I’m sorry about the early-for-you wake-up call.”
“I’m not. After the jolt, the rest just gave a lift to my day. Telling her she had to drug a man to get laid. I think that’s my favorite.”
“I really went off. Once I got started… I’m pretty sure I used thecword, and I don’t meancrazy. I hate that word, but I’m pretty sure I used it.”
“If the dildo fits.”
Sonya snorted out a surprised laugh. “Cleo.”
“Can’t let you get ahead of me on the crude scale. I think lasagna. And we’ve got some tomatoes ripe, so I’ll do something with them. And you know what? I’m going to try my hand at making Italian bread.”
“From flour?”
