Page 33 of Queen of Anarchy (Dirty Broken Savages 2)

“He’s going to be waiting by that stand all night, you know, hoping you come down to see him,” I tell her.

River just shrugs. “That’s not my problem. I said what I needed to say to get what I wanted. With no help from you, by the way.” She glances over at me with a teasing smirk. “It’s a good thing you’ve never had to charm your way out of anything. I don’t think people go for the blank stare so much.”

I just roll my eyes right back at her, but that’s the only response I give to her teasing. It used to annoy me how quick she was to tease, and her loud mouth. But now, those things don’t bother me so much anymore. It’s just a part of being around her. It soothes me, same as everything else about her.

“Just get in the car,” I tell her, motioning for her to go ahead of me as I look over my shoulder to make sure no one’s following us out of the hotel. We’re in the clear.

She gets in and the car starts up on the first try this time, so it’s easy enough to drive away, leaving the hotel in the distance as we head back toward the house.

The drive home is mostly quiet. River seems lost in her thoughts, staring at the road and sometimes dragging her bottom lip between her teeth. I just leave her to it, as content to sit in silence with her as I am to hear her talk.

As soon as we get back, Dog runs into the foyer, jumping around excitedly and barking with happiness to see us. He runs to River first, nudging at her hands with his head until she gives in and scratches him behind his soft brown ears. If a dog could look over the moon with happiness, then that’s how he looks.

Then he comes over to me and gives me the same treatment, practically head-butting me in his eagerness to get head pats. I can feel River’s eyes on me while I stoop down and pet the dog, but she doesn’t say anything, so neither do I.

She starts up the stairs a second later, probably planning to disappear into her room to go over the list. I have a wild thought about joining her—the two of us going over it together, trying to get to the bottom of this. It would be easily explained away as just trying to help because the situation is tense and dangerous. Gage would approve. Probably.

I hate the thought of River trying to go after these fuckers on her own. Some of them would sell her to the highest bidder as soon they got her in their clutches, and that thought makes a flare of protectiveness rise in my chest again.

Without even thinking about it, my footsteps follow River’s. I’m not sure if I’m planning to go to her room with her or head to my own room, but before we even make it halfway down the upstairs hall, a giggle interrupts my thoughts.

Ash’s door is cracked, and there’s no question about what’s going on inside his room. It’s a familiar sound in this house, Ash entertaining his… lady friends or whatever he chooses to call them.

I tune it out, intending to just walk past like I always do, but River stiffens in place.

---