The quiet voice in my ear whispers, "B?"
Unmute.
"I'm here."
"Someone's knocking on my door."
I listen closer, trying to hear over the road noise. I can barely make out a man's voice.
"I think he thinks this is the bathroom," she whispers.
Fuck.
"Don't say anything. I'm ten minutes away."
Clover doesn't say anything else, but I know she's still there from her heavy breathing. I put my hand on my chest to ease the pressure building under my sternum.
Iris's hand reaches over the center console and rests on Bear's large forearm. "Babe, can you drive any faster?"
The car accelerates forward, thrusting me back into my seat.
"Make that five minutes," I tell Clover.
Six minutes later, we're pulling up in front of a duplex that's seen better days. Bear throws the car in park, and I practically tumble out of the car as I try to get out as fast as I can.
Bear's door opens slightly. "Do you want me to come in with you?"
"Yeah, I might need you to beat the shit out of someone for me."
He steps out but leans back into the car before closing the door. "You okay staying out here by yourself?"
"I'll be fine. Go!" Iris shoos him away, and he closes the door. Then I hear the faint click of the door locking.
"I think it's this one on the left."
Clover dropped a pin instead of sending the exact address, but the shadows of people milling about in the window and the loud bass sounding from inside give it away.
Bear and I walk up, side-by-side. He tries the front door, and it opens, so we walk in.
"Upstairs," I say before dragging him behind me.
As we ascend the stairs, my pulse starts to race even faster.
"I'm here. Which room are you in?"
She hesitates, trying to remember. "The back."
"Left or right?"
I try the one on the left, and it opens up to a bathroom.
"Hey!" I'm faced with a drunk guy standing over the sink with his cock in his hand. "It's occupied."
"Ew."
I turn and find that Bear's already tried the door on the right. "It's locked."
I step around him and knock. "Clover. It's B. Can you let us in?"
