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It seemed crazy, considering I’d been a solid and confirmed lifelong bachelor up until she’d walked back into my life.
“I’m heading out too,” I said, the pull to return to Laila an unmistakable need.
“You need us for anything?” Voodoo called out to Blade, who shook his head.
“I’m good,” he said.
“I’ll stay just in case,” Squirrel said, and I chuckled. Like I said, he was a close second to Blade sometimes.
Venom led the way, and the four of us climbed the stairs, securing the doors as we went.
“As soon as we have a location, we’ll go in for the girl Laila’s been looking for. I just can’t risk my brothers and their families by spreading us thin to check all the islands. I know I could likely get some backup from some of the chapters down that way, but I’d prefer to make the extraction as quick as possible, leaving little to no ripples in the mission’s wake. Then we follow through with the rest of the plan.” Venom sounded weary, and I knew the mantle of president tended to weigh heavy on him at times.
“Sounds good. We might not bring down the entire trafficking ring, but we’ll sure as hell cut off a leg to the monster,” Voodoo said. We all nodded.
Venom and Voodoo were heading home. They got on their bikes and rode off with a wave. Phoenix and I traipsed across the field to the clubhouse.
“Did I hear Voodoo say his grandmother was coming up for a visit again?” Phoenix asked me as we approached the side door.
“Yeah. She’s missing Julia, Parker, and Voodoo,” I said with a grin.
“Why doesn’t she just move up here?” he asked with a confused frown.
A chuckle escaped me. “She won’t leave the swamps—or Yeti.” Yeti was Voodoo’s grandfather, who was one of the original members of the New Orleans chapter. Though Madame Laveaux never married him and they didn’t live together, they had a long-standing love.
We went inside and found the clubhouse empty except for a prospect leaning over the bar watching the TV. He quickly stood upright when he saw us come in.
“Anything I can get you from the bar?” he asked. He was older than the young guys we usually brought in, probably closer to my age, but had been in a support club for years before deciding to move up.
“I’ll take a beer,” I said, planning to take it with me to the room. “Make that two.”
“Shot of Fireball,” Phoenix replied. When the prospect set it down, Phoenix touched the edge of the glass, sending flames dancing around the rim before they moved to the surface of the liquor. Then he lifted it to his lips and tossed it back. When he set the glass down, the flames still danced on the rim, and he held out a finger. The flame jumped to his fingertip like a pet. He watched it briefly, then closed the finger in his fist.
I grabbed the necks of both beers in one hand and slapped Phoenix on the shoulder, pulling his attention from his still-clenched fist. He gave me a chin lift and I walked off. When I turned down the hall to my room, I saw Facet with Willow caged between his hands. They were outside his open doorway, and he looked pissed. She darted doe eyes my way before she ducked under his arm and practically sprinted past me.
Brow raised, I gazed at him. “Everything okay?”
He appeared chagrined and ducked his head as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he looked at me, and the prior chaotic emotions on his face were erased. “Yeah, just trying to keep Willow out of trouble.”
“Anything I should know?”
“Nah,” he assured me.
Wordless, I stared for a moment, then asked, “You sure?”
“It’s all good. Blade get anything yet?”
Nice deflection.
“No, but Voodoo seems to think he will soon.”
He nodded, then moved past me to go back in his room.
When I entered the room I was sharing with Laila, I found her sitting at the laptop chatting with someone, her fingers flying over the keyboard. I set one of the beers next to her, and she looked up at me and smiled.
She pulled an earbud out. “Thank you.”
“Whatcha workin’ on?” I motioned my head toward the dark screen with the old-school-looking black-and-white conversation that told me she wasn’t on a typical website.
