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“You bet on me,” Ava Jade said, not a question, but it was clear she was surprised.
“You really think I’d bet against one of my own?”
AJ flinched at that but said nothing, her cut-glass eyes falling to cut the cement floor instead of our father.
Diesel pocketed the bills, and I moved the ice pack to Ava Jade’s other thigh.
“Don’t tell me you boys didn’t bet on your girl?”
“’Course we did,” Corvus said, patting his breast pocket. A tiny smirk tugged at the edge of AJ’s mouth.
Diesel nodded and drew out his phone, the skin between his brows creasing. He turned the phone to us, displaying the time. “Time’s officially up for the Aces,” he said, digging in his front jacket pocket for a cigar. He patted his jeans pockets, frowning.
“Dies,” Rook said and flipped him a lighter.
Dies caught it, a little off balance from his injury, and lit the cigar, blowing a cloud of sweet smelling gray smoke into the room.
“What’s the plan?” Corvus asked.
“We’ll meet at the warehouse to go over the plan. I’m going to need some time to round up the others and our new friends. You boys go ahead and open ’er up, but watch your asses. I’ll be sending Axel, Pinkie, and Crowley right after you in case you run into trouble.”
We all nodded and Diesel set his sights on Ava Jade. “Good fight,” he said. “Wish it could’ve gone to a third round, but… I’m impressed.”
She squinted at him, maybe trying to judge if he were fucking with her. He wasn’t, but she needed to figure that out for herself. Our father gave credit where it was due. Usually.
Diesel’s gaze snagged on Corvus before he spun to leave. He lifted a hand in the air making a circular motion. “Get a move on, boys, I want the Aces folded by this time tomorrow.”
Ava Jade sighed.
“We can take you back to the nest on the way,” I offered. “You should rest.”
Her face scrunched up at that and she looked at me like I had shit on my fucking face. “Fuck no. Your pops would love that.”
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks,” Corvus said, and I wished he would take his own advice.
But despite our protests AJ was still shaking her head. “I’m fine,” she all but growled. “I’m coming with you.”
She pushed my hands away and dropped the ice pack from her head to the bench, pushing to her feet to grab the clothes she came in, pulling them on right over top of her sweat-dampened shorts and sports bra. Her fingers fumbled to buckle on her knife belt and attach it to the garter on her thigh.
I put a hand atop hers, and though she stared daggers at me, she let me finish buckling it up for her, shivering when I brushed my fingertips up her thigh. I grinned at her, and she looked knowingly down at me.
“You are a fucking queen, you know that, right?” I found myself saying, wrapping my hands around her waist as I stood.
“About time you noticed,” she said, her voice laced with heavy sarcasm.
I pushed her hair away from her face and bent my head down to kiss the top of hers, smelling her cheap shampoo. I’d come to love that smell.
Corvus cleared his throat, and I pulled away.
“We should get moving,” Corv said. “We’re the only ones with the code to get in, and if Pinkie and the others get there before us they’re going to be pissed it isn’t open yet.”
Ava Jade nodded, doing her best to hide a slight limp as she walked up to Corvus and he fell into step beside her, an arm reflexively going up behind her, palm hovering protectively over her lower back without actually touching her.
“There you are,” the guy from earlier, Drake, said, lifting his glass to Ava Jade. “Nicely done up there.”
She tipped her head in thanks. I didn’t like the way she smiled at him.
“Back up, man,” I barked. “We have places to be.”
