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I didn’t bother to leave my name. Donovan would know.
Wrenching the door open, I threw myself into the hallway, ignoring the burly security guy as I ran like hell. I had to give Mark credit. Despite the damage I’d done, he staggered from the room in pursuit.
I emerged into the club, my gaze darting about for the closest exit. The rear alley exit was closer, and it prevented me from having to pass the table full of Archer goons. Knowing that Ruthless was in the alley made me feel better about leading Mark out there.
When Mark burst into the club behind me, he waved his arms about, shouting over the music to get the attention of his companions. I kept moving, not waiting around to see if they responded.
My pace slowed as I dodged people, narrowly avoiding a collision with a waitress carrying a tray laden with drinks. Finally, I burst through the exit into the alley, barreling straight into Ruthless.
“I’ve got a tail,” I said in a rush, sucking in air. “He’s probably bringing friends.”
“Tell me it’s worth it,” Ruthless demanded. When I held up the burner phone, he nodded, satisfied. “Get out of here. Let me handle it. Send Maddox my way. Go. Now.”
He gave me a gentle shove and pulled a handgun from inside his jacket. I hesitated for a split second, uncomfortable with leaving him alone. The glare he fired my way got me moving again. As much as I’d loved to challenge Ruthless, now was not the time.
I ran down the alley to the street and circled around to the front of the building. By the time I reached Maddox and Wolfe, I was out of breath. The two of them stood several feet apart, Wolfe leaning on his car while Maddox paced the sidewalk. Whatever they discussed came to a halt when I approached.
“Ruthless needs you to have his back,” I told Maddox, filling my lungs. “I tried to knock the guy out, but he came after me. There’s more of them.”
Maddox sprang into action. He moved quickly down the sidewalk, calling back to Wolfe. “Get Maven out of here. Leave this to us.”
He was gone before Wolfe or I could reply. Ace jogged up from the opposite direction, having come from the front of the building. A shot rang out in the distance, making me flinch.
“What happened in there?” Ace asked, glancing back toward the club. “I saw you go in the back with Archer’s man but never saw you come out. When their table all rushed out at once, I knew something was up.”
Wolfe opened the passenger door of his Mustang, ushering me inside. “Speedy getaway now. Talk later.”
Ace squeezed into the back while Wolfe rounded the car to the driver’s side. We were already in motion and accelerating quickly past the strip club when a few of Archer’s men spilled out the front door.
“Did you get your hands on his phone?” Wolfe expertly maneuvered the car through the city streets.
Holding up my prize, I flipped the phone open. No password. Easy access. Mark was cocky and sloppy. “Sure did.”
As I opened the text messages and scrolled through, my smile grew. There was more than enough information for us to fuck up some important business for Archer. I could hardly wait.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
MAVEN
“Is it cool if we head back to my house?” Wolfe asked when we stopped at a red light. “I can always take you back to Maddox’s place if you want. Or Rumer’s. Just let me know.”
He tried to be casual about it, but I knew he really wanted some time with me. I wanted that too. Wolfe and Ace meant just as much to me as Maddox and Ruthless. I didn’t want to rob us of the chance to catch up.
“Take me home with you, Wolfie. I’m all yours tonight.” Catching his eye, I winked. The way his face lit up brought me joy.
Ace piped up from the backseat. “Is this a slumber party now? Am I invited?”
I turned in my seat to meet his flirtatious gaze. The mischievous glint in his sky blue eyes carried a hint of sensuality. It had never taken much for Ace to make me melt.
“Of course. A slumber party sounds good to me.” I pursed my lips, tilting my head to once side. “Do you two not live together?”
“No, I have a place a few blocks from Wolfe’s house. It’s not as big and swanky as his, but it does the job. We figured that we’d drive each other crazy if we tried to share a space.” Ace shrugged and leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms out on either side of him.
I frowned, somehow surprised by that. “I remember when we all thought we’d live together, the five of us.”
“Yeah, I guess that changed when you left. The four of us would kill each other without you there to keep us in line.” Ace started to laugh, saw the crestfallen expression that stole over my face, and reined it in. “I’m sorry, Mave. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”
I shook my head, dismissing his concern. “Don’t worry about it. Really. It’s all good.”
