I’ve gotta call Birdie and then I’ll be ready to go,” I say before walking outside to make the call.
Birdie answers on the second ring. “Hey, baby. I’m almost finished what I have to do, so I’m definitely ready for dinner. I was thinking we could go—”
Fuck, I hate to do this to her, especially when I can hear happiness in her voice. “Angel, I’m sorry, but something’s come up here. I don’t know when I’ll be home now.”
“Oh, okay. I understand.” She might understand, but the happiness I heard a moment ago is nowhere to be heard now.
“I’ll text you when I’m on my way home, but don’t wait up for me in case I’m late.”
“Okay.”
“I love you, Birdie, and I’m taking a raincheck on dinner.”
“I love you, too,” she says so damn softly I only just hear her. “Be safe.”
I stare at the phone after we end the call, wishing like fuck that shit didn’t keep coming up that causes me to be away from her. I’ve missed so many dinners and nights with her over the last four months that I can’t count them anymore. The fact I’m missing tonight, when it’s taken us this long to make the time to be together, pisses me off.
King joins me outside and we drive to Eloise’s place.
The street is dark due to half the streetlights being broken. Eloise’s place is also dark and I wonder if either she or Maddox are home. Eloise appears at the door after we knock, though, and I see Maddox in the hallway.
Scowling at us, she demands, “What the fuck do you want now? Don’t you think you’ve stirred up enough trouble for us already?”
King doesn’t give her an opportunity to refuse entry; he pushes the door all the way open and steps inside. “We need to talk.”
Her mouth opens wide, as do her eyes. “Just make yourself at home.”
“We’ve got shit going down with the club and we have reason to believe you and Maddox are in danger,” I say as I enter her house.
Slamming the door after us, she says, “Oh, this is exactly what I should have expected from your fucking club. What kind of danger?”
King turns to meet her gaze, his eyes dark. “The kind that could get you killed. Pack your shit because you’re coming with us until this is over.”
Eloise crosses her arms. “Over my dead body. I’m not going anywhere near your club.”
“Yeah, you are,” I say.
Maddox stares at me. “Where are you taking us?”
“To the clubhouse. You’ll be safe there,” I say.
“How do we know you’re not making this shit up?” Eloise says. “Your club doesn’t have a good track record of caring about anyone other than its members. Why the fuck would you care about us?”
King’s wild energy fills the room as he closes the distance between them. “You don’t know the first fucking thing about our club. If you did, you’d know we go out of our way to keep people we care about safe. And while I don’t really give a fuck about you, I give a fuck about a boy who was stolen from my clubhouse and robbed of the chance to know his family. So you will fucking pack your bag and do what the fuck we tell you to do, because if you don’t, I’ll carry you fucking kicking and screaming out of here.”
She blanches and suddenly has no more words for us.
“I’m going,” Maddox says before leaving us to go into what I’m guessing is his bedroom.
Eloise’s gaze snaps to Maddox’s room. “No, we’re not, Maddox. Get your ass back out here.” I don’t like the nastiness in her tone. No child deserves to be spoken to that way.
When Maddox doesn’t respond to her, she moves in the direction of his room.
I reach out and grab her arm to stop her. “Go pack your bag. You’ve got five minutes.”
She glares at me for a good minute before finally realising there’s no way this isn’t happening. “Fuck you,” she snaps and stalks into another of the rooms off the hall.
King comes to me. “This woman is gonna give us nothing but fucking headaches.”
I nod, knowing he’s right. The alternative, though, is one I won’t consider. King’s right: I give a fuck about a boy who grew up knowing only lies. Maddox deserves our care and our help. This is the fucking least we can do for him.
Eloise drags her packing time out until King loses his shit and forces her