and I got up, diving into the pool and starting my swim. Rogue headed inside and Mutt appeared with a yawn, jogging around her ankles as he looked for a tickle, but she didn’t seem to notice him there.
She disappeared out of sight and my chest knotted as I wondered if she was angry that I’d kissed her. It hadn’t exactly been a choice though, more of a fucking need written into my damn bones. I couldn’t have fought against it even if I had the strength of a titan. So maybe I was just over thinking things because for once me and Rogue seemed to be on the right track at last. And if I was lucky, everything was gonna work out for us like I’d always hoped.
I just had to prove I was the better option than Maverick - plus deal with that motherfucking distraction to her regardless - then once she realised I could be all she needed, there was nothing else that could possibly go wrong. And after ten years of suffering, I was ready to get started on our happily ever after.
I snatched my phone and jogged up to my room with Mutt scurrying around my heels, a soft whine escaping him as he looked up at me.
"I know, boy. I'm on it," I promised him, slipping into my bedroom and hitting dial on JJ's number.
I leaned back against the door, listening to it ring and ring and ring before the voicemail eventually cut in. I dialled again. And again. On the fourth try, the call cut off halfway through the second ring and when I tried again it went straight to voicemail. For fuck's sake.
I tossed my phone down at the foot of my bed then quickly stripped and changed into a shorts and crop top combo before tying my hair in a high ponytail and jamming JJ's pink sunglasses onto my face.
I kicked on a pair of white sneakers then snatched my phone, keys and the flick knife I now carried everywhere before hurrying back downstairs.
Fox was still swimming laps out in the pool and I chewed on my lip as I stood watching him for a few moments. In theory I had more freedom now. I could come and go when I wanted, but he also sent a platoon of Harlequin thugs to follow me wherever I went 'for backup' in case Shawn showed his face. Though I guessed there wasn't anything weird about me heading up to Afterlife, so I decided not to make any attempt to shake off the escorts for my trip. I had no desire to give Shawn any kind of chance to strike at me if I could avoid it.
I grabbed a notepad and quickly jotted down a message for Fox, telling him where I was going then snatched a can of Coca Cola from the fridge and headed for the garage.
It was as hot as a crab's left butt cheek today, so despite the puppy dog eyes Mutt shot my way, I told him to stay where he was in the aircon rather than bringing him out to bake with me. Then I jogged down into the garage, hopped into my red Jeep and headed onto the drive.
I had to give my entourage a couple of minutes to jump in their own cars. Unfortunately, the death glare I shot the guy who tried to climb in with me wasn’t enough to get him to leave me driving alone and Eddie just gave me a flat look as he reclined in the seat beside me.
“You know the rules,” he said with a shrug. “No point taking it up with me if you don’t like them. Talk to the boss.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I sighed, making a mental note to tell Fox I didn’t appreciate having a passenger in my car with me when I went out. Surely the entourage following me was enough. Though in all fairness, Eddie seemed nice. So I guessed I could have had a worse bodyguard.
As soon as the gates rattled open, I took off down the winding streets which hugged the cliffs before cutting a beeline to Afterlife.
JJ's orange Mustang was parked out front, half blocking the entrance to the place and I blew out a frustrated breath as I swung my own car around back and took a space in the crowded lot.
There was a show on today and it looked like there was a big turn out for it, but this conversation