Angel's Halo: Entangled Part 9

"When you're here that would be a good idea. When you aren't with me then you'd better f.u.c.king wear those freaking granny panties or something. Just for my peace of mind. Raider doesn't like granny panties." Willa snorted out another laugh, her fingers getting tripped up in my belt she was laughing so hard. "That isn't funny, Willa."

"Jealous?" She raised her head and lifted a brow at me. My growl was my answer and she grinned mischievously up at me. "Good. I want you to be jealous. Just don't kill anyone."

Suddenly my jeans were open and my d.i.c.k was being carefully pulled free. Willa muttered a curse as she lowered her eyes to my weeping c.o.c.k before falling to her knees in front of me. The damp heat of her mouth burned my pulsing d.i.c.k as she took me into her mouth, swallowing the tip the way I had taught her four years ago. She moaned, enjoying the taste of my desire. My b.a.l.l.s tightened and I knew that I wasn't going to last long if she kept that up.

I felt like a wild animal the way I was continuously growling around her, but I couldn't contain the growl of pleasure-filled pain that escaped me as I lifted her away. A loud pop filled the air as her mouth released my aching tip. I was mindless with my need for her, to be inside of her. I tossed her onto the bed and turned her onto her stomach.

Moans and whimpers echoed off the walls as I entered her in one long, rough thrust. "James!" she cried, and I was lost. Willa pushed up onto her knees giving me a deeper angle while she touched herself. She was on her own this round, because I couldn't stop and think about finis.h.i.+ng her off in my wild race to mark this woman as mine by pouring my seed into her.

The end snuck up on me faster than I was expecting and I shouted her name as my body tensed and I filled her up with my release. "James, please," Willa cried, so close to the edge but still so far away. I pulled free from her, turned her onto her back and entered her again just as quickly. She was wet with her own desire and my release, making the first stroke wet and scalding hot. My d.i.c.k was still rock hard although I had just about had a stroke from the power of my last o.r.g.a.s.m.

"You feel so good inside of me," Willa breathed, her nails digging into my biceps. "I don't want it to end, James. Please, don't let it end."

Her words stopped me mid thrust and I blinked as if seeing her for the first time since we had entered my apartment. What the h.e.l.l was I doing? Was I really f.u.c.king her brains out when I should be making love to this female? How was she ever going to understand that I loved her if all I was doing was f.u.c.king her?

Willa made a noise in protest, lifting her hips to urge me on. "James..."

Muttering a curse, I pulled free and fell onto the bed beside her, pulling her across my chest. Lifting her up by her hips, I filled her again with my throbbing c.o.c.k. Her eyes were slate gray now with a mixture of unquenchable desire and confusion. I swallowed hard. "I don't want it to end either, Willa. Ever."

She bit her lip, because there was no denying that I wasn't talking about the s.e.x. Everything I was feeling was s.h.i.+ning back at her in my eyes for her to see. For her to take or for her to tear apart. I didn't care which one right then, just as long as she knew what was going through my mind, what was filling my heart now and forever.

I held my breath as she just sat there, straddling my waist with my d.i.c.k deep inside of her tight little body. If she got up and left me hanging, I would understand, but I hoped to G.o.d that she didn't. I wasn't good enough for her, had never been good enough. Which was why even after I'd found out the truth I hadn't gone after Willa. But with her here, with her so close I could touch, there was no way I could keep my distance ever again.

Willa sat there for nearly two full minutes, deciding if she wanted what I wanted or not, before finally putting me out of my misery. She smiled and lowered her head until her lips covered mine. "Okay," was all she said before taking me on the ride of my life.

Willa I had a bad feeling I was going to get into a fight tonight.

It was Sat.u.r.day so the bar was overflowing with not only the MC members but also with ol' ladies and of course more than the usual sheep. The ol' ladies were starting to warm up to me, especially since I'd made it obvious over the last few weeks that I wasn't into their men. Spider had helped me out in that department too, showing openly that we were together by kissing me whenever he entered the bar-no matter what I was doing.

Helping with the ol' ladies had put me on the s.h.i.+t list of more than a few of the sheep though. I'd learned that Spider hadn't touched any of them in years, which had surprised me as well as secretly delighted me. That hadn't kept them from wanting his attention though. That he had officially claimed me as his had pushed some b.u.t.tons and the claws had been sharpened and were aimed at my back now.

For two weeks now I'd been subjected to b.i.t.c.hy cattiness from those s.k.a.n.k ho c.u.n.t monkeys. For two Sat.u.r.days, ever since Spider had come in one night and just kissed the breath out of me in front of everyone, I'd been subjected to taunts, supposedly accidental elbows to the stomach, and more than a few spilled drinks on me. Last Sat.u.r.day I'd even seen some s.l.u.t trying to work her charms on my man, only to be shot down quick and humiliatingly hard in front of her friends. That same sheep was causing trouble tonight and I was one b.i.t.c.hy comment away from tearing her hair out of her not-so-pretty head.

I stood behind the bar, trying to get my anger under control. Spider and Bash hadn't come in yet tonight, although I knew that Spider would be here any time now. He always came in when I was working and stayed until closing so that he could drive me home. In the two weeks since he had basically begged me with his eyes to make whatever was between us more than just s.e.x, he had been the most amazing boyfriend any girl could want. Which made holding the past up between us like a s.h.i.+eld around my heart hard as h.e.l.l.

A hand touched my arm and I flinched at the contact of callused fingers on my skin. I knew it wasn't Spider so I naturally s.h.i.+ed away from it, knowing he would be jealous if he saw some guy touching me. I might have told him that I wanted him to be jealous, but honestly I didn't want him to hurt like that because I knew how bad it could feel.

Raider's hand wrapped around my wrist and tugged me away from the bar a little so he could speak in my ear without having to shout over the loudness of the three ol' ladies and their men cutting it up. "You okay?"

I didn't look up at him but let my eyes go over his shoulder to the blonde with the fried out hair and washout face. Gla.s.sy, bloodshot blue eyes met mine and she glared at me like I had killed her puppy, or stolen her man. "Nothing I can't deal with myself," I a.s.sured him before turning away to grab a pitcher of draft and a bottle of Jameson. "I'm good."

"Don't do something that will get yourself hurt. Raven will kill us all," Raider called after me and I had to grin.

Raven had officially warmed up to me. We'd become pretty close in the last two weeks, and I was glad. I didn't want her to hate me, and I really didn't want her to continue to hold me against Bash. She'd calmed down about it, and Bash was looking happier every time I saw him. The only problem was that Raven's brothers and Spider were pressuring Bash to propose to Raven. I didn't understand why he didn't just do it because I knew he wanted that girl to have his last name more than anything in the world right now. Luckily, Raven didn't seem to mind that Bash hadn't put his ring on her finger yet.

With my tray loaded down with the big pitcher of beer and the biggest bottle of Jameson in the bar, I weaved my way through the crowded bar toward the back. Tanner and Matt were back there playing pool with a few college boys. They were hustling the two rich boys and making bank doing it. I wasn't sure what the two brothers did for a living. Bash worked at Uncle Jack's car and motorcycle garage, all of the Hannigans worked here, and Spider of course ran his uncle's tattoo shop. I knew that some of the MC worked outside of Creswell Springs, and even outside of Trinity County. I also knew better than to ask what exactly they did do that took them away from home. Tanner and Matt sometimes fell into that latter category and had just gotten back from wherever it was that they had been working.

Seeing me coming with the beer and whisky, Matt rubbed his hands together and grinned at the two men he and his brother had hustled tonight. "Pay the lady, boys."

The two college boys were handsome with rich-boy clothes and over gelled hair. They were huge though, with ink peeking out from under their designer polo s.h.i.+rts. They obviously had some huge b.a.l.l.s to have walked into Hannigans' tonight. But they would be leaving with empty pockets for the experience. One of them handed me a hundred dollar bill, told me to keep the change then tapped me on the a.s.s as I turned to walk away.

I couldn't contain the yelp that left my lips and I felt the air behind me tense. Next thing I knew Matt was on top of the college boy who had smacked my rear. "Don't you f.u.c.king touch her again, dips.h.i.+t. She is not club property. She's an ol' lady."

I didn't stick around to watch the show, but I would have to remember to thank Matt later. It was the first time I'd been called an ol' lady, and while I hated that label it still put a smile on my lips as I collected empties from various tables on the way back to the bar. The next hour pa.s.sed without incident and I was starting to relax a little.

Bash came in around ten. He was alone and looking hara.s.sed as he sat down at the bar. When I put a bottle of his favorite beer down in front of him he gave me a grim smile and a nod before swallowing half of it in one gulp. "Rough day?" I said. I wouldn't know how his day had been because I was basically living at Spider's apartment these days.

"I've had worse," he grumbled before chugging the rest of the beer. I nodded and placed another in front of him, chucking the other into the big trash bin behind me.

"Raven?" I asked, wondering what had the worried frown wrinkling his forehead so badly.

Bash shook his head. "No. Just club stuff. Thanks for the beers." He stood and glanced around. "Spider not here yet?"

I grimaced. "Not yet." I was starting to worry about him. He had told me that morning that he had a leg piece he needed to finish today and would be running late, but I'd expected him at least an hour ago, since the guy he had been working on had come in to show off the new ink.

Bash's eyes filled with lightning but he didn't say anything as he twisted his way through the crowd to the Original's booth in the back. I went back to work, but kept an eye on him, making sure he didn't need another beer or something stronger. Before I knew it another hour had pa.s.sed and there was still no sign of Spider. I pulled my cellphone out of my ap.r.o.n pocket and saw that he hadn't texted me. Not that I had expected him to. Spider was not technology friendly.

I hit connect on his name and listened to it ring half a dozen times before he finally picked up. "Hey," he said, sounding winded, and I frowned as the background noise started to make sense to me. There was music-sultry music-and a few catcalls and whistles.

"I was starting to worry about you. Everything okay?" I didn't want to be that girlfriend, the one who checked up on her boyfriend like she needed to make sure he wasn't doing something that would break her heart. Even if I did have plenty of reasons to think that, I still didn't want to be a nag... Or have my worst fears confirmed. Right now I was just concerned for him. He was normally at the bar by ten at the latest most nights. It was after eleven and I'd been worried that he might have wrecked his bike or something worse.

"Just had to take care of a few things, baby. I'll be over in a little while. As soon as I clean up the mess here." I heard someone calling his name in the background. A woman. He muttered a curse. "I have to go, Willa."

"Okay... Bye-" But he had already hung up before I could finish. Where had he been?

"Uh-oh," a nasal, sweet voice said from behind me and I turned around to find my self-appointed nemesis standing there with an evil grin on her face. I was positive that her mother hadn't named her Bubbles, because who the h.e.l.l would do that to their child? If she wanted a stupid nickname she should have went with something like Band-Aid because that was about as big as her waist was. Probably due to all the c.o.ke she snorted. The little vial around her neck was only half full compared to what it had been when she had first walked in the bar tonight. "Trouble in paradise? Three guesses where he is..." She held up her hand and wiggled three fingers. "But I'm sure I only need one."

I turned back around, ready to walk away from her before I really did punch her face in. It might actually make it more appealing if I rearranged some of her features, but I was above that. Or so I kept telling myself. Bubbles didn't take the hint and followed after me. "I would say he was at Angel's Halo p.u.s.s.y farm."

"Oh, you mean he went to your house?" I sneered at her over my shoulder, then bit my tongue as soon as it had left my mouth. s.h.i.+t. I hadn't meant to play her game. Now I had fallen right into her bony little hands.

"No way, baby doll. I might be a sheep, but I got standards. We stay at the compound or at our own houses. I'm talking about the actual wh.o.r.ehouse, or as they legally call it, their strip club. Things can get wild over there, because that is where all the college boys tend to head. The MC doesn't go there as often. It's Bash and Spider's shameful secret, since Bash's old man left it to him. Your man bought into it and has kept it up while our wonderful club pres. was off shacked up with you. If things get out of hand Spider gets called out there to take care of business... And then he takes care of business with Topaz."

I had meant to ignore everything that was spewing out of Bubbles' mouth. Instead my ears had opened up even more to hear her over the din of the crowded bar. So Spider was part owner of a sleazy strip club, I didn't care. How could I be judgmental about something like that when I'd known for years that my father had at least three actual bunny ranches in Vegas as well as a few strip clubs? They had been high-end clubs and ranches-with the amount of money left to me and Lexa by my father it had been a very lucrative business-and I had no idea what had happened to them after more than half The Red Dragons' MC was basically slaughtered by the feds.

What had my stomach suddenly in my throat and bile threatening to choke me was that very last part. Really just one word had cracked my chest open. Topaz. Sure there were plenty of strippers who used that as their stage name, but I knew deep down that it was the same Topaz from Vegas. The same stripper that had filled Spider's bed along with someone else the night my world had come crumbling down.

Instead of letting Bubbles know how much her words had affected me I turned my gaze on Bash. He had been looking down at his phone, frowning as he texted away. Something must have alerted him to my gaze. We'd become as close as siblings when we had bonded over learning to take care of Lexa. Having shared some frightening experiences such as a weeklong vigil in the hospital the first time Lexa had come into contact with peanut b.u.t.ter just days after her mother had died, had forced us to learn to love each other for the sake of that little girl. Bash had seen me at my best, which was when I had been with Spider the first time, and he had definitely seen me at my worst, when I had to bury my father.

The look on my face must have reflected everything that I was feeling inside. He stood and pushed his way toward me. Larger than life bikers stepped out of their club president's way as he hurried toward me. "Willa?"

"Is it the same Topaz?" I whispered it and I knew he couldn't hear me over the noise in the bar, but he must have been able to read my lips or maybe he just knew what my question was going to be. I saw the hesitation in his unusual blue eyes, the indecision on his G.o.d-like face and knew even before he nodded his head in the affirmative that the answer was yes.

"How..." My voice broke and I cleared my throat before starting again. "How long has she been in Creswell Springs?"

Bash grimaced and ran a hand over his face. For him, hurting me was like hurting Lexa and I knew he didn't want to say anything, but he also knew that I needed the answers. Obviously Spider hadn't planned on ever telling me. Regret at letting our relations.h.i.+p be more than just s.e.x was starting to make my heart twist and my gut churn. "She came to us looking for a job a few months after Lexa was born. Tasha had beaten her up pretty badly and your dad told her she would be safe with us. We offered her the job of managing Paradise City."

"Does Raven know you own a strip club?" Because I sure as h.e.l.l had never known that. In over a year of living with this man I thought we knew each other well, but now I realized I had probably barely cracked the ice around his outer sh.e.l.l. That made me kind of sad.

"She's always known. She does the books over there on Tuesdays." He sighed. "Look Willa, after your breakup with Spider the first time, he was in bad shape. It was a long time before he got his s.h.i.+t straight after you just left him. Some things came to light about that night that you really need to know about. So before you go off the deep end again, let him explain this time, okay?"

"Why the h.e.l.l is he over there now?" I demanded, trying to keep my anger in check. My entire body was one big ache right then. Last time had nearly killed me, but I'd had to push all of that down to take care of my dying mother. This time, if he shattered me, there would be nothing to keep me distracted from the pain.

"A bunch of the college kids that spend the summer at the frat houses were causing trouble. There was a fight that took all of the bouncers to deal with and while that was going on one of the girls was a.s.saulted in the back. Spider went to deal with the guy who hurt her." He bent his knees so that he was on my eye level a little more. I felt like he was talking to me like he talked to Lexa, trying to explain something that he didn't want to but that needed saying. "I want you to remember something though, okay?" He waited for me to nod before continuing. "Spider doesn't deal with females very well. He doesn't have soft spots for them. Not even his mother. There have only ever been two females that he's cared about. Raven is one of them. He would kill for her. It took me a little while but I realize that he has turned into another brother to her, and while their relations.h.i.+p still has the tendency to p.i.s.s me off, I'm glad she has him."

Bash reached for my hands and gave them a tight squeeze. People were shooting us curious stares but I didn't notice. All I could focus on was what Bash was saying. "The other female is you, Willa. You switch something on inside of Spider that makes him different, a good different. I knew it four years ago. I know it now. So just listen to him... Okay?"

As badly as I was hurting right then, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to make any promises. If I saw Spider just then I was going to scratch his eyes out. "I can't listen right now. I just want to be alone."

"Willa..." When he saw the tears s.h.i.+mmering in my eyes he muttered a curse. "Fine. You don't have to do it tonight. Take a few days to calm down. But that doesn't mean I can stop him from hunting you down, Willa. He's going to want to see you."

"If he can find me." I pulled my ap.r.o.n off and tossed it into his arms. "I'm going to drive up to Seattle." His eyes narrowed on me and I shrugged. "Stop worrying. I'll be back. Lexa is here. I can't go more than a few days without seeing that kid. I need to sign some papers anyway since the sale of the house is closing soon."

Bash followed me out of the bar. "Your birthday is next week. Raven wants to do something special for it."

"I'll be back before my birthday." I was turning twenty-two on Friday. I hadn't even thought about my birthday, but that Raven wanted to celebrate it made a tiny fraction of the pain that was making it hard to take a deep breath ease up.

Chapter 15.

Felicity A screaming baby was not something I was going to complain about. Three screaming babies, however, was something that had me gritting my teeth, but I soldiered through as I lifted six-week-old Jagger Armstrong from his crib and quickly made my way to the changing table to get him dry after his hour long nap.

I didn't know what I was thinking, promising to watch not only the two children that I was paid to, but also twins Luca and Lyric Thornton while Layla and Emmie took Lucy to her therapy session. I knew that Jesse and Nik would be home from the studio soon, so I would attempt to keep my sanity until then.

Normally watching Luca and Lyric wasn't a problem for me. They were adventurous, loveable little beasts and I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that they had been born way too early. Once I had Jagger dry I carried him into the play room where Mia was sitting in the middle of the fenced-in play circle with a squalling Luca pulling at the little girl's hair. Lyric was tugging and screaming baby talk at his brother, trying to get him to let her go. Luca was in a mood today, and it was days like this that I could see exactly whose personality each baby inherited from their parents.

Luca was completely his father made over even though both babies were identical in looks and favored Jesse Thorton even down to the eyes that changed as if they were the demons that the band was named for. Luca was aggressive at times, demanding, and rotten to the bone. But he was also loving, protective, and at times the sweetest little baby I'd ever come across. Lyric, or Ric as Emmie and some of the other family members tended to call him, was just like his mother, Layla. He was calm-mostly-and very caring even at his delicate age. Lyric was the peace keeper when his twin was rowdy. Of course if you got him angry, then there was nothing short of his mother's cuddles that would calm him down.

Mia grasped Luca's hand and tried to untangle her cousin's fingers from her long, auburn hair. Luca was fascinated with her and Emmie's hair. Any girl's hair really. I'd learned quickly, that if Luca was around, to keep my hair up in a knot on top of my head. "Luca, that hurts. Stop." Mia had tears in her eyes from the obvious pain Luca's tugging was causing her, but she was still gentle with the baby.

In the two months that I had been working for the Armstrongs I had discovered that Mia was a lot like her mother in just looks. She had her micromanaging ability, which was going to help her through the life she would have to deal with as the "Rock Stars' Princess Daughter," or so a tabloid had called her and Neveah Stevenson two weeks ago when they had published a picture of Nik and Mia out with Drake Stevenson and his adorable daughter. She was also sa.s.sy, took nothing off of any of the people who walked through her house and her mother's office. I'd seen her kick her Uncle Axton in the s.h.i.+n for teasing her, which had delighted her father so much that he had shot Diet c.o.ke out of his nose. Mia was a joy to take care of because she kept me entertained just as much as I entertained her and her baby brother.

I placed Jagger in the swing he loved so much before stepping over the fence that, for the most part, kept Luca out of trouble while he was visiting. Crouching down, I gently but firmly enough to show the baby that I meant business, unlocked his chubby fingers from around Mia's long hair. When she was free I saw that Luca had several strands still locked in his grip. Sighing, I stood with the little beast in my hands. Thankfully, with Mia now free, Lyric was calm and crawled onto her lap. He gave her a hug and started jabbering up a storm, pointing to Mia's head.

I gave Luca a stern frown as I stepped out of the fenced-in area. "That isn't nice, Luca. Don't do it again."

He glared back at me, as if telling me I wasn't his boss, huge tears rolling down his cute face. I leaned forward until my nose was touching his. "Your poor mommy is going to have a time with you if you are this obsessed with long, pretty hair when you get older."

I heard a deep chuckle and turned to find Jesse Thorton. The very scary and very s.e.xy drummer for Demon's Wings was leaning against the doorframe. Seeing his father, Luca let out a happy squeal and wiggled in my arms, making me have to tighten my hold around his thick body or risk dropping him. "I have a feeling you're right, Felicity." He stepped forward and took his oldest son from my arms. "Has he been rotten?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle." It was true. I could handle anything Luca or any of the other rocker babies threw my way. That didn't mean it didn't exhaust me. Some nights I climbed into bed dragging. I was thankful for those nights because I fell asleep quickly. They kept my mind from wandering and hating myself because I was too chicken to so much as make a few phone calls to the people who mattered to me the most.

Raven probably missed me, because I sure as h.e.l.l missed her. We'd never gone more than a few days away from each other our entire lives. I wondered how she was doing with Bash and how she was coping with Lexa and Willa living under the same roof. Before I'd left, Raven had been settling in with Lexa, but Willa was another story. I wondered how Hawk was and if he and Gracie were still friends. The other Hannigans always crossed my mind and even Matt and Tanner. Then I would think of Toby, my beloved dog, and if Lexa was having as much fun with that loveable beast as I used to.

Thinking of Toby always forced me to think of the one person I promised myself never to think about again. Jet had given me Toby as a 'just because' present. He had seen the dogs for sale on the side of the road and the person who had sold them hadn't realized that Toby and his siblings were expensive bullmastiffs, so he had gotten the beautiful dog for a hundred dollars when the man could have sold them for thousands.

Having had a crush on Jet all my teenaged years, then having that crush turn into love, had made me think that his giving me Toby was his way of telling me he cared about me too. So I had made sure he knew that I was open to any relations.h.i.+p he wanted to have with me. It had backfired in my face in the worst way. All Jet had ever seen me as was as Marcie Bolton's daughter. A club wh.o.r.e's b.a.s.t.a.r.d child was good for only one thing: becoming a club wh.o.r.e too.

That was how he had made me feel the few months we had been together. He'd told me I couldn't tell anyone about our relations.h.i.+p and I hadn't. Not even Raven, for fear that he would end everything. Stupid girl. I'd thought that keeping us a secret was just his way of keeping me safe from all the sheep who were practically obsessed with getting Jet Hannigan into bed with them. Jet rarely touched the sheep and that just made them want him all the more. When it had all came out I'd found out that he hadn't wanted anyone to know because he didn't want to share me with his MC brothers-yet.

He'd taken my virginity and my heart and made me feel like the wh.o.r.e I had always promised myself I would never become. Stupid girl that I had been had still loved him, even after I'd lost our baby. Even after all the ugliness. All the pain. I still loved Jet Hannigan, which meant that I would never be able to go home.

"Thanks for watching them." Jesse juggled Luca in one arm and pulled something from his back pocket. "Emmie said you asked for this. I got you two, just in case." He placed two cellphones in my hands. Burner phones.

I bit my lip and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Jesse."

"We really like you, Felicity. I hope you plan on staying around for a while." He gave me a grim smile. "You're good with all the kids... Especially Lucy."

My heart clenched at the thought of Lucy. She was the reason I needed the burner phone. She was the reason I was going to make a phone call that would tear my heart out with the need to go home. But after seeing for myself how much pain that little girl was still in, how much her nightmares still haunted not only her but her family, I knew that I had to do something. Not just for Lucy, but for Emmie and Jesse too. Emmie was having bad dreams too, and sometimes I found her just pacing through the house, unable to sleep because of what had happened. Her guilt, her own nightmares. She had confessed to me one night that she blamed herself for Lucy's experience and while I didn't think she should shoulder that burden, I could see exactly where she was coming from.

"If you need anything just let me know... Okay?"

I nodded and offered him another smile. Over the next few hours I helped Jesse get the twins home and then got Mia and Jagger fed and into bed. Emmie came home, looking exhausted. Lucy's therapist had requested that Emmie start attending some of the girl's sessions, to help them both work through the night Lucy had been kidnapped. It wasn't helping Emmie much, if anything it gave her more and more sleepless nights.

She barely gave me a glance as she thanked me for working so hard and climbed the stairs to go to bed. Nik was already up there waiting on her, as he usually was after one of these sessions. Tomorrow they would both be quiet and walking around with their own demons clouding their minds. Thankfully tomorrow was Sunday and there would be no going in to the studio, because Nik wouldn't have gone anyway. Emmie would need him close, just to feel safe-even if she wouldn't admit it out loud.

I waited until the door was closed behind her before picking up one of the burner phones and stepping out onto the patio. My heart was racing and I felt all kinds of choked up as I walked to the beach and sat down on the damp sand. My gaze was on the waves as I hit the number I had already programed in. I spent my sleepless nights out here, just letting the waves wash over my feet as if they would wash away my memories...

It rang five times before someone picked up. The number had come up unlisted, untraceable. I knew he wouldn't answer immediately, but he was used to burner phones and knew that it would be important. "What?"

I bit my lip as it started to tremble. Hawk's voice pounded over me, making me ache for home. For Raven. For Jet. "H-hey..."

There was a long pause on the other end as if he was having trouble believing his ears. "Flick?"

The sound of that name made me flinch. Not many people in my new life called me Flick. They knew me as Felicity, even if Emmie did know most of my life up until now from the background check she had done on me. The woman had been like the CIA when it came to finding out everything about the person who would be taking care of her children.

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, I don't have much time..." Because I will start telling you where I am and asking you to come get me. To take me back to that life I had walked away from. "But I need a favor. It's a big favor."

There was another pause, then he cursed and I knew he wouldn't let me down. "Anything, Flick. Just name it."

"I need you to go see Jet. To ask him to do something for me."

"Flick..."

"It's important, Hawk. He owes me." I didn't want to play that card, but I would. This was too big, too important for it not to be used if I had to.

Hawk blew out a long, frustrated sigh. "What do I need to ask him?"