Page 40 of Haven

“Cinder, we can’t do this without telling her.” Cin looked ready to tear into me. “She needs to know!” I barked. Not telling Rory would cause more harm than good, not to mention that it would put a bigger strain on their relationship. “If she finds out that you knew and didn’t tell her, she will be furious. She deserves to know.”

My friend’s face softened slightly, and that’s when I saw the fear in her eyes. She didn’t let certain emotions show, but right then, they were seeping through the cracks. “I can’t lose her. Not again.”

I pulled Cinder into my arms. This was enough to make the strongest person shatter. The pictures alone showed what happened to her, not to mention the video Vesper received. She never broke in front of people, but the people in this room weren’t strangers. We knew everything that had happened with their mother and how she felt when she couldn’t find Rory.

“Something happened last night,” I started, knowing Rory would hate me for this. “She called me because she was scared. Someone was at her shop and left her flowers.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“She didn’t tell me until I was there, and when I got back to the clubhouse, you were asleep. I was going to tell you today, but this happened.”

Cinder looked at Melisa. “Do you have any footage or activity with strangers in town?”

“No. This is the first report of anything, but I will keep looking. Do you have anything for me?” Melisa asked.

“Not now. We all know Jude Booker is dead, but this person has detailed information and videos of Rory, so he must’ve had a partner no one knew about.”

Cinder tensed. “I’ll get in touch with the detective from Nevada. Until then, I guess we’ll get back to the clubhouse and tell Rory.”

Rory was in danger, and it was our job to protect her.

Thirty-Three

Vesper

This was going to be a disaster.

Tension radiated through the entire clubhouse. It was palpable, the pulse felt in the room. I volunteered to wake Rory and have her meet everyone in the war room—a place we only used to plan attacks on our enemies. The last time we gathered here was when Axel killed Diesel.

I knocked on Rory’s door, but figuring she was still asleep, slowly opened the door. She was sprawled out in bed with only a tank top on, a blanket barely covering her legs. There were hickeys and bruises on her pale skin. My jaw tensed enough to ache, and my chest felt crowded as if something ugly coiled in my chest. I wanted to paint my own marks on her skin, but she wasn’t mine to love. Even if we both wanted it. I pushed the immoral thoughts to myself as I sat on the edge of her bed.

“Mariposa,” I whispered, shaking her arm. “I need you to wake up, babe.”

“No,” she grunted, turning away from me.

I grabbed her arm and pushed her on her back. “Come on, gorgeous.” I hovered my face over her, and of course the little minx took that as an invitation to wrap her arms around my neck and steal a kiss from my lips. Should've known she would try something like that on me, but she caught me by surprise, which was why I leaned into the kiss without thinking. Or so I tried to convince myself. When I pulled back, she was smirking up at me. Devious.

“A kiss to wake up your mariposa,” she said with a husky, sleep-filled voice. I had just gotten played. “Now, why are you in my room at the asscrack of dawn, if it isn’t to make out with me or fuck me?”

“You got a dirty mouth on you, mariposa.”

“Wouldn't you like to know.”

“Come on, get dressed. We gotta talk. Cin and Widow are waiting for us in the war room.”

She kicked the rest of the blankets off her and stood up. I got a better view of the marks left on her body, and most of them were fading and older. She looked like she had had one hell of a night. Not that I was jealous or anything.

Rory smirked at me as she stood up and walked to her closet. What a little tease. It was hard to stay away from her, but I knew what Cinder would do. I’d rather have her in my life, tormenting me, than not having her at all. Right now, I needed her to focus instead of messing around though.

She looked at me and frowned. “Am I getting punished or something? You aren’t acting like yourself. Are you okay?”

“I need you to get dressed, mariposa.”

She grabbed a pair of her black armored leggings and a pink crop top. “What did I do?” Her voice cracked slightly, and I could see panic wash over her face. She was on the verge of a panic attack.

“Rory, it’s okay. You’re not in trouble. I need you to breathe.”

“What is it, Vesper?”