Page 18 of Bourbon & Blood

The tone sounded, and I spoke, “Yeah, hi, Maya, it’s Lina. Where are you? Call me as soon as you can. The strangest thing has happened and I need to know you’re okay. Love you, girl. Bye.”

I ended the call and let out a breath and looked up and around. Nothing else seemed to be out of place in the apartment, other than the things I’d already noted.

I didn’t know what to do. I mean, calling the police seemed stupid. I wasn’t harmed except for the bump on my head. Yes, things had been stolen… but like, nothing ofvalue. My keys, phone, cards, identification, and even cash was all accounted for.

Besides, what would they do? Likely just take a report and leave. I didn’t like it, but what else could and would be done?

I checked the front door. It was locked at the knob already and I threw the deadbolt just to feel a little bit more secure. With nothing left to do, I waffled between more sleep and a shower.

With the amount of anxiousness and worry I was feeling, I opted for the shower first. Then once out, I called Dorian.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked sleepily and I scraped my bottom lip between my teeth.

“I don’t know,” I said, and I heard him sit up.

“Lina, what’s wrong?” he asked, and I sniffed.

“Uh, something really weird is happening. Maya had a date, and she’s not home and I don’t know… I’m, I’m scared.”

“I’m coming over,” he said, and relief flooded me. He took the phone away from his mouth and I heard him say, “Marcus, wake up. Something’s up over at Lina and Maya’s. We gotta go.”

He came back onto the line and told me to hang tight and that he would be here in fifteen. All I could do was warble a broken “thank you” into the phone. I didn’t know what was happening. All I knew was that any sense of security I had lay shattered around me and it was some kind of special agonizing that I didn’t knowwhy.

CHAPTERTEN

La Croix…

“What the hell you get up to last night?” Hex asked. “You look like you ain’t slept.”

“I didn’t,” I told him, adding, “And never you mind what I got up to.”

He raised an eyebrow at me and fixed me with a hard look. “You wanna come again?” he asked coolly and I had to give it to him – he was right. We’d agreed no secrets, but then again, every man had his secrets and my little Alina was mine. She was something that I kept closely guarded. The one thing I allowed myself. The one thing I called my own and would not share.

I grunted. “It’s nothin’ to do with the club,” I told him. “It’s personal.”

His other eyebrow joined the first, rocketing into his hairline.

“Personal? Outta you?” he spit. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“I miss something important?” I demanded.

“Naw, not overly so. Saint filled me in about your trip to Mamma Louie’s.”

I grunted and nodded. “She ain’t called yet.”

“You think she’s gonna?” he demanded, and I lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

“She don’t, it’s gon’ be a case of play stupid games win stupid prizes. I won’t let the insult to Louie or the club stand. Somebody’s gon’ pay. If it’s not her man, it’ll be her.”

Hex eyed me, his gaze guarded and neutral.

“You ain’t think Louie’s gonna have some feelin’s about that?” he asked carefully.

“We’re gon’ find out,” I said, and I jerked my head in the direction of the bikes.

“Visiting hour upon us?” he asked.

“I do believe it is,” I said, and he nodded.

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