Page 176 of Like Grim Death: Part One
“Watch yourself.” He growls the words, and I see his tattooed knuckles have blanched as he holds the duffel bag. I think about him beating Leon last night. Brooklin only knows we’re on the run, but she doesn’t know what her brother did to three bodies on this street only hours ago. She might take Mav’s warning more seriously if she did.
She smiles like a cat. “I think I’ve given you more than you deserve. I can say what the fuck I want. Besides, what more could you possibly do to me, Mayhem?”
I don’t know what she means by giving him more than he deserves. She avoids him as much as possible. Regardless, I don’t say anything and instead I sway with Rain in my arms as he starts to fuss, apparently bored with gripping my finger.
Neither of the Astors look my way.
I bring Rain over my shoulder, patting his back, and he quiets.
“You have to let this go, you know.” Mav has lost none of the growl in his words, but his voice is quieter. “We’re all here now.” He lifts his arms, the duffel bag too. “You’re home.”
Brooklin’s eyes narrow into blue slits and she leans forward, tightening her grip on her gray bag. “Don’t talk to me abouthome.”Her tone is vicious, getting up in Mav’s space. “And I don’t have to letshitgo, Maverick. You should be grateful I’m here at all. You should kneel for me, for the warning I gave you. You and your toy should be fuckingthankfulI tolerate either of you in any way.”
Warning?I don’t ask though. Not right now.
Maverick steps closer, and Brooklin tilts her head back to take him in. She’s not short, but he’s still taller than her. “Don’t talk about her like that. She can ride with us.”
I tense, because Sid will not like that, but I don’t say anything. Brooklin does it for me.
“I don’t think she wants to ride with you.” Brooklin’s smile returns. “You’re not very good at picking up on signals, but she’s been avoiding you all morning.She’ll ride with me.”Then she turns on her heel, ignores me completely and blows a kiss to Rain before her heels click on the steps.
“Sid is going to wanna drive.” I call over my shoulder as she darts to her Jeep.
As it unlocks and she pulls open the driver’s door, she shrugs one shoulder. “I’m just getting something from the front.” Then she climbs in and leans over, toward the glove compartment.
I bite the inside of my cheek, wondering what it is, kind of not wanting to know, but before I can think more about it, Mav speaks.
“I don’t know if I should let Ella near her.”
I slowly turn, still rubbing circles on Rain’s back. Mav is staring at his sister.
“You scared she can’t handle us? If she doesn’t survive the drive, she won’t last a night at Liber.”
His glacial gaze comes to me. “Yeah, and if you keep talking about her, you might not last another night either.” Then he walks past me, down the steps and toward my BMW. Pausing a second, he twists around to look over his shoulder at me. “I don’t feel comfortable with Rain and Sevryn together in the car. And he’s not sitting near my girl. Who the fuck is he riding with?”
I shrug, kissing Rain’s head. “He’ll be in my trunk.”
I merge onto the highway and stay in the slow lane as Cain’s Camaro roars past me in the right one. He lays on the horn as he goes by, and I see Ezra stick his tattooed middle finger up from the front window. But then Cain drops his speed as I pass him in confusion, only to see him cut over behind me, like he’s following me, just like Atlas and Sevryn are in the Range behind him. Atlas convinced Lucifer to let Sevryn ride with him instead of the fucking trunk of the BMW.
Rolling my eyes, I flick on my turn signal and with Cain on my ass, I get behind my husband’s BMW. Both of ours are blacked-out and I can’t see shit through his back window, but it feels good being behind him, and I like looking at his license plate.
Mortem.
Cryptic, just like him. He drives ten over, but carefully, like he should since he’s got Rain in his car. And Mayhem too, of course, but I feel he’s a lot like my husband. Indestructible. Rain is fragile though. Innocent. It overwhelms me sometimes, the way I feel about keeping him safe. What I’d do to make sure he stays that way. More than what I did last night, even.
Raindrops splatter on my windshield, just a few, and my stomach tightens, thinking of the long drive in a storm. Panic unfurls inside of my gut, traveling down to my legs and my ankles feel almost numb. I know it’s anxiety; since Rain was born, I’ve experienced enough of it to understand.
It doesn’t make the feeling go away though.
I tighten my grip on the wheel, feeling my fingers start to sweat, and I relish in the cool A/C blasting from the car fans. It’s October, but it’s North Carolina and hot enough I can get away with the coldness even in my ripped black shorts and oversized tank.
“Is it supposed to storm the whole way?” Brooklin asks from the passenger seat, chomping on her gum between words. She’s got her arms crossed and she’s slouched a little, looking every inch an incognito celebrity, flawless and beautiful.
Before I can respond, Ella does from the backseat, just behind Brooklin. “It’ll clear up in half an hour.” Her voice is low, and when I look in the rear view, I see she’s staring at the phone in her hand. Probably checking the weather, but who fucking knows with her. After last night, maybe we should’ve made some peace, being on the same team, and seeing all the ways Mav would go to bat for her, but we haven’t yet. I do feel a little guilty though about never responding to her texts. I just… I find it so hard to connect with her.
Her red hair is pulled up in a messy bun, tendrils around her freckled face, and she’s got on black jeans, a white tank, and red boots.
I dart my eyes to the road, following Lucifer through a curve in the highway. Traffic is light and I’m grateful. I’m not fond of driving on interstates, and I already feel weird with the other girls. I don’t even know how we ended up together, but I think the boys wanted to protect us. And maybe Lucifer wanted me to enjoy the ride too, and that meant separating me from Rain, so I don’t become paranoid. I guess I wouldn’t want Ella riding with my husband and son without me, and Brooklin wouldn’t want to be stuffed into the Camaro with Cain and Ezra or ride with Atlas and Sevryn, but still.
