"That's why Southwind worked," I agreed.
"Mhm. But she didn't change me. She didn't rein me in. That woman turned me loose, and Simmons is about to see what that means. No one touches Gran's house. No one fucks with her rainbow. I'm coming to help, and this one's all on me."
"There's a kid in the house," I reminded him.
"And three 'fags' who just got death threats," he reminded me.
"Four," I corrected. "Faith's best friend is gay. He's thirteen."
I heard Blaze breathing, and it was a little too hard. "Yeah, that's not ok," he finally said. "We're broken, but the next generation shouldn't be. That boy needs to know that it's ok to be whatever he is. Crazy, gay, timid, or anything else they say boys shouldn't be. We're gonna make sure he gets to grow up right. What's this kid's name?"
"Zeke," I told him. "He hasn't earned a color yet."
"But you think he will," Blaze realized. "You keep them safe, Violet. Gather them all together like a mother hen. I'll make sure their threats are dealt with."
"I think Ash is talking to Cobalt," I warned him.
"Even better," Blaze purred. "Just make sure you call Indigo. She's in Texas again, Vi. She has her own type of pull. I don't think she can help with this, but she might be able to help with that city problem."
"Then I'll call her next. When will I see you, Billy?"
"Soon," he promised. "Don't worry about me, Vi. We both know I work best in the shadows. Now breathe. We're going to make this ok."
Except it wouldn't be that easy. "Sounds like it's going to get worse first, right?"
"Yeah," he admitted. "But if anyone can deal with that, it's you. Get the door clean. Those boys don't need to keep looking at it. I'm packing."
Then he just hung up. I glanced at my screen to be sure, but the connection had ended. Still, there was something about hearing Billy so pissed that made me feel a little better. No, not good, but ratherjustified. The words before me were a threat to people I loved. I knew there was a chance I could be blowing this out of proportion. Instead, the most deadly man I knew agreed completely.
This was a death threat, and we couldn't ignore it. He'd handle the dirty work. I'd take care of the respectable stuff. Together, we would make this happen. That was why the rainbow worked so well. We each had a part to play, and together we made something beautiful.
So, pulling in a steadying breath, I opened my phone again and scrolled down. Finding what I wanted, I pressed the button to call and waited once again. It rang three times before a breathless voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Indigo, Violet," I said.
"I'm alone," she promised. "What's wrong, Violet?"
"Someone just vandalized Southwind, and I may have picked a fight bigger than I can win alone," I admitted. "Blaze said that you're in Texas again."
She huffed out a laugh. "How does he even know?! Ugh, that man. Yeah, I'm in Stephenville. Central Texas. Vi, I'm also not going anywhere."
"Is everything ok?" I asked.
"Pregnant," she said. "Look, it's a long story, and I knew the rainbow had enough to deal with, so I didn't want to add to it."
"Indi?" I was starting to get worried for her. "Hun, you know we're always here if you need it, right? Talk to me. Please?"
"It's fine," she promised. "It wasn't, but now it is. I promise I would've called if I had to. See, when Gran died, I was coming to that funeral. My now ex-boyfriend said no and things imploded. Um, it was getting bad, and fuck if I can't pick the worst creeps. You were a wreck, so the last thing I wanted to do was pile on. Still, um, I met someone."
"Ok?" That was a convoluted story.
"Well, he's who got me to Texas for the funeral. He's taken care of me since. That started back in March - and when I started puking, he didn't back off. Look, it works out. Um, the baby's due in about five more weeks, so I'm parked out with his mother."
"And where is he?" I asked, knowing the kind of guys she went for: the crappy ones.
"Riding bulls," she told me. "He's a pro, Vi. Rides with the PBR, is from Brazil, and he's amazing." She laughed softly. "This guy is actually a good one, and I love him. It's real this time, and I promise you don't need to worry about me. So, my story has a happy ending, but I'm about the size of a cow, my hips are shot, and I've got him on speed dial. There's no way I can get up there to help. My doctor won't let me travel."
