“I’ll be back,” I said when she remained silent.
Walking back to York and Ojai, I found them frowning at me. York’s dark hair was cut short, and his beard kept tidy. His scarred face gave him a rough look, but he wasn’t a hothead. The guy always kept his cool.
Ojai was a pretty guy with long blond hair and shiny blue eyes. The chicks drooled over him. He loved art, from painting to tattoos. People often viewed him as a soft person, but he was one of the first to throw a punch in any fight.
“Why are you here?” I asked when the men only frowned at me.
“Someone set a fire near the hotel where the Crimson Guard chicks are holed up,” Ojai explained as York frowned at me. “We don’t know if it was related to them. When you didn’t respond to our texts, we came over.”
“I was sleeping,” I said, feeling ridiculous for showing weakness. When the men stared at me as if confused, I stated the obvious, “Elle Reed was also sleeping.”
Though the men nodded in unison, they still looked confused. I didn’t blame them. I had a policy of no women in my place.
“Tell me about the fire.”
“Might be insurance shit,” York said, finding his voice. “Or a kid looking to start trouble. Stamp couldn’t get a read on it,” York explained, mentioning one of the few original Black Rainbow members to stick with new management. “He’s checked into the hotel with his old lady. Their boys are staying there, too. We figured you’d want a decent amount of protection for Pax Reed’s daughter.”
Nodding, I liked how York had a sense for the big picture. A single Crimson Guard member getting fucked up in our territory was bad for the alliance. A member of the Reed family getting fucked up might be the end of the alliance. Clint was a man who put family first.
When the Black Rainbow saved Lula Reed from her abductors, our value went way up in Clint’s eyes. If we failed to protect his sister or cousin, he’d drop us fast.
“It’s likely not the Void,” I said and rubbed my tired eyes. “But you were smart to worry they might be making a move.”
Ojai replied, “The local fucks they normally hire aren’t always solid. We figured it might have been meant to hit the hotel.”
“I’m sure you’ve put an alert out to everyone.”
“Yeah,” York said. “We also messaged Exile, but he hasn’t responded.”
“Doesn’t want to wake his lawyer, no doubt,” I muttered, ignoring how I put my phone on silent for Elle.
“Should we contact the Crimson Guard?”
I considered Elle in the next room. In my heart, I imagined her curled up in bed. My head knew better. I walked over and opened the door to find her dressed and texting on her phone. Her eyes widened at the sight of me, and she texted with great fury.
“I wasn’t snitching,” she said as I walked toward her. “I was asking my brother for sex advice.”
I took her phone and glanced down at what she’d last typed. Rolling my eyes, I muttered, “My cock isn’t too big for you to handle.”
“Well, the jury is still out on that,” she said and walked past me into the living room. “Hello, York and Ojai. How are you tonight? Are you here on a social call? I have to ask because I wasn’t snooping.”
“Really?” York muttered in a weird tone.
“Really, what?”
York gave me a strange look and then frowned at Elle.
Catching on, Elle shrugged. “What Zodiac lacks in social skills, he makes up for with hotness. I mean, look at this specimen,” Elle said, waving at my bare chest as I thumbed through her messages.
“Well, now that your brother knows we might have been attacked, we don’t need to inform him.”
“I’m a helpful broad. I don’t know what to tell you,” Elle said and swiped back her phone. “Did you boys need something to eat or drink? I could whip you up my chips and dip leftovers.”
“They’re leaving.”
“But they just got here,” Elle insisted. “When our club bros and foxes arrive for a late-night warning, we feed them.”
“Ma’am, we ate earlier,” Ojai said.
