“Then call them and tell them I want to stay here.” He grabs my hand and makes it all sound so simple.
“I wish it worked like that, but it’s not our decision. Child servic?—”
“They suck...Why can’t I speak to ’em and let ’em know where I wanna be?” The way his confidence has grown makes me smile. When Raze first found Leo in the lifeguard tower, he could barely make eye contact, let alone talk, and put up a fight.
I almost jump out of my skin again when the thunder cracks; the door flies open, and Wrath stands in the pounding rain looking furious.
“Leo?” His whole demeanour changes the second he notices that Leo is here with me.
“What ya doin’ here, kid?” He comes straight toward the sofa and crouches to his knees.
“I ran away,” Leo says proudly, sliding the blanket off his shoulders and puffing out his chest. Wrath looks at me, and I shake my head to let him know I’m just as surprised to see him here as he is.
“Stay right there,” I tell Leo, dragging Wrath out of earshot so I can talk to him.
“I know I need to call –”
“Right now, you both need to come with me,” he interrupts sternly.
“Wrath, I told Ed–”
“Peyton…My girl is up at that clubhouse crying her heart out because she’s worried about you being here alone, and nowhe’shere with ya, too. You have to stop all this bull shit. Put that damn bird in his cage because you’re coming with me.”
“Wra–”
“Don’t make me have to drag ya both outta here under my arms, because believe me when I tell ya, Peyton, I will.” I hear another caw come from Reggie, and when I turn my head, seeing that Leo already has him in the cage, I smile.
“Wrath is right, we should go with him.” He holds out his hand to mine, and I smile, nodding my head, before I glare fiercely at Wrath, barging past him and making my way toward the clubhouse.
“You sure you’re gonna be comfy here?” Vike finishes making up the cot bed in the corner of the clubhouse meeting room, while I try to stretch out my spine. I’m starting to feel crushed from the inside, and although I know damn well I’m not gonna be comfortable on that cot, I smile and nod. “Maybe we should have stayed at home. I know we have a generator here, but–”
“There is no way I’m missing out on Rory’s first storm night,” I tell him. I look past the doors into the barroom where everyone is gathered.
“Saul used to love it, didn’t he?” Vike steps up behind me and kisses my neck. He would have loved to be here, seeing his little boy weaving in between everyone's legs.
“I wish he were here.” Tears prick my eyes.
“Come on, let's go see what's left to eat.” Vike slips his hand into mine and leads me into the barroom to join the others. I smile at Greaser when I pass the table he’s sitting at with his mom and Anita, and although I only get a half-hearted one back in response, I’m grateful for it.
“Peyton!” Eden sounds relieved when the back door opens, and Wrath walks in carrying Leo in one arm and Reggie’s cage in the other. “I’m so glad you came, and Leo, you're here too.” She looks at the boy, then at me suspiciously.
“Your husband didn’t give me a lot of choice,” Peyton tells her, taking Reggie's cage from Wrath and placing him on the table.
“Why don’t you go see what food Polly’s got left in the kitchen?” Wrath places the kid on the floor, and when he zooms off, all of us look to Peyton for an explanation.
“He ran away from his foster home…and yes, I’m going to call child services.” She takes her cell out of her pocket and marches toward Raze’s office.
“I’m worried that she’s not coping,” Millie says, as we watch Peyton through the window. She’s staring at her phone, sliding her hand over her face like she’s debating whether she should actually make that call.
“I’ll go speak to her, she has to?—”
“She’ll do the right thing.” Wrath pulls Eden back when she starts to move forward. “It’s just hard for her to do it again. Eden, I got her here, now will you please stop worrying?”
“My brother could be out there injured or dead, Wrath, so right now, no, I can’t!” Eden snaps before moving to sit in the corner beside Freya.
“I can’t seem to do a thing right these days.” He shakes his head at Vike, then storms off toward the bar, and I grip Vike's arm when I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my abdomen.
“You okay?” Vike instantly looks worried.
