Chapter 39
Olivia
“Rose.”
Panting, I held my blow, forcing Everett to stop his swing inches from my face, cursing under his breath.
I gave him a smile as I pushed my hair back. “I trusted you.”
He flexed his hand around the pole and straightened, panting himself. “Mistakes can be made, pup,” he said, his eyes flicking to my stomach and back.
I gave him a look before turning my attention to the man who called for me. “Yeah?”
We had been practicing more lately, Everett and I. Azrael said that there were plenty of rooms in the house to practice in, but we preferred the office where I could keep an eye on Az, and Scarlett’s heartbeat.
Despite his flat looks and the way he narrowed his eyes in annoyance, I knew that he didn’t mind us being there.
It was the same reason he had moved a table in here for us to work at if we needed, which is where the others were now.
Working, studying. Searching for clues and also keeping companies running.
Emily still had an actual job to do, and so did I, for that matter, but Kate expected my chapters to be late these days. She didn’t mind.
Azrael was grabbing his jacket, everyone watching him with quiet determination, probably thinking that something had happened with Scarlett, that he had found something. “We’re going to The Beat. Watch the computer, cub”
I was excited to go, to do something, but The Beat? “Wouldn’t one of the men be a better option?”
“No,” he answered without looking back.
Havoc, Alaric, and Bishop had been gone recently. Bishop had been overseeing the University these last couple of weeks, Alaric the shop, and Havoc his business, whatever business it was that he ran outside of the bikes.
They were a secretive group, which I understood. Knowing that they were raised in the same place Azrael had only lived for a year, had my stomach turning. I couldn’t imagine what it would do to a kid growing up in a place like that.
I gave Everett a quick kiss and handed him the pole. “See you. Stay with Ev,” I told Lucy.
She growled and huffed but remained where she was.
“Olivia,” he called when I went to grab my jacket from the chair at the table.
I glanced back, Azrael probably already at the elevator.
His look was dark and serious, a silent warning, one I could understand well.
I gave him a nod and ran for the elevator.
I was actually shocked at how Everett was handling this.
Being who he was, I expected him to be overprotective, constantly watching, taking everything as a threat to our unborn child, but he still trusted me to handle my own.
To do the right thing and keep the baby safe.
I mean, I did have to have a talk with him.
I had to explain to him that he or she was as safe as they were ever going to be in my womb.
It was when they were out that things would get dicey.
Still, I saw the stress and tried to ease it when I could. I’d protect this child with my life. He understood that, but it didn’t ease his own instincts much.
I made it to the elevator just in time, sliding my hand in to keep the doors from closing.
Frowning, I stepped in. “Alright, I get it,” I stated, pulling my jacket on.
He didn’t reply, but while I understood the urgency, I would never leave Everett without kissing him goodbye. Never.
We rode down in silence and headed out, the air chilling. Winter was closing in, but I had my doubts Washington would see any snow, not unless we were pretty high up.
We took the car despite the decent weather and pulled into a spot in the back lot a little less than an hour later.
It was just before sunset, so it wasn’t too busy yet. A couple of girls on the poles, half a dozen men drinking and staring.
I looked around as we made our way to the other side along the back wall. I had yet to meet Vanessa, but by the way Azrael acted, she seemed reliable. He had already gone to her twice since Scarlett had been taken, this being the third. Just another piece of his life he had kept from us.
I didn’t blame him though. I never blamed him. Ever since I came out of that compound, I had always had a sort of understanding in how he ran things. After we found out about everything, everyone else finally understood it too.
He couldn’t risk it.
He couldn’t risk Malachi ever finding out.
He couldn’t risk anyone loyal to Malachi finding out about this life he lived, about his connections, free of their father’s corruption.
It was his only freedom, and now, it was the only open door we had left.
A secret little army, loyal to Azrael, that Malachi could never control.
I was glad for it, and I knew the others were too.
We turned down a narrow hall that led to many doorways covered in beads or silk. Halfway down the hall, there was a narrow staircase which we ascended to the second floor which had only one door.
Azrael knocked twice.
“Come in.”
He opened the door and stepped to the side, allowing me entry first.
I stepped in, and it was an effort not to react.
Rather, I kept my expression unreadable as Azrael shut the door behind me and joined my side.
Vanessa leaned back in her chair, her eyes shifting from Azrael to the man standing up from where he sat on the couch.
“Azrael,” he said in way of greeting.
“Beckett,” Azrael nodded.
Beckett Adler.
What the fuck was he doing here? Where had he been all these months? A few of us had assumed he was dead, that Azrael knew he was dead and just didn’t want to distract us, but this? I never expected this.
His eyes shifted to mine. “Olivia.”
“Beckett,” I greeted. Everett had told me all about the conversation he and Beckett had had. How he had tried to keep us apart. How he had warned Everett to walk away. Before, I had disliked him for those words. For judging me before he ever knew me, but now?
Now I understood. Beckett had known as long—maybe longer—than Azrael had. He had tried to protect us in the only way he knew how.
He looked a little thinner than the last time I had seen him.
He had grown out his facial hair a bit, had focused on training from the looks of it.
His muscles were a bit larger than I remembered.
From a completely objective point of view, he was actually incredibly attractive. I had never noticed that before.
Hmm.
“Where is Poppy?” Beckett asked, returning his attention to Azrael, and effectively pulling me from my whisper of a fantasy.
“Preoccupied.”
She had been spending a lot of time with Rae, Emily, and I.
Fighting, talking, venting her frustrations.
She had come a long way since Azrael said what he said, but I truly think she cared far more about Scarlett than she ever let on, which was fueling her need for distance.
Since day one, I think that had been the case.
It was crushing her, not doing anything.
I think that if we didn’t spend so much time occupying her mind, she might have done something as stupid as go to the church on her own.
Azrael, I knew, felt guilt about his comment, but neither were the kind to deal with it rationally. They’d work it out eventually, for now, I think it was better that they remain as they were.
Azrael turned to Vanessa. “Ready?”
She nodded and waved him ahead.
He pulled his phone out and hit a few buttons before tapping his screen once more.
Everything in the room went dark for several seconds before a deep red light flooded the room.
“Alright,” Vanessa started, sitting up, “let’s get this meeting started.”
I glanced over at Azrael in question.
“Can’t risk anyone overhearing,” he explained, heading for the couch.
I rose a brow and looked around the room as I followed after him. “Huh, that’s cool. Can Jack do that?”
“He could if he applied himself,” he replied easily.
I couldn’t help but smile, coming to a stop a few feet away from the couch as Azrael sat down on one side, Beckett taking his seat on the other.
Vanessa joined my side. “V.”
I took her outstretched hand. “Olivia.”
She gave me a warm smile. “You look hot, Oh-Live-ee-ah,” she said, enunciating every syllable. “If you’re ever looking for a job.”
My smile only widened. “Never danced on a pole before, but I have danced for my husband, and he sure appreciates it.”
She laughed. “I bet he does, linda.”
“Ah, obrigada,” I replied with a little hip swing. “You’re gorgeous too.”
She beamed, turning back to Azrael. “I like her. One of the Blackheart’s wives?”
“No,” he answered easily. “My other brother’s. The Blackheart’s are… noncommittal.”
She gave me a look. “So was he until he met his doll.” At the mention of Scarlett, her smile fell. “How is that princesa louca doing?” she asked, turning back to Azrael.
He watched her for a long time before his attention found his uncle. “He took Scarlett.”
~~~
When Azrael was done telling the story, Beckett was visibly upset, and so was Vanessa.
She clearly hadn’t been told the entire story either, which had me wondering how their relationship worked.
How many favors had he asked of her without paying out any in return, without giving any context as to why.
Azrael and the Blackheart brothers seemed to work only in favors. What had been the cost to him?
All in the name of finding Scarlett.
“So you’ve been in here asking where those boys have been because they took her?” Vanessa demanded only to curse under her breath in Portuguese.
My eyes flicked from her to Azrael. “Have you seen any of them since then?”
He shook his head and returned his attention to Beckett.
Beckett remained still, his eyes focused as he thought over everything Azrael had just revealed.
It was fascinating and off-putting watching Azrael work.
Fascinating in how controlled and calculated he was, in how he was able to shut away certain things, and off-putting in the same sense.
If it had been Everett who had been taken, if I knew Everett was getting raped, I didn’t think I could control myself.