Chapter 26
Mia: Poppy’s Home Noir Valley
The roar of a cheer from the living room sends a shiver through me. It’s five days since Alex and I ran into Delaney. Five days since I gained my constant shadow. When I’m on the riverboat, and Alex is not about, he either leaves me in the casino or the saloon where one of the other bikers can watch. An honor usually given to Neat. I thought life on the riverboat was stifling before I met Delaney. Now I am a virtual prisoner. This morning, Alex begged me to give him his orgasm. My smile twists as I recall the frustrated look on his face, and only consented when he agreed to let me visit Poppy. The roar comes gain. My bodyguard is watching football while I drink beer in Poppy’s dining room. Neat, who is on an errand today, has temporarily been replaced by Cole. It amazes me how easily he has fallen into the life of the River Demons. Especially as I thought he had more sense. But as I got to know him, his alpha traits often makes its appearance, especially when he is being bossy. Like Alex, he dominates a room with his presence.
“Alex trusts Cole with you?” Firebird asks.
I nod as I glance at the red head. “I think it’s more he trusts Cole not to let me slip out of his sight. He still hasn’t forgiven Copper for my escapade.”
“Yeah. Day called round later that day. Then proceeded to lecture me for meeting you,” said Poppy, and I roll my eyes at her.
“I don’t know. What I know about Delaney. He’s not a nice person.” Eve pops a cookie into her mouth, then takes a swallow of her beer.
My body shivers as I recall my meeting with Alex’s enemy. The way his eyes lingered on my body has bile rising in my throat. When Alex decked him to the ground. I could have cheered. I needed Alex in the alley and he freely let me do my thing. The slight smile lingering on my lips slips as I recall our return to Demon’s Liar. After forbidding me to go to New Orleans, and he disappeared to another one of his ever-ongoing meeting, I called in a favor from an old friend from college. I could have called Hank with my request, but I’m sure he would have turned me down, informing Alex I was snooping. In my research on Delaney, I never connected him to Jo-Leigh’s death. Jo-Leigh’s coroner’s report on her murder arrived in my inbox this morning. Although I only glanced through the report briefly, what I read, made unpleasant reading. Her death had not been swift, making me wonder if Delaney had been present.
“What do you know about him?” I ask.
Eve looks at me from over her bottle. Then glances towards the connecting door to the living room, where it has gone quiet, and her voice softens. “He comes from money and was always in trouble as a teenager. That was how he managed to get caught up in the business he’s in now.” Eve takes another swallow of her beer. “And he didn’t get to the top by being nice.” Her chuckle sends a shiver through my spine, “He makes our boys look like angels.”
“He turned my flesh cold when we met him.” I take a swallow of my own beer. “And I don’t think it had anything to do with Alex. It was there in his eyes.” I scratch the back of my neck. “Shit, I’ve had men strip me with just a glance. And not once did they leave me wanting to be sick. If I never see the man again. It’ll be too soon.” My smile is one of self-mockery as I shake my head. “To be fair. I don’t mind the bodyguard.” My gaze shifts to Poppy, and our eyes roll in mutual understanding. “Having lived with Data and Pond, I’m used to it. I just hope Delaney gets fed up with Noir Valley and leaves soon.”
Firebird taps her fingers against her bottle. Her amber gaze steady as she watches me. “I know he’s your brother. But I can’t help feeling Jono is behind this.”
My lips twist in a parody of a smile. “With a brother like Jono. You would hate to think what kind of enemies we have.”
“You have more friends than enemies. We’ll not let anything happen to you,” Poppy said.
I raise my bottle to her. “We’ll do the same for you. Poppy.”
“I know you will.”
“Anyone want another beer.” Firebird stands as we nod.
“This party is only just starting,” I said.
“He’s pretending to be asleep,” Firebird said.
“Who is?” I ask Firebird as she returns to the dining room.
“Cole.”
“He’s a nice guy. We need to fix him up with someone.”
“What about me.” Poppy grins as her eyebrow rises.
“I said he’s a nice guy. Don’t be pissing Day off just yet. He can only just tolerate Data.”
Poppy’s lips purse as she scowls towards the connecting door. “They need to understand it’s the twenty-first century and women can do what they want.”
“Underneath the uniform they wear. They really are Neanderthals,” I said.
Eve giggles. “Bastian’s moving into the twenty-first century.”
“He is coming around to you having the operation.” Firebird asked
Eve nods. “I think we’ve nearly exhausted every possibility from reconstruction to just leaving the scars alone once the flesh is healed.”
At twenty-seven Eve recently discovered she has the mutated breast cancer gene and has made the decision to have a double mastectomy. “That’s love, Eve.”
Eve’s smiled is tinged as she stares at
