“What do you mean?”
“I mean Ravens keep showing up and none of us know why. Sometimes they want whatever we came for, but mostly they’re just there to ‘help.’ ” She made air quotes around the word. “It’s been going on for like a year now.”
“Interesting.” Didi was quiet for a moment and Neecy allowed her eyes to close.
She almost fell back to sleep, when Didi’s next statement nearly had her falling out of bed again.
“I think it’s time for you to have a conversation with Yager about what’s going on.”
Neecy forced herself to remain her usual calm self outside, even though her insides screamed bloody murder. “Excuse me?”
“Did I start speaking in tongues? Exactly what part of that sentence did you not grasp?”
Was there anytime in their relationship when sarcasm didn’t play some part?
“Why should I talk to Yager? Isn’t he more your level politically?”
“That’s an inventive load of crap, Lawrence.”
Well, she was desperate.
“What I mean is that he’s leader of the Ravens. You’re leader of the Crows.
Shouldn’t you two be talking to each other, as opposed to getting me in the middle of it?”
Didi stared at her for a long moment and Neecy thought for sure she’d say something mighty profound. Instead, she shook her head. “Get the fuck over it, Lawrence. You need to start dealing with him.”
Frustrated but without any room to argue, “Fine. Just write down his office address for me. I’ll go there tomorrow after my morning class.”
“He doesn’t have an office. Well, he does, but it’s in his apartment.”
Neecy sat up so fast, Didi’s entire body reared back and almost fell off the chair.
“His apartment? Have you lost your goddamn mind?”
Neecy didn’t yell. She didn’t scream. She didn’t lose her temper. She didn’t do anything but hunt and destroy her prey. But lately, when it came to Yager she’d been feeling something she hadn’t felt in a very long time…rage.
And Didi’s shrewd ass didn’t miss a second of it. “Little tense aren’t ya, Neece?”
Neecy cleared her throat. “I mean…I’m not sure it’s a good idea to go to his apartment.”
“‘ Fraid you’ll fuck him right there in the hallway, Lawrence?”
“No!”
Didi smiled as Neecy dropped back on the bed.
“Then deal with it. I need you to step up to the plate a little, Neece.”
Didi had been looking tired lately, and Neecy didn’t relish the idea of being second in command for anyone else. Even Serena, who loved her but would most likely turn Neecy into a raging alcoholic.
Neecy nodded. “Fine. Whatever.”
“Now, now, Lawrence. Don’t blow me away with your enthusiasm.”
“Wakey, wakey, sunshines!”
Yager forced his eyes open, only to realize the heavy weight on his face was a foot. Tye’s specifically.
Never again would he drink with the Bama Crows. Those were some hardcore ladies.
Pushing Tye’s big foot off his face, he sat up and looked out over the living room floor of the Mountain Creek house—safe house and property of the Tri-‐state Ravens.
Thirty hung-‐over Ravens littered the floor. All except Mike. Molinski’s father was a raging alcoholic so Mike never touched the stuff. But he took great delight in making sure to remind those who did drink of all the stupid shit they did the night before.
“Morning, my brothers!” Mike cheerily announced. “Guess what I did.”
Uh-‐oh.
“Made breakfast! Eggs Benedict and bacon and hash browns and fried eggs…the runny kind…” Before he could even finish, three of the Ravens were up and running from the room heading for the bathrooms. Some of the others moaned and turned over or buried their heads into couch cushions.
“Stop it, Mike,” Yager ordered quietly.
“I’m just trying to feed my brothers.”
“You’re an asshole,” Tye muttered as he turned over.
“Bro, that’s harsh!”
Mike ducked as pillows and couch cushions flew at him.
Yager slowly shook his head. What an idiot. Of course, Mike didn’t drink at the party. And Yager? Well, Yager drank. A lot. He barely remembered the drunken flight home.
But it worked out in the end. He got to see Neecy move that gorgeous ass to music and spend time with the rest of the Gathering. Getting them on his side was half the battle as far as he was concerned. But apparently one he’d already won. As soon as Neecy bailed, five of the Crows dragged him off to a corner.
They plied him with liquor and then proceeded to talk about how amazing Neecy was, but also how stubborn.
Janelle probably put it best, “She’ll make your life a living hell. But trust me, in the end…it’ll be worth it.” Then she gave him her number and told him to use it if he had any problems. If a Valkyrie had done that, they would have been hitting on him. He knew better with the Crows. Their loyalty to each other was legendary among the Clans.
When he only smiled at Janelle’s pronouncement about Neecy being worth it—
cause that’s all he really heard—the other Crows seemed impressed. They wanted what was best for Neecy and, like him, they all thought Yager was best for Neecy.
Of course, now he only had to convince Neecy of that fact. But a more stubborn female he’d never met. Even if he couldn’t see the Viking in her blood merely from looking at her, it was obvious to Yager it was there. The woman could have been captain of her own war party. Oh, wait…she was.
Mike walked over to the big picture windows and threw the curtains back. The groans and blood oaths for his death were loud and vicious.
“Come on, guys! Look at this beautiful day! Let’s enjoy it!”
Yager dropped back to the floor. “Take him down, gentleman.”
Using his forearm to cover his eyes against the bright light, he smiled as he heard Mike tackled to the floor. He was willing to bet there were some brutal kicks thrown in for good measure, too.
Janelle MacKenna stared at her team leader across the breakfast table. “Are you nuts?”
Neecy gave her that “stare.” She learned it from Didi and she learned it well. But she had to be kidding. Right? Right?
“Look, Neece, ya can’t be serious.”
“Serious as a heart attack.”
“But that’s a really bad idea.”
“It wasn’t mine. But the decision’s a done deal. Not up for discussion. The next time we go out on a hunt, we’re bringing Arri.”
Arri was a cute little thing with constantly changing hair color and extremely quirky mannerisms. And she couldn’t fight a teacup poodle if her life depended on it.
Really, the girl was a mess.
“Is Skuld trying to get us killed?”
Neecy glared at Janelle over her orange juice glass. Unlike Janelle, Neecy didn’t question Skuld’s orders, which could be why she was second in command and Janelle so…wasn’t.
Katie walked into the kitchen. “Morning, ladies.” Janelle loved the fact that if you didn’t know Katie at all, you’d have no idea the woman lived with two big cops who did whatever she told them to. She was into that dominant-‐sub thing and hid it well. Personally, Janelle found the whole thing a little bit creepy, but the threesome had an eight-‐year relationship that seemed to keep them all happy.
Which was more than Janelle had. Most men couldn’t handle a woman who could probably kick their ass. And the one’s who thought of her as a challenge were usually criminals or bikers. She’d already dealt with the criminal side of life. Her father was an Irish mobster. A Westie, specifically. His career choices got her entire family gunned down…including her.
But Skuld came for her and although she often missed her parents and, especially, her two older brothers, she refused to wallow in the past.