My wife wasn’t born Fellowship but you’d never know it by talking to her. I don’t think she could embrace this world more if she were genetically one of us.
My phone vibrates next to the pregnancy book. There’s typically only one reason someone phones me this late.
I look at the ID. Abram. Dammit. I have to take the call. “Aye?”
“Sorry to trouble you but the presence of a leader is required. Since I’m no longer in that role, I must drag you away from your injured wife.”
He’s enjoying this a little too much. “What has happened?”
“The Order killed a couple of our girls outside the casino. Sisters. Lewis Adamson’s daughters. He’s demanding swift justice.”
Of course he is. “I’m on my way.”
I end the call and lean over to kiss Bonny. “I have to go. The Order killed two of our women.”
Her face is pained as she places her hand over her heart. “Oh no. Who?”
“Davina and Annis Adamson.”
She narrows her eyes in concentration. “I can’t recall them.”
“Probably because they’ve been away at uni.”
I dress and go back to Bonny when I’m ready to leave. I sit on the edge of the bed and take her hand. “Don’t be afraid. Kyle and Blare will be here with you.”
She brings my hand to her cheek. “That doesn’t make me less frightened for you. You’re going out to hunt down killers.”
“I’ll be fine.”
I lean forward for a kiss and she catches my face in her hands. She holds me firmly in place so we’re eye to eye. “Come back to me safely.”
“Always.”
Chapter Seven
Bleu Breckenridge
It’s been four days since Sin rescued me and killed The Order’s leader. Their organization may be in chaos but that won’t stop them from avenging their leader’s death. Killing these two women isn’t it.
Every life within The Fellowship is of value but the deaths of two young women with no connection to the head of the brotherhood won’t suffice as retaliation. They’re going to want something bigger. Someone at the top.
Sin or me.
Only our deaths will satisfy them so I brainstorm why they’d attack two innocent women. I know they’re cowards and prey upon the ones they consider weakest but it doesn’t make sense. Their deaths cost us very little. Unless it’s a trap to lure Sin into their clutches. Or away from me.
Kyle and Blare are here but I still take my Beretta from the drawer. I need to be armed in case The Order comes and manages to get through my bodyguards.
Lying in this bed makes me a sitting duck if they come through the door. I gather all the pillows from the bed and go into the closet. I make a pallet in the corner.
I have Ellison to think of as well so I go to her room. “Elli. I heard a noise. Come to my bedroom. Bring your pillow and bedspread.”
We bed down in my closet to await Sin’s return.
“Why isn’t Sin here?” I hear the confusion in her voice.
“One of his clients was arrested so he was called away.”
We have nowhere to run. I don’t love that but it’s better than being in the open without cover. At least here I’ll be able to get the first shots on anyone opening the door.
I’m terrified for Sin. I pray he isn’t walking into some kind of trap.
“Are your security guards here?” Ellison asks.
“Yes. Outside.”
We’re aren’t in the closet for long when we hear gunshots. Several. My heart speeds like that of a galloping racehorse nearing the finish line.
I move to a sitting position and aim my gun for the door.
I hear voices in my bedroom. Maybe Kyle and Blare? I can’t be sure so I remain still and firmly grip my Beretta.
I hear Sin call out my name. Bonny. Not Bleu.
“Sin.”
He swings the closet door open and I rush into his arms. “My gut told me to come back to the flat to make sure you and Ellison were safe.”
“I heard shots.”
“There was an intruder. We presume it’s the mugger.” He doesn’t have to explain further for me to understand. “Kyle and Blare are taking you and Ellison to my parents’ house.”
I look at Elli. “Pack a bag quickly.”
I wait until she’s gone to ask what happened.
“Kyle and Blare just killed three Order members.”
My gut feeling was right. “They were coming for me.”
“Aye. I think Annis’s and Davina’s murders were intended to draw me away from you.”
I feel horrible. “Those poor women. They died as part of The Order’s plot to take me again.”
“That’s why it’s important for their father to know that I’m personally avenging their deaths. Now. Not later.”
I don’t like him leaving me again but I understand why he must go. It’s his place to avenge the wrongs against our people.
That makes me proud.
* * *
Debra and I have had a productive meeting despite it taking place in my bedroom. We’ve narrowed the suspects of my mother’s murder to three. The mystery isn’t solved but I feel us nearing the end of the tunnel. It’s the same feeling I’d get when I was on the edge of closing a case.
Debra points to my violin on the dresser. “You play?”
“Yes. And more often since I’m confined to this bed.” I have become well practiced the last few weeks. With Sin’s help, I’ve mastered “Amanda.”
“Sin plays as well.”
She laughs. “I definitely wouldn’t have pegged him for a violinist.”
“Few do since it doesn’t go along with the image he’s created for himself.”
Debra scoots to the edge of the chair as though she’s preparing to leave. “Same time next week?”
“Yes. But before you go, I’d like to discuss an idea I’m kicking around.”
She settles back into the corner chair of my bedroom, propping her long legs on the ottoman. “Sure.”
Debra is tall and slim with shoulder-length brown hair. Not a bit of gray. She reminds me of Katey Sagal. Not in her Peg Bundy days but her badass Gemma role on Sons of Anarchy.
“Would you be interested in teaching self-defense classes with me for the women of The Fellowship?”
“You gonna teach from that bed?”
I probably would if I could. That’s how strongly I feel about it. “I’ll have another ultrasound in two weeks. I’m confident I’ll be taken off bed rest if everything looks all right. I’d really like to get rolling with these classes as soon as possible. If I can prevent one woman from being harmed by an assault, then it’s worth every bit of work and effort I invest. But I can’t do it on my own. I’ll need an able body to do the physical part. I’d pay you well.”
Debra smiles for a moment before responding. “This life suits you. I wish Harry were here to see the person you’re becoming.”
Her words surprise me. “You think he would be proud?”
“Damn sure do. And I am too. I’d love to help you. Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”
I’ve already put a lot of thought into this. “We have a small warehouse currently not in use. I think Sin will let us turn it into a gym.”
“You have it all planned out.”
There are a lot of things churning in my head. “I have a lot of free time these days.”
“It’s serving the women of The Fellowship well.”
I’m happy to know Debra thinks so. I hope the women I’m to lead will feel the same.
“You blew Harry’s mind when you told him to train you so you could go after your mother’s killer. What were you? Twelve? Thirteen?”
I wasn’t aware Debra knew those kinds of details. “Barely twelve.”
Debra laughs. “Harry didn’t know what to make of you. And I didn’t, either.”
I’m not quite sure what to call this feeling I have in the pit of my stomach. Maybe shock
mingled with a little dose of betrayal. I thought my secret with Harry was just that––a secret only we shared. “I didn’t know Dad had told anyone.”
“Your father thought you needed to see a psychiatrist but he was too afraid to take you. He feared you’d be taken away from him and placed in some kind of institution. He couldn’t talk to Julia about it but he desperately needed advice. I was the only person he could trust. Don’t be angry.”
Anyone else would’ve taken me to a shrink. “Why didn’t you try to convince Dad that I needed psychological help?”
“Someone murdered your mother and then left you for dead. I don’t think anger and a drive for retaliation are irrational reactions. It’s not as though you asked him to teach you how to kill an innocent person. I saw it as another form of justice.”
Realization hits me. “You encouraged him to train me.”
“Yes. Harry and I made a lot of decisions together about the proper way to train a young girl.”
Debra has kept up with me all these years. It’s all so clear now.
“I’ve watched you from afar for a long time. I was very happy when you reached out to me,” Debra says
I don’t know how I didn’t see this before. “Harry asked me to watch over you while you were undercover within The Fellowship.”
Then she saw everything. “You had to know that I was seducing Sin.”
She laughs. “I saw that coming from a mile away.”
“Thank you for not telling Dad.” He would’ve completely flipped out. Probably would’ve gotten out of his hospital bed and come to Edinburgh to kill me and Sin.
“I’ve been there, Bleu. We all do what we have to in order to get the job done. Harry knew that, but it all went out the window when it came to you. You were his little girl.”
“Always will be.”
Debra leaves and first thing on my agenda is the quick daily shower my doctor granted me. For the first time in a while, I don’t dress in yogas and a T-shirt. I have an engagement for the night.
The last three weeks of my life have been spent in one of two places: the bed or the sofa. Not fun. It’s enough to nearly send anyone over the edge. That’s why I’m so excited about hanging out and having girl time with my sister and friends.
But I’m sad. Lainie has made the decision to leave us. She fears The Order will discover her whereabouts, putting me and my babies in danger. Being in Edinburgh probably isn’t the safest place for my new friend, but I will miss her terribly. At least Sin was able to negotiate a safe place for her in Dublin with The Guild. That means I’ll still be able to see her.
Sin is such a sweetheart. So thoughtful. He has arranged a girls’ night in with my friends during his Fellowship meeting this evening as a going-away party for Lainie. He bought four bottles of wine, plus a sparkling grape juice for me so I don’t feel left out. He even arranged for Agnes to prepare hors d’oeuvres for us.
He’s so good to me. And patient. I’ll need to find a way to thank him for his thoughtfulness. I think I have just the thing in mind.
Of course I’m only allowed to move from lying in bed to lying on the sofa. But I’ll take it without complaint. I’ve missed Westlyn and Lorna and our weekly girls’ night out to the casino or to dinner. They’re the ones I turn to when I need to giggle and have girlie conversation. Female friends. Something I’ve never had before. But I consider them my best friends aside from Ellison. I feel like I’ve missed a lot over the last few weeks, so I’m excited to catch up with what’s happening in their lives.
Lorna is sitting on the couch, opposite me, my feet in her lap. She’s painting my toenails. “Like?”
I let her pick the color. Bad decision. She went with flamingo pink. Yuck.
I hold my foot up, wiggling my toes. “It looks girlie. I probably would’ve chosen black. Or maybe a dark gray.”
“I went with pink because I’m pulling for girls.”
“Ellison wants girls so she can spoil them rotten. She says boys will be little mean asses.”
“Oh, I’m spoiling them either way,” Ellison says.
“They’ll be precious if they’re anything like their father. Sin was a sweet little boy. Always so kind to me,” Westlyn says.
Lorna taps my ankle. “Pull your shirt up so we can see your belly.”
I’m thankful the bruises covering my body are almost gone so I don’t feel self-conscious showing them.
I pull it up but there’s nothing impressive to see. I’m only ten weeks so my bump’s maybe the size of a large orange. “Got a long way to go.”
“I hope you have two girls because I don’t want to see Sin take a boy from you. My mum told me how heartbreaking it was for Aunt Isobel to lose him and Mitch.”
Oh my God. Tell me Westlyn didn’t just say that in front of my sister who knows nothing about The Fellowship or what she’s talking about.
I suspected having Ellison here long-term without telling her about The Fellowship would become a problem at some point, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I’m still not ready to make Ellison a part of this.
Ellison instantly perks up. “Sin would never take their son from Bleu. He adores my sister. Plus he knows she’d kick his ass before letting that happen.”
Think fast, Bleu.
“Westlyn didn’t mean that literally. Just that she hoped I had a girl so we’d have a mother-daughter bond. Isn’t that right?” I lift my brows and bug my eyes at her.
“Exactly.” Westlyn nods. “Of course I wasn’t suggesting Sin would do something so vile.”
Ellison seems satisfied with our explanations since she says nothing more about it. Disaster averted. For now.
Lainie chooses one of the opened bottles of white wine and refills her glass. “It’s too bad you can’t have some of this, Bleu. It’s really good.”
“It’s okay. I’m not much of a wine drinker. I prefer Johnnie Walker.”
“You and Sin both,” Lorna says.
Lainie holds out the bottle. “Anyone need a refill?”
Ellison takes it and inspects the label. “You remember the girl who used to sing for Southern Ophelia? She quit because she married a guy from Australia. A winemaker. This is from his vineyard. Do you know who I’m talking about, Bleu?”
“Yeah.”
“I saw Southern Ophelia perform at Coyote Ugly when they were first starting out. Long before they hit it big. Do you have any of their old music when she was still singing with them?”
“Yeah, but I think they only put out one album before she left.”
“Put it on. I haven’t listened to them in a while.”
I connect my phone via Bluetooth to the speaker on the bookcase. I scroll through my music and play my favorite Southern Ophelia song, “Without a Goodbye.” I wore this song out while Sin and I were apart—it fit us so perfectly. “This is their best one, in my opinion.”
“Yes! I remember this one. So good, so good.”
I doubt Westlyn, Lorna, and Lainie are familiar with it. “Ladies, this is country music at its best.”
“Turn it up, Bleu. Loud.”
My three friends listen to me and Ellison sing the chorus in unison. I think it’s very possible that Ellison is a worse singer than I am.
“You lasses look like you’re having a lot of fun.” Agnes comes into the living room and places a tray of food on the cocktail table. “Mini ham and haddie pies. Scotch eggs and barbecued piggy scallops. There’s more in the kitchen when you finish these off.”
“Thank you, Agnes. Everything looks delicious.”
“I’ll be off now. Enjoy your night, lasses.”
Ellison examines the cuisine Agnes has prepared. I can tell she doesn’t find it appealing. “What the hell is this? I’ve never heard of any of it. And it looks as fucked up as a bologna Pop-Tart.”
Oh God. At least she waited until Agnes left to express her distaste. I’d shit twice and die if she heard her say that.
“These are bacon-wrapped scallops. Nothing
weird. And those are Scotch eggs. Just boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat and breadcrumbs. Sort of like an egg-stuffed meatball. Agnes’s are really good. But I’m not sure about the ham and haddie pies. I’ve never had those before.”
Westlyn grabs one and pops it into her mouth. “My mum cooks these at least once a month. They’re made with smoked haddock and bacon. The pie portion is breadcrumbs and grated Scottish cheddar cheese. These are quite delicious—even better than my mum’s, although I’ll never tell her that.”
I’m really looking forward to catching up with Westlyn. “I haven’t seen you much this semester. Tell us everything about uni.”
Westlyn puffs her cheeks out and crosses her eyes. “Economics is tough. I’m not really sure why I chose that as my contribution.”
“What about life outside of studies?”
“That’s actually pretty spectacular.” I’m guessing that being at the university is probably Westlyn’s first opportunity at socializing with people outside of The Fellowship.
I recognize her goofy expression. I saw it on my own face several months ago. “I only know of one thing that would make school spectacular.”
Westlyn bites her bottom lip, likely to keep herself from grinning. It doesn’t work.
“You’ve met someone,” I say.
She shakes her head. “It’s nothing.”
People don’t look the way she does over nothing. “Your smile says otherwise.”
“He’s just a guy I have some classes with. We’ve talked a few times. It’s no big deal.”
“Is he cute?”
“Extremely.”
“Does he make a point to sit next to you?”
“Aye.”
He sounds like he’s into her. “But he hasn’t asked you out?”
“No, but I get the feeling he wants to.”
“Nothing is wrong with you asking him out,” Ellison says. I’m not at all surprised she would encourage Westlyn to do so.
She shrugs. “I’ve never done that before. I wouldn’t know what to say.”
“There’s nothing to it. Just ask him if he wants to go out sometime. He’ll say yes. You’ll go to dinner and a movie. Or whatever you do on dates here. Then you’ll find somewhere to fool around,” Ellison says.