Page 85 of Indecent Lies

When he got back, Texas was leaning on the wall. “Well I’m taking off. You’ve given me things to think about.”

“Be smart, Texas. This is good business.” Grigori warned.

It was when he was outside that he got the call from Roux and his whole fucking stomach fell to the floor.

Someone had roofied Poppy on their girls night.

His feet didn’t touch the floor after that, he rode his bike across town faster than was safe in the bitter snow but he got there, almost taking the door off its hinges and he hoofed it up the stairs to find Roux pacing his living room, he hardly paid her any attention, he was in front of Poppy, half wilting on the sofa.

“Who the fuck did this?” He directed to Roux.

“Tait, you’re here!” Poppy slurred and tried to smile at him but it came out as a grimace before she slumped in his arms.

“She’s been getting worse in the last twenty minutes. I think she needs to go to the hospital.”

Fuck. Fuck.

He had Poppy in one arm and his phone in the other.

“Butcher?”Fuck. He didn’t think he’d ever need to call one of his boys ever again, or even if they’d take his call. “It’s Texas. I need you.” He didn’t hesitate in asking, not when Poppy was burning up under his hand. “My girl...my friend has been roofied, she’s not really with it, been getting worse. I don’t know what the fuck to do.”

Calm as ever, especially in a crisis, the Butcher’s voice was steady on the end of the phone, sounds of a bar in the background. “Have you called the paramedics?” Shit, he hadn’t. “Are you at your loft?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, I’m five minutes down the street. Make sure she’s laid on her side and her airways are clear. Is she breathing?”

“Yeah, she’s just out of it.”

“Do what I say, Texas. I’m on my way.”

He got Poppy back in his arms, brushing the hair off her forehead.

His heart was going ten to the dozen.

“I think I should… go.”

He turned dark eyes on Roux who was inching for the door. “You’ll stay where you are and tell me who the fuck did this to her.”

He got his answers because he barked the questions at her while he kept Poppy awake and waited for the sound of the Butcher arriving.

Texas was at the door waiting for him and nearly dragged him inside the minute the Butcher stepped down off his bike and took the alleyway side stairs to the apartment two at a time. Unfortunately, three of the other boys were with him but Texas hardly paid Arson, Capone or Tag any attention at all.

It was like a great electrical current went through Butcher as he got a foot through the door and saw Roux pressed to the wall, which stopped Texas behind him.

Any other time he might have laughed at the comical way their worlds came to a stop in front of each other as Axel’s girl nervously whittled her thumb nail, watching the Butcher.

Texas watched him pause in mid-step, just stopped where he was, staring at her. “Roux…”

Whatever Roux said, Texas didn’t hear because he was too busy pushing the Butcher to get moving. Fortunately he did by dragging his gaze from the other girl and he went down on his haunches in front of Poppy sprawled on the couch.

He checked her eyes and pulse.

“How long ago did she take it?”

“She didn’t take anything. She was fucking roofied.”

“When, Texas?”