Page 89 of The First Cut

“Lola, put Hannibal on the phone now.”

“He’s in the shower,” I tell him quietly.

“I don’t give fuck. Your ex-fuck piece just attacked my old lady. You get Hannibal on the phone right now, or I’ll hold you accountable for whatever happens to her,” he snarls.

Eyes stinging with unshed tears, I ran to the bathroom and shoved the door open— hitting the wall with a bang. Hannibal shut the water off and yanked the curtain back. “What’s wrong? Is it the baby?”

I shook my head and handed him the phone. “It’s Havoc,” I managed to choke out before fleeing the bathroom.

“What the fuck did you say to my old lady?” he snapped down the phone as I closed the door.

Moments later, Hannibal was out of the bathroom and heading for the door. “I’ve gotta go. Nevaeh’s been taken.” He says before I can think of asking him anything else.

I swipe the tears from my eyes and take a deep breath, realizing my tears are more from shock than anything else.

Driller has Nevaeh.

I press my hand to my chest, knowing all too well what the man is capable of. I stare down at the pile of onesies and feel vomit rush up the back of my throat. I hurry to the bathroom and drop to my knees just in time to throw up.

A naive part of me had hoped Driller would've run far, far away. He’s not as dumb as he makes out. He knows that staying means a death sentence for him. If his beef had been with anyone other than his brother, he would've run. But his hatred for Havoc runs far deeper than his sense of self-preservation.

And to go after Nevaeh? He truly does have a death wish.

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and get to my feet, staring at my too-pale face in the mirror as a dozen questions swirl in my head. I brush my teeth and try to guess Driller’s next move, but the man is too unpredictable for me to understand.

Where would he take her? I pause. No, he wouldn’t be that stupid. Would he? I turn toward the window and look up at the house on the hill.

Khan’s place has been empty while Hannibal’s guys finish work on it. And where was the last place the Raven Souls would look for Driller? Right in the heart of the enemy camp. That’s what Ravens are to him now: enemies. He’ll blame Havoc for that, too.

Shit. I’m just being paranoid. There's no way he’s gonna be able to sneak in here, unseen, with Nevaeh in tow. Especiallyin broad daylight. Still, I can’t shake that feeling of something being off.

“Fuck it.” I hurry into the bedroom, tug on a cardigan over my sundress, and slip on my Converse before I head down the hallway to Millie’s room.

I tap on the door, but when I don’t get an answer, I ease the door open and poke my head inside. Millie's lying on her belly on the bed with her headphones on and a book in her hand. I tap her gently on the shoulder.

She jumps, yanking her headphones off before turning to look at me. “Holy crap, you scared me.”

“Sorry, I knocked.”

She tilts her head, looking so much like her father it makes my heart clench for all the years he missed, thinking she’d be better off without him. “You okay?”

I open my mouth to give her an excuse. In the end, I decide she deserves to hear the truth. “Your dad has gone to help someone from the mother chapter. One of their old ladies has been taken and they need his help.”

She sits upright, looking worried. “He’ll be safe, though, right?”

Shit. Way to go, Lola. She just lost one parent, let’s make her worry about losing another.

“Trust me when I say I’m not worried about Hannibal. He’s always the scariest person in the room. Nobody will mess with him.”

She relaxes, a small nervous smile on her face.

“I’d just feel better if we went to the clubhouse for a little while, just while your dad’s gone. It will give him peace of mind if he doesn’t have to worry about us.”

She bites her lip but nods. “Okay, I’ll just shove a few things in a bag and meet you downstairs.”

I blow out a relieved breath. “Thanks, Millie.”

She offers me another hesitant smile before climbing off her bed and grabbing her bag.