Page 33 of Victorious, Part 2 (The LA Defiance MC #6)
CLOVER
The Vegas Strip at night is akin to stepping inside a kaleidoscope that someone cranked up to eleven and then broke for good measure.
Neon lights paint everything in electric blues, hot pinks, and gold that seem to pulse with their own heartbeat.
The air thrums with music spilling from casino doors, the distant ding of slot machines, and the constant hum of thousands of people living their best or worst lives.
Phoenix’s hand finds me as we weave through the crowd, his fingers intertwining with mine as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Which, honestly, it is now. After everything that happened back at the hotel earlier, after finally admitting what’s been building between us for months, holding his hand feels less like a revelation and more like home.
“You hungry?” he asks, having to raise his voice over the chaos around us.
I nod, squeezing his hand. “Starving. But first, I need to see everything. This place is insane.”
He chuckles, that low rumble I’ve become completely addicted to. “Only you would want to sightsee when you could be eating.”
“Food will taste better when I’m properly amazed by my surroundings,” I argue, pulling him toward a fountain that’s shooting water in time with some dramatic classical music. “It’s science.”
“That’s not science, Reel Girl.”
“Says the man who thinks beef jerky counts as a balanced breakfast.”
He goes to respond when a familiar voice cuts through the noise around us, making both of us freeze.
“Well, I’ll be damned. If it isn’t the lovebirds from the bottle trees.”
We turn, and my heart does this weird little flip when I see Luke, the retired actor, better known as his alter ego, Cedar, approaching us with that same easy smile he had in the desert.
He looks different here under the Vegas lights, more polished somehow, but those eyes still carry that weight I remember.
The sadness that never quite goes away.
Behind him is his girlfriend, Celene. She had an accident where she lost her long-term memory and has been trapped in the last character she played in their final onscreen role together.
Since then, she believes she is Meadow, and that Luke is his character Cedar.
It’s a tragedy of epic proportions, but rather than have Celene locked away in a facility, Luke quit acting to live his life as his final character to be with the woman he loves, even if he has to play a character to be with her forever.
Now that is love.
Meadow practically bounces toward us, her flowing dress catching the neon lights like she’s some kind of ethereal butterfly.
Her bare feet have been replaced with strappy sandals, but everything else about her energy is exactly the same.
“Oh, my goddess, Cedar, look. It’s our beautiful desert angels.
” Meadow throws her arms around me before I can even process what’s happening, enveloping me in the scent of patchouli and something sweet that might be vanilla.
“The universe has brought us together again. This is so magical.”
Phoenix tenses beside me, his protective instincts kicking in, but I catch his eye and shake my head slightly.
These aren’t the kind of people we need to worry about.
“Meadow, baby, give them some space to breathe,” Cedar says gently, but there’s affection in his voice as he watches her. He turns to us with an apologetic smile. “She gets excited when she sees friendly faces. Vegas can be overwhelming.”
“It’s fine,” I say, meaning it. “Good to see you both again. What are the odds?”
“In Vegas? Pretty damn good, actually,” Cedar replies, and I catch something in his expression, a flicker of the man Luke used to be before the accident, before everything changed. “This place has a way of bringing people together when they need it the most.”
Meadow finally releases me but stays close, her energy practically vibrating with excitement. “We were just about to grab some dinner, and then Cedar promised to show me the fountains that dance with music. Isn’t that just the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard?”
“Sounds incredible,” I say, and I mean it. There’s something infectious about her joy, even knowing what’s behind it.
“You two should join us!” Meadow claps her hands together like she’s just solved world hunger. “The more beautiful souls we gather, the more magic we can create together.”
Phoenix’s grip on my hand tightens almost imperceptibly.
I know what he’s thinking. We should stick to the plan.
Have dinner, just the two of us, keep a low profile.
But looking at Cedar’s face, seeing that flicker of hope in his eyes at the prospect of normal human interaction, something in my chest tugs hard.
“That sounds really nice,” I hear myself saying before my brain fully catches up.
Phoenix turns to look at me, one eyebrow raised in that way that says, ‘Are you sure about this?’ But there’s no judgment in his expression, just a question.
I squeeze his hand and lean closer so only he can hear me. “One dinner. They seem lonely, and we could use some normal for a few hours.”
He studies my face for a moment, then nods slowly. “Okay. But I’m not sure dinner with Meadow will ever be classified as ‘normal.’ ”
Cedar claps Phoenix on the shoulder, that genuine smile spreading across his face again. “Brother, you have no idea what you just signed up for. Meadow’s idea of a simple dinner usually involves at least three different restaurants and a street performance of some kind.”
“Hey!” Meadow protests, but she lets out a small laugh. “That was one time , and the fire juggler was asking for audience participation.”
“Wait,” Phoenix snaps, looking between them with growing alarm. “Fire juggler?”
I bite back my laughter at his expression and nudge his shoulder. “Relax, tough guy. I promise not to volunteer you for any fire-related activities.”
“That’s what you said about the cat, and look how that turned out. We’re practically cat parents,” he mutters, but there’s a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Cedar throws back his head and laughs a real, honest-to-God belly laugh that transforms his entire face. “Oh, man, I like you two already. Come on, I know a place that serves the best steaks in Vegas and has zero fire jugglers. Scout’s honor.”
“Were you actually a Scout?” Meadow asks, linking her arm through his as we start walking.
“No, but I played one in a commercial once,” he replies without missing a beat.
Her eyes light up in excitement. “No way? You were on TV? I’m dating a real-life star, and I didn’t even know it,” she gushes, cuddling into Cedar.
He smiles, but the pain behind it is genuine, while Meadow snuggles into him, completely oblivious.
I give him a weak smile before he exhales, holding onto her. “You know me, babe. Full of surprises.”
Meadow turns to me, waggling her brows. “I’m in love with a famous guy, how cool is that?”
I grin, not really knowing what to say before he groans, shaking his head. “It was one commercial, years ago. Hardly qualifies me as famous, darlin’.”
She spins, leaning on her toes, her arms sliding around his neck. “Let a girl dream. You’re like my very own John from A Star is Born , and I’m Esther. Except, you’re totally, like in the movies, not music, baby.”
Cedar widens his eyes at her. “Jesus, honey, did you not see how that movie ended?”
Meadow slumps her shoulder. “I mean, yeah, but we won’t have that ending, just the fame.”
She clearly holds memories of her famous past, but can’t quite find the connections. Furrowing my brows, I glance at Cedar while he holds onto her tighter as something she said confuses me. “Wait, you said John and Esther from A Star is Born ? I thought it was Jack and Ally?”
Meadow scowls, letting out a laugh. “Who’s Jack and Ally?”
Cedar grimaces. “The 1976 version,” he states, glancing down at his hippy style clothing, reminding me without saying anything that Meadow still thinks they’re a few years back than they actually are.
Dipping my head, I catch on quickly. “Right, of course… shall we head off to dinner?”
Cedar chuckles in understanding, gesturing the direction, and Phoenix and Meadow take off ahead of us, and Cedar steps up to me.
“Don’t worry… it takes some getting used to.
But most of the time, she has no clue what’s going on around her.
She’s in her own little world. So don’t worry if you fuck up on occasion, okay? ”
Letting out a long breath, I relax as he wraps his arm comfortingly around me, and we make our way to dinner.
The restaurant Cedar leads us to is this sleek steakhouse tucked away from the main chaos of The Strip, all dark wood and soft lighting that makes everything feel intimate without being claustrophobic.
It’s the kind of place that probably costs more for one meal than I usually spend on food in a week, but Cedar waves off my protests when I try to mention it.
“My treat,” he insists as the hostess leads us to a private booth. Almost like she knew Cedar was coming and wouldn’t want to be in the eyes of the public.
He probably called ahead.
“Consider it payment for letting me ramble at you in the desert.”
“You don’t need to pay us for basic human decency,” I say, sliding into the booth next to Phoenix.
“Maybe not,” Cedar replies, settling in across from us with Meadow practically glowing beside him. “But sometimes it’s nice to have a reason to celebrate running into good people.”
When the waitress arrives, Cedar barely glances at the menu before ordering a bottle of wine for the table. “Something bold,” he tells her with a charming grin. “Like a cabernet that doesn’t take shit from anybody.”
I feel Phoenix stiffen beside me, and I know it’s not because of the wine choice. My heart jumps as the waitress looks between us, her brow twitching just slightly, because clearly Phoenix and I shouldn’t be drinking.