Page 10

HAVEN

The day turns to night, and Livvy’s periods of consciousness grow shorter and further apart. The monitors tell a story of gradual decline that no amount of medical intervention can reverse.

Near dawn, Alpha’s zoning in and out in the chair. Poppy is still cuddled up on the bed beside her mother while I stand back in the room, leaning against the wall. My mind races through all the things that went wrong in that fucking meat packing facility.

As I stare at Livvy’s failing body, my insides churn at how I let this happen.

How I watched a bird that I trained do this to my family.

The emotion rages like an inferno, ready to erupt at any moment.

But I know I have to hold it in—for now anyway.

Alpha needs me.

Poppy needs me.

I don’t know if Nighthawk made it out of there alive after helping us escape, but I know I have to find her. I need answers. The fact she inflicted these wounds on Livvy doesn’t get past me.

There’s no doubt in my mind these injuries, the reason Livvy is dying so slowly, is because Javier told Nighthawk to ensure it was a deliberate, painful death so we’d have to watch.

To torture Alpha.

From my short interaction with Javier, I can already tell his MO is to cause maximum carnage.

This, what’s happening in here right now, will be making Javier’s ego so fucking huge.

And as everyone sleeps soundly, I quietly begin to plot my own version of revenge.

My focus is suddenly drawn to Livvy’s bed as she lets out a small whimper, clearly trying to mask her pain. I push off the wall, stepping closer. Alpha blinks a few times, waking at the same time Poppy yawns and glances at her mom’s pale and clammy-looking face. “Morning, Mama,” Poppy chimes.

Livvy tries to smile, but it comes off more as a grimace. My heart sinks, seeing her in pain that I can’t take away. “Morning, my darling.” Her voice is hoarse but barely there at the same time. Like she’s having trouble even talking.

I glance across at Alpha—it’s easy to see he’s having trouble holding it together.

“How you feeling, Liv?” Alpha asks, concern clear in his tone.

Livvy smiles back at him, trying her hardest to catch her breath. “Could do with… some of your tequila… right about… now,” she jokes.

Finally, I can’t fight back my smile as Alpha shakes his head. He stands, moving to the edge of her bed beside Poppy. “You always said that shit was bad for me.”

Livvy raises her brows dismissively. “What’s it gonna do… kill me?” she jokes.

Alpha huffs, narrowing his eyes on her. “That’s dark, Liv. Especially for you.”

Rolling my eyes, I step up and hip and shoulder him out of the way while simultaneously reaching for the hipflask inside his leather cut. He glares at me, but right now, I don’t care what he thinks.

If Livvy wants a drink, she can have a fucking drink.

Unscrewing the flask lid, I hand it to Livvy. She smiles at me with deep gratitude crossing her face. Poppy grins at me as Alpha scowls like we’re going to be having words later. Livvy’s shaking hand moves the flask to her lips, and she takes a small sip of Alpha’s tequila. Her eyes close as she lets the alcohol flow down her throat. Almost instantly, it’s like her body relaxes. She lets out a sigh of relief, and I glimpse at Alpha, seeing his tense muscles soften a little too.

Maybe we could all do with a drink?

Livvy’s eyes open again, a slight smile touching the corner of her lips as she shifts her gaze to Alpha. “I get it now…” she whispers to him.

He tilts his head in response. “Get what, Liv?”

“The drinking… it helps numb everything.”

Alpha clears his throat, taking his flask back from her. He goes to screw the lid back on but hesitates, looking at the opening. His nostrils flare, and he nods once, then moves the flask to his lips, taking a giant gulp of the remaining tequila. I bite down on my bottom lip, watching him self-medicate as he swipes the back of his mouth, then screws the lid on and slides the flask back into his leather cut. “Yeah, Liv. Sometimes being numb is the only way to get through.”

Livvy softly smiles, her hand reaching out for Alpha’s. He hesitates but then takes hers in his. “But you’ve been there… done that.” She glances across to look at me, and Alpha follows her line of sight, his eyes locking on my concerned gaze as she continues. “The last time you went down that path, Stone… our relationship ended… please don’t let that happen again… Haven is so good for you… and you have Poppy to think about now…”

Alpha turns back to look at Livvy, a determination back in his eyes.

“Life’s thrown you curveball… after curveball… don’t get sucked back… into the same destructive patterns… you get ahead of it this time, Alpha… promise me!”

Alpha nods, his hand tightening on Livvy’s. “I got this, Liv. I won’t let you down. I won’t let Haven down. And I sure as shit am never, ever going to let Poppy down. Even if she scares the hell out of me most of the time,” Alpha teases as he scrubs his daughter’s hair.

Poppy giggles, turning back to look at her father. “Hey, is that because I’m eight years old and can kick more ass than you, old man.”

Giggling to myself as Alpha huffs like the grump he is, I slide my arm around him. “Honestly, Poppy, Alpha’s scared because we can both kick more ass than he can.”

Alpha scowls, folding his arms across his chest in annoyance. “Okay, okay, to be fair, I wasn’t trained as an assassin, but I still have skills. You don’t become president of a biker club because you’re good at math.”

Livvy grins. “Definitely not. That’s why we have Loki. Your math is terrible, Alpha.”

We all chuckle, loving how Livvy is throwing her usual sass until she starts coughing through her laughter. Poppy sits taller, her eyes widening as Alpha and I step closer, trying to wait it out. Livvy’s coughed a lot over the last few hours, and generally, she can pull herself back into line, but this one seems to be lasting a little longer.

“Liv,” Alpha urges, reaching out for Poppy and pulling her off the bed so Livvy has more room.

My heart races in my chest when the monitors start beeping. The sound sends instant panic racing through me.

“Mommy!” Poppy screams.

Alpha’s holding her tight to his chest as I race for the door and lean out.

“Lock, we need you,” I scream down the hall, seeing him already racing toward me, his eyes wide as saucers.

He skids into the room, his face pale as he rushes toward Livvy, a nurse charging in behind him. She races for the bed, instantly lowering Livvy to a flat position to help with her airway as Lock moves in, increasing her oxygen input.

Poppy’s cries echo through the room, almost at the same pitch as the beeping machines. Alpha’s harsh breathing matches my own as we stand back, saying nothing, watching Lock fight to bring Livvy back under control.

“C’mon, baby, take a breath. Breathe for me, Liv,” Lock urges, sweat trickling down his brow as he injects something into her IV.

His frantic eyes race from the monitor to Livvy to see signs of any improvement. A faint smile crosses his face as he reaches out, his hand sliding to her cheek, cupping it as he looks down at her. “That’s it, nice and slow. You got this. Innn and ooout,” he whispers, holding her oxygen mask to her face while the nurse continues to check through her vitals.

The nurse glances up at Lock, a somber expression crossing her face, tears glistening in her eyes. “Dr. Rhodes, do you want me to get another attending to handle what comes next? You know you really can’t be involved.”

Lock clenches his eyes shut, his hand still caressing Livvy’s cheek as she slows her breathing right down, but he shakes his head. “I don’t care about conflict of interest. This should be me.”

Livvy clears her throat, pulling at her mask, trying to take it off.

Poppy gasps. “Mom!” she whimpers.

Lock leans in, trying to put the mask back on Livvy, but she scrunches up her face and shoves it with as much energy I’ve seen from her since this started. “Lock… don’t you dare… throw away your… career for me… you be here, absolutely… but not as my doctor.” She glances at the nurse and weakly smiles. “Get Dr. Nettle,” she instructs.

The nurse doesn’t hesitate, rushing out of the room as Lock slumps his shoulders, scrubbing at his face. “I really tried to save you, Liv. I tried so fucking hard,” he sobs, tears streaming down his face now.

She smiles up at him, her bottom lip quivering, but her breathing is slowly getting better. “You did save me, Lock… you did.”

My eyes shift quickly to Alpha, expecting that to be a gut punch, but instead, a bright smile crosses his face as Lock leans down, pressing his lips gently to Livvy’s. Alpha lowers his eyes to Poppy, a look of genuine gratitude flowing through him, and in this moment, I know Alpha is going to be okay.

Suddenly, Lock pulls back, a confused look crossing his face. “Why do you taste like tequila?” he asks.

I can’t hold back my chuckle. “Oh, my bad. In my defense, though, it did make her feel more relaxed.”

Lock glances back at Livvy, pulling up a seat next to her. “You know what, at this point in time, it doesn’t even matter. Whatever makes her comfortable.”

I throw my arms in the air. “That’s what I said!”

Alpha rolls his eyes as Livvy softly whimpers, her fingers stretching out toward Poppy. “My baby girl,” she whispers.

Poppy hesitantly steps up to the side of Livvy’s bed, taking Livvy’s hand. Dr. Nettle quietly steps into the room, bobbing his head to Lock in acknowledgment.

Livvy clears her husky throat, her eyes barely open anymore. “Poppy… you were the single… greatest achievement… I ever accomplished.” Poppy weakly smiles, glancing back at me. I wink at her, then gesture for her to look back at her mom. “I know Haven… is going to take… such good care… of you… she’s going to… be able to… protect you… better than I… ever could.”

Poppy’s eyes well up. She’s fighting hard not to cry, but I know they’re going to overflow any given second.

“But while Haven is here… fighting for you… I’ll always be with you…” Livvy sniffs back, her strength clearly waning, “… protecting you… guiding you… watching over you. Maybe this time… I’ll be the hummingbird.”

Poppy bursts into tears, my heart instantly pounding as Poppy clings to her mother. “I love you, Mama. I don’t want you to go.”

Livvy runs her fingers through Poppy’s hair so slowly as Alpha moves in behind Poppy to comfort her. “I know… I don’t want to go, baby…” Livvy’s eyes shift to Alpha as they stare at each other. “But sometimes… life doesn’t go as planned… but we have to make every day we have count… do you understand me?” Livvy asks Poppy, but her eyes are still on Alpha.

His nostrils flare, his jaw wracks from side to side, and he gently nods at the same time Poppy replies, “I think so, Mama.”

Livvy’s eyes drop back down to Poppy, her eyelids blinking slowly. “I love you… all of you,” she whispers so quietly, her breathing coming shorter now, the machine to the side beginning to beep an ominous warning as Lock and Dr. Nettle both glance at it. Lock clenches his eyes shut, his grip on Livvy’s hand tightening while Dr. Nettle turns off the beeping noise.

My heart is racing faster, my eyes watering as I step up to her bed. “Livvy, thank you. Thank you for trusting me with your family. I swear to you that I’ll protect them. Both of them. And love them with everything I have.”

A simple smile crosses her face, her eyes remaining closed, but she doesn’t say anything in response, her breathing becoming shallower and shallower. Her body is now too weak to talk anymore.

Lock’s fingers gently caress her hair, tears streaming down his cheeks as Poppy’s eyes dart around the room like she doesn’t understand what’s happening.

“Mom? Mom? Mommy!” Poppy urges, gently nudging her.

Biting down on my bottom lip, I glance at Alpha, and he gently pulls Poppy back a little from Livvy’s bed. She spins to face her father, her expression completely confused. “Daddy?” she whimpers, and he doesn’t hesitate. He lifts her into his arms, wrapping himself around her in a bear hug, needing his comfort.

“It’s okay, Princess. Daddy’s got you.”

Livvy lets out a loud exhale, catching all our attention.

Everyone stops.

It’s like the room is a vortex leading us all to Livvy. There’s no air to breathe. I can’t find a way to force myself to inhale because I am waiting for Livvy to draw in her next breath with me.

But she doesn’t.

She’s just lying there.

Pale.

And all of us continue to stare like the entire world has stopped revolving while we wait for her to breathe.

But she won’t breathe!

Suddenly, the loud, continual hum of her heart monitor announcing her flatline breaks everyone out of the daze we’re in. My head snaps to the machine as Dr. Nettle stands by it, a solemn look crossing his face, his hand resting gently on Lock’s shoulder for support. Then, quietly, Dr. Nettle turns off the machine. I see his lips moving, but I can’t hear a single word he says. My ears feel like they’re blocked, as if there’s a hum in my brain blocking everything before he slowly walks out of the room.

Lock lowers his head, resting it on Livvy’s stomach, his shoulders jerking with obvious sobs wracking through him. And like a sucker punch to the gut, my breathing kicks back in. I suck in a sharp, frantic breath, my chest tightening as air slips through my lungs too fast to hold, too shallow to calm. My pulse pounds, my thoughts splintering under the weight of each gasp. My chest squeezes so tight it’s like I’m barely breathing at all.

My hand shoots out to grip the end of Livvy’s bed to keep me upright before I topple over, realizing after I heard the heart monitor, something happened. All noise seemed to shut out. I had no clue what was happening, but as the sound slowly started to filter back in, Poppy’s screaming cries cause me to focus back on what I need to do. Jerking my head up, I spot Alpha fighting as hard as he can to keep Poppy in his arms as he struggles to stop Poppy from jumping onto the bed with Livvy.

Shaking off what I think was a panic attack, I rush over to Alpha as he battles to keep Poppy restrained, and I move in front of Poppy as she thrashes about.

My watering eyes meet hers.

One bird to another.

“Poppy, stop,” I urge.

But she continues.

Alpha is fighting to control her, so I try again.

“Poppy, I know this is difficult—”

“I want my mama !” she screams, continuing to wrestle against Alpha, scratching and clawing at him to let her go. Her nails dig into Alpha’s cheek, drawing blood.

“Fuck!” Alpha grumbles, his eyes watering, not from physical pain but from seeing his daughter suffering this badly.

Reaching up, I grab Poppy’s hands and restrain her. Her eyes glare at me, and I see it—the fight inside her. So, I use it to my advantage. “Hummingbird, stop! Right now! ”

Poppy’s head jerks back like she’s shocked, her body going limp immediately. Her bottom lip trembles and tears continue to stream down her face while Alpha stares at me in disbelief.

Exhaling, I gesture for him to let her go.

He hesitates, but I know she needs this—she needs closure.

He tilts his head, then places Poppy on the floor, and I lean in. “Stand up, shoulders straight.” Poppy straightens her posture, moving straight back into her training. Alpha swallows hard, watching me as I take charge of his daughter.

He knew. He always knew.

But he’s never seen what happened in training.

How as birds, we focus as soon as we’re called to action.

No matter the circumstance.

Poppy may only be eight, and her being pulled into The Nest was fucking horrific, but right now, her training might be the only thing to usher her through her grief.

So, I’ll use it to our advantage.

“What’s rule number one?” I ask her.

She exhales, craning her neck to the side, even as the tears still flow down her face. “Never tell them your birth name.”

Alpha and Lock say nothing, though the confusion on their face says it all as I press my hand onto her back, edging her forward toward her mother. “C’mon, Hummingbird. Let’s go say goodbye.”

Poppy glances up at me, then softly nods. “Thank you, Blue Jay.”

Weakly smiling, I let out a long, understanding sigh. When we go through training as birds, they tap into our emotions. Try to get them to shut off. So in moments like this, after being set free from The Nest, feeling emotions is really fucking hard.

We feel them differently.

And for Poppy, who is so young, she won’t be able to process it the same way I do.

That’s why I am going to help her the best way I can.

And if that is by being Blue Jay right now, then that is who I need to be.

Shifting Poppy to the edge of Livvy’s bed, I move a chair beside it. She slides up into it, her eyes never shifting from her mother. It’s clear to see she is trying to rationalize what is happening in her mind.

Lock’s still in his position on the other side. Poppy’s tears run freely down her face as she reaches out, touching Livvy’s hand. She hesitates, but her soft voice slowly breaks through the silence, deafening the room.

“She’s colder than she was?” Poppy whispers, glancing over her shoulder at Alpha.

Alpha nods, moving in behind her. “Yeah, Princess. Because Mama’s soul has left, and she’s gone off to become a bird. Like you and Haven.”

Maybe he understands more than his facial expressions say.

I smile at Alpha, leaning into his side, and he wraps his arm around me. Both of us need comfort right now.

Poppy sniffles, her eyes glancing across at Lock. “Did you love my mommy?” she asks.

Alpha and I widen our eyes but let this play out.

Lock continues to stroke Livvy’s hair, a genuine smile crossing his face. “Yes, Poppy, very much.”

Poppy reaches out across the bed, taking Lock’s hand in hers. “I think she loved you too.”

I cuddle into Alpha further as Lock tries to fight back his tears, looking at Poppy like this is a life he will miss out on. Lock lets out a small chuckle. “I think she did.” Lock glances up at Alpha, a knowing glance passing between the two men. “I’m so sorry, Stone,” Lock whispers, the words almost not making it out of his mouth.

Alpha’s face scrunches, trying to keep himself together. “Me, too, brother. This shit isn’t supposed to happen to people as beautiful and innocent as Livvy.”

Lock glances back at Livvy, his bottom lip trembling. He hesitates, then leans in, slowly kissing her one last time before standing and making his way over to us. “After working with Livvy for a while and seeing how this shit with the club works, I know she helped you guys out a lot. Like I said, I don’t want to know who or how, I just want to know that vengeance for Livvy has been taken care of. You do that for me…” He hesitates, dropping his eyes to the floor and letting out a long exhale. Then, with a steely determination, his gaze locks with Alpha’s. “I can be the doctor you turn to when you need medical advice, and a blind eye.”

Alpha raises his eyebrow as we both stare at Lock. But Alpha rubs the back of his neck. “Are you sure? Livvy knew the consequences but was willing to risk it because we’re family. You don’t have to put yourself on the line like that for us. It could cost you your career, Lock,” Alpha states, finally calling him by his actual name.

Lock glances back over his shoulder at Livvy, who is lying motionless in bed, then turns back to Alpha. “She risked everything for the club. For her family. I was hoping to be a part of her family, one day. That means you guys too. I don’t get that future with Livvy anymore, but I can still help her. I can carry on doing what she would want me to do for her, if you’ll have me.”

A small smile crosses my face as I look up at him. He peers down at me as if to check my opinion, but he can already see it on my face. So, he glances back up to Lock and nods. “You got yourself a deal, doc. On one condition…”

Lock raises a brow. “What’s that?”

“You come by the club when this is all done, and you tell us the story about you and Livvy.”

Lock dips his chin, a calm washing over his features. “Yeah, I’d love to. For now, though, I’ll let you grieve as a family. I really am truly sorry.” Another tear falls as he turns and walks down the hall, leaving the three of us in the room with Livvy.

We turn, and suddenly, the silence is deafening.

Livvy looks so peaceful.

Her body may be bruised and battered, but the look on her face tells me that wherever she is right now, she’s okay.

Poppy is still in the chair by Livvy’s bed, holding her hand as I step up beside her. “You okay, Hummingbird?” I ask quietly.

She simply nods but doesn’t say a word.

I feel like I want to puke as I turn to look at Alpha, standing at the back of the room.

Staring.

His eyes focus on Livvy like he can’t believe what he’s seeing.

Stepping up to him, I cuddle into his side, and he holds me to him tightly. “What can I do?” I ask.

He shakes his head, his top lip curling like the emotion has evaporated, and is now replaced with a hatred that won’t be tempered until he has Javier’s head on a spike.

Alpha stands motionless, a single tear tracking down his weathered face into his beard. Wordlessly, he detaches from me, stepping forward. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small object wrapped in a bloodied cloth. I wonder what the hell he’s doing, his hands trembling as he unwraps it to reveal Livvy’s severed finger, her wedding ring still in place.

I let out a small gasp as he gently and respectfully places it on her chest in front of Poppy. Her eyes widen in shock as she glances down at her mother’s severed finger. Quickly, I move over behind her in case it’s too much for her, but she keeps her focus on her father, whose stature is straightening with purpose with every passing second.

Alpha clears his throat, shifting his gaze to the two of us standing together. “The club’s going to war,” he states sternly, his voice a dangerous growl that seems to rise from the depths of his soul. “And this time, I’m not leaving anyone behind to come back at us.” He turns to leave, pausing only long enough to place a hand on my shoulder. “Stay with Poppy,” he murmurs. “I need, I just need a fucking minute.”

As he walks out, his back rigid with barely contained fury, my body begins to shake. I’ve always been the strong one, the one holding everything together for Alpha. But now? Now, he’s the one standing tall, his purpose burning through the wreckage of everything we’ve endured. It’s not just anger in him—it’s resolve, sharpened and honed. And for the first time, I don’t feel like I have to hold him up. He’s found his fight, and God help the poor bastard who stands in his way because when he’s finished, there won’t be a throne left unshaken, a rival left breathing, or a soul alive who doesn’t know his name.

And if that happens, then Lord help Javier Rojas!

Drawing in a deep, centering breath, I move in behind Poppy, who’s still sitting by her mother’s bed, grieving with the pure, unfiltered agony of a child losing her parent, and guilt crashes over me in waves.

I should have saved Livvy.

I should have been faster. Smarter.

And Nighthawk? I left her behind to face Javier’s wrath alone.

How many more people will I fail before this is over?

But beneath the guilt, something else burns—a fierce, uncompromising resolve.

I made a promise to Livvy, and I intend to keep it.

This club, this family, will grieve—but they will not fall.

Alpha is right.

We are going to war.

And The Rojas Cartel is about to learn what happens when you draw first blood against LA Defiance.