Page 4

HAVEN

Consciousness returns in waves, each one slamming into me harder than the last. My eyelids feel like they’re glued shut, requiring herculean effort to pry them open. The harsh industrial lights above send shards of pain straight into my skull.

I’m still on the concrete floor of the meat packing facility, my muscles slow and unresponsive. The metallic scent of blood— Livvy’s blood —fills my nostrils, causing bile to rise in my throat.

Blinking away the blurriness, the room slowly comes into focus. Movement to my right draws my attention. Javier Rojas is pacing, sweeping his arms dramatically as he boasts into a cell phone dramatically. His designer shoes click against the concrete with each step, leaving bloody footprints in their wake.

“ Si, si , the delivery has been made,” he chimes, his voice beaming with satisfaction. “By now, Alpha should have received our little… message .”

My stomach drops at his words, reality flooding back—Nighthawk hacking at Livvy’s finger. My eyes clench together as the memory of her screams pierce through me again, causing an uncontrolled shudder.

A soft whimper pulls my attention to the metal table beside me. Livvy lies there, paler than before, her breath coming in shallow gasps, blood dripping to the floor, each drop a reminder that I need to act—and fast.

Her hand is wrapped in a blood-soaked cloth while fresh cuts mar her exposed skin. I have no clue how long I’ve been out for and what the fuck they have done to Livvy in that time, but what I do know is that I need to clear this shit out of my system and get Livvy the fuck out of here.

Using all my strength, I shift slightly to get a better look, my head spinning with me as I do. However, I fight to maintain my equilibrium and swallow hard to put some pressure back into my ears. I glance up at Livvy, and Nighthawk stands beside her.

Her long, red hair is pulled back from her face. With precision, just like I taught her. So it doesn’t get in her way. It doesn’t get residue on her, and it won’t get left behind.

A bird in The Nest doesn’t exist.

Therefore, your DNA does not exist.

Nighthawk has remembered everything I’ve taught her, so watching her right now, standing over Alpha’s ex-wife, her expression remaining impassive as she methodically cleans a blade, is not just making my blood boil, it’s fucking nuclear at this point.

But as my eyes shift to hers, those eyes I taught to observe everything then flick back toward me.

And for a fraction of a second, I see it.

It’s brief, practically imperceptible, but in that moment, it’s there.

Recognition.

Intent.

The young girl I trained for years hasn’t turned her back on me.

She’s merely buying time.

My nostrils flare, my pulse hammering as realization grips me—Nighthawk is waiting, biding her time until I can make my move.

This ends now.

I force my breath steadily, shoving every ounce of focus into the fight ahead. My hands are bound behind my back, my ankles restrained with zip ties. The sedative still lingers, dulling my senses, but my heightened adrenaline is quickly fighting through the fog. I flex against the restraints, testing, trying to find enough give in the plastic.

As I feel my thumbs flexing with the right angle, a slow smirk crosses my lips.

Just enough give to work with.

Suddenly, a triumphant laugh echoes through the cavernous space as Javier marches back toward me in his egotistical manner. “She’s awake,” he announces, waving at me to his goons. “Perfect timing. I was just telling my associates about the special delivery we sent to your clubhouse.”

My muscles tense, not understanding what he means by that. My thoughts shift to Alpha, and I hope that he’s okay while Javier crouches beside me, his face inches from mine. His menacing smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes—those remain cold, empty.

“I bet your curious little mind is wondering what I would send to the clubhouse?” he asks, pressing the tip of his finger against my forehead.

I shake him off, curling my lip up at him. “My first guess would be your cock, but I know it can’t be that because I can tell you don’t have one. Or if you do, it’s probably so small it’s inverted.”

Javier doesn’t take the bait. He doesn’t react and slap me like I thought he would. He simply stares at me with a contented smile. “You know, Haven, I think under different circumstances, you and I, we could have made a fine team.”

I snort out a laugh, tilting my head. “In what universe do you think I would ever work for a man like you, Javier?” I snarl, then spit aggressively at his feet.

He simply chuckles, standing this time, and begins pacing. “Need I remind you, Blue Jay —” his use of my code name freezes me momentarily. “That you did, in fact, work for a man like me. For my Uncle Rico Rojas, when you were a bird at The Nest. We owned you before you even knew who we were. And now…” he gestures to Nighthawk, “… we still have loyal birds who remember their training. So don’t go acting all high and mighty with me. I know who you are. I know the things you have done in the name of the Cartel. You are not innocent, Haven.”

My stomach churns as I stare at Javier, a sick feeling invading every damn pore of my body.

The problem is, this damn motherfucker is right.

But I still won’t let him get to me.

“You think you know me? You don’t know shit. Whatever you sent to the club, a bomb, a team of mercenaries to take them out, they’ll see it coming, and they’ll tackle it head-on. We’re not called Defiance for no damn reason, asshole!”

Javier chuckles again, like he’s in on some big secret, continuing his relentless pacing around the large expanse. “I never thanked you for bringing dinner. When my men went to check your truck, there really was a lot of chicken in there, so thank you for feeding my men while you were sleeping.”

Furrowing my brows as I stare at him in confusion, still wriggling at my restraints behind my back, I shrug at him. “You’re welcome?” I reply, more as a question than a statement.

Javier turns to me, slowly sliding his finger into his mouth and sucking on it. The sight is repulsive as he lets out a small moan of pleasure. “Mmm, finger licking good. Wouldn’t you say, Nighthawk?” he chimes like he is so proud of himself.

She doesn’t respond—just continues cleaning her weapons like she’s bored with this entire conversation. But Javier moves back over, kneeling in front of me. His smirk grows wider. “Those chicken boxes came in very handy. Your instincts taught you that I would send destruction to the clubhouse. Try to fracture them with explosives or manpower.” Javier simply shakes his head. “Oh, no, no, no, mi amore . You have me all wrong.”

Inhaling sharply, I tilt my head, trying to play his game. “Do I? You’re telling me your end game isn’t to wipe Defiance off the face of the California Coastline?”

He shrugs, pursing his lips, his eyes narrowing so thin that the darkness seeping from him suddenly sends a chill through my bones. “I mean, that would be nice, but before I do, I want to watch Alpha fall to his knees. I want to see him suffer a pain so unimaginable, his entire world will collapse around him.”

His smirk intensifies as he shakes his head. “I won’t have to wipe Defiance off the map, Haven. They will tear themselves apart. We have seeds being sewn throughout the club. Once they unravel and blossom, brothers will turn on each other. Grief will turn to anarchy…” His finger comes out, gently running down my face, but I nudge him away in contempt. He chuckles, shifting his weight to stand, and begins his trademark pacing. “Then, well, mi amore , then, I will dance on the ashes of their demise.”

My eyes shift to Livvy, lying on the metal table, blood still dripping from her, soft moans leaving her lips every now and then, letting me know she is still with me. Turning back to Javier, I roll my shoulders, finding my inner strength. “You talk a big game… so what’s your big reveal? What did you send the club?”

Javier waggles his brow at me. “Ahh, there it is. I knew you couldn’t resist. The thing is, we do our research here. We knew about the whole dynamic between you, Alpha, and his ex-wife, Livvy here. How you doing, Liv?” he calls out, then kicks the leg of the table, clearly sending a jolt across the cold metal. Livvy lets out a loud moan, her body writhing while Javier chuckles at her clear discomfort.

Clenching my fingers tight, my knuckles tense, wanting nothing more than to take this motherfucker out. His time will come. I just have to wait for the right opportunity to present itself.

He clears his throat and continues, “As I was saying, we knew taking you would affect Alpha. Taking Poppy, eh, we’ve been there, done that. But taking you and his ex-wife. Well, that… that is a gold mine. Watching him figure out his emotions on which one of you to save… the woman he’s going to marry or the mother of his child? I mean, who knows which way this will go? It’s exciting, though, right?”

For a moment, just a brief moment, anxiety rolls through me. Because deep down, I know if this does go to shit, who he needs to choose—and it’s not me.

Poppy needs her mother.

I may have trained her, I may be like another mother to Poppy, but the fact is, I can never be her mother.

I can never replace her mother.

If it comes down to a choice, and Alpha is the one who has to make it—I will make it for him.

Simple as that.

My thoughts are broken by Javier's sinister cackling, yet again, as he begins circling me. I follow his movements, my pulse quickening again. “Am I mistaken, or do I sense a little fear in your eyes, Blue Jay?’’ he mocks.

Snorting out a laugh, I curl my lip at him. “That’s not fear, it’s just some E. coli I picked up from the unsanitary conditions of this place. You really should get some sodium hypochlorite in here, or at a minimum, some disinfectant.”

He doesn’t hesitate this time, storming up to me, his face turning redder with each step. His nostrils flare like a raging bull as he yanks the blade from Nighthawk’s hand as he passes her. My breath hitches as I try to lift onto my feet to make a run for it, but I slip on Livvy’s blood as he reaches me. The bastard shoves me to the floor so hard my hands behind my back ache like hell as I land on them, instantly feeling one of my thumbs dislocate, and I can’t help but let out a small moan. His evil eyes meet mine before he brings the blade up, plunging it into my right shoulder.

“Ahh,” I grit my teeth, trying like hell to fight the pain searing through me as he sits back on his heels, breathing harshly, swiping his bloodied hand through his sweat-filled hair as he flops it back into place.

He continues to stare at me like he is enraged, yet trying to calm down at the same time. “Don’t. Push. Me to do things like that. Do you understand me?” he scorns calmly and succinctly.

I don’t say anything in return. I simply nod my head.

He exhales, licks his lips, then slides off me, moves to stand, wipes his blade, and then walks over to Nighthawk, handing it back to her casually.

Her eyes meet mine briefly, her expression emotionless before she looks away. Blood oozes down my shoulder, the pain radiating through my muscles as I use my strength to sit back up. But as I move, I feel my thumb slowly slipping from the restraints behind me. Keeping my breathing steady, and even with my shoulder aching like a damn motherfucker, I slowly begin sliding my hand out of the restraint, making sure to keep my movements minimal, so Javier won’t notice.

He clears his throat, turning back to me, his eyes wide. I stop moving instantly, hoping he hasn’t caught a glimpse of my attempts, but he continues his ranting, “As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, we were watching the dynamics between your happy little family. And yes, making Alpha choose between the two of you is the ultimate goal. But fucking with him mentally beforehand, that’s just a bonus.”

When he finishes talking, my hand is released from the restraint, but I stay exactly where I am. I need all the information I can get before I make any moves. “So let me start to put the pieces of your endless fucking rambling together. You want to mess with Alpha’s head. That’s more than clear. You want him to have to choose between me and Livvy, and you’ve sent something to the clubhouse that’s going to trigger these events?”

“The thing is, Haven, when you arrived, it changed the plan. We were going to do this whole thing, send a video with the two of you, and make him have to choose, blah blah. It seemed like a great idea at the time. But, then, you came in, all cocky, with your copious amounts of chicken, and while you were munching away on that crispy delicacy, that beautiful diamond on your left ring finger glistened like a beacon against the light. Bringing with it the idea of a whole new spectacular way to drive Alpha into madness. As I said, everything that happened here was because of you . Your divine intervention is how this all came about. I cannot thank you enough for what is about to transpire. You are the architect. My muse, if you will.”

Snorting out a laugh, I scowl at him. “You’re fucking insane if you think I wanted any part of this insanity.”

He chuckles, motioning to Livvy, who is still writhing on the metal table. “You can’t tell me that a part of you, even just a small part, wouldn’t find it easier if the ex-wife of the man you’re about to marry wasn’t around anymore?”

I find my inner strength moving to my feet this time, but still keeping my hands behind my back. My face scrunches with my disdain for this piece of shit. “I don’t know why the fuck you’re trying to bate me, Javier, but Livvy may be the ex-wife of the man I am undeniably in love with, but that doesn’t make her my enemy, nor my competition. That woman, the one on the table that you have been torturing, is the mother of a child who I love with all my fucking heart. Who I treat as if she is my own fucking daughter. That woman is a nurse at the hospital, and she cares for more people and has saved more lives than you have taken. That woman is my best fucking f-friend.” My voice breaks, tears threatening as my eyes meet with Nighthawk’s briefly.

Her nostrils flare like she’s affected by my words, and then she drops eye contact as I continue, “Livvy is my best friend, and I love her with everything I have. So, in answer to your pathetic attempt at a question. No, there is zero part of me that wants a world without Olivia Landry in it.” I glance down at Livvy, her face so pale it’s worrying. Her eyes are closed, but I don’t miss the tears slowly rolling down her face. Every part of me wants to reach out and hold her. But I don’t want to give away that I’m loose just yet.

Suddenly, Javier raises his brow and begins to slowly clap, completely mocking me like the jerk he is. Slumping my shoulders, I turn to face him as he approaches. “It’s sad really, seeing a bird fall so far from The Nest. You had so much potential, Blue Jay.” He shrugs and spins away from me, moving back toward Nighthawk. “Lucky, I have your protégé to take your place where you have failed. And even though you were my muse in my big idea, Nighthawk was the one who carried out the task.”

“Are you ever going to actually tell me what the fuck it is you’ve done? Or is this all a stalling technique until you actually come up with a real idea?” I blurt out, growing tired of his stupid games.

He huffs, seemingly annoyed with my outburst. “So impatient. All right, not one for theatrics, huh? I’ll get right to the point. When I saw you were now engaged to Alpha, my mind started ticking. Why send a video to him when we can hand deliver a message from the both of you.”

Furrowing my brows, I shake my head. “I’m not following.”

“The club knew you were going out to buy all that food for them, the chicken, a celebration feast if you will. So, my bright idea? Send a bucket of chicken, so then they know we have you and a part of Livvy along, too, so they know we have her as well.”

My eyes widen, my mind flashing back to just before I blacked out.

There was so much screaming as I lay on the cold concrete. My breathing was labored, my vision fading in and out. The last thing I saw was Livvy’s finger falling to the floor, right beside my head, before everything went black.

My head snaps up, staring at Javier, and this time, seeing him for the monster he truly is. “You sent Livvy’s severed finger to the clubhouse in a bucket of fucking chicken?” I growl, my voice coming out harsher than I even realized it could.

Javier tilts his head, seeming impressed. “Oh, there she is. Here’s that fire I’ve heard so much about. You want to know the real kicker, Haven?”

Tensing, it takes every ounce of fucking inner strength I have not to launch at this motherfucker right here, right now, but I wait. Bide my time.

“Tell me,” I answer.

His designer shoes begin to pace, making their way back toward me. “Because I saw your engagement ring, it sparked this glorious idea. I had my guys go to Livvy’s house, tear it upside down until they found the engagement ring Alpha had given her all those years ago, and then when they found it, they put it on her severed finger in the chicken box. Just so Alpha would know the finger was hers and not yours.” He steps right in front of me, drops his chin, and waggles his brows. “I know! Fucking genius, right?” He chuckles after he’s finished.

I feel sick.

Physically sick.

Not for me and not even for Livvy right now, but for Alpha and how opening that box will send him into a tailspin.

I hate to admit it, but Javier’s right.

Alpha’s world will collapse around him.

And once he realizes what’s going on, it will be all out anarchy.