“You good, baby?” I asked.
“Sariah’s good,” she answered. “Or better, I think. I didn’t tell her the specifics, but I told her that she’s never going to see him again.”
I walked outside, out of earshot of anyone else. “That’s good, Violet. But I didn’t ask how she was. Asked how you are.”
She paused as if confused. As if how she was wasn’t important. Because that was Violet. Her focus was on her friend, and rightfully so. But tonight had opened some shit up for her. I saw it. Heard it. It cut me to the fucking core.
“I’m fine,” she said in a frail voice.
“You don’t have to be fine,” I told her.
Her breath remained even on the other end of the phone. When I went to sleep at night, I thought of that sound. Of the rain pounding against the outside of the car when I called her. Of that steady breath. I used to think of metallic clangs.
But now I thought of her breathing.
“I know,” she whispered. “But I’m … okay. I feel good knowing he got what’s coming to him.” She cleared her throat. “Does that make me a bad person?” she asked shyly.
“Fuck no, it doesn’t,” I barked at her. “It’s impossible for you to be a bad person, Violet,” I forced my voice to be softer this time.
“You’re not a bad person either, Elden.”
My cock twitched again at my name coming out of her mouth. At her soft tone, her gentle words. The way she spoke to me like she believed I was something. Someone. Worth her time.
“You don’t know that,” I argued.
“Yes, I do,” she retorted in a whisper.
Colby came outside, giving me a chin lift.
“I’ve got to go, baby,” I told her. I fucking hated knowing I wouldn’t hear her voice, but I was hungry to feel the death of the man who’d hurt her. Hurt her friend.
“Okay. Will I see you? Before you go?” Her tone was hopeful. Vulnerable.
Fuck. I’d been cruel to her. Said shit I didn’t mean, shit that still haunted me, yet she continued to speak to me with that soft tone.
I looked to Colby. He knew shit was happening between us, yet he hadn’t said shit. I didn’t think he’d say shit. Though he was loyal as fuck to the club, Violet was his friend. Saying anything to anyone would hurt her, and he knew that.
“Maybe,” I said, not wanting to make a promise to her I couldn’t keep.
“Okay,” she mumbled, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.
It hit me square in the chest.
“Ice your hand, baby,” I told her, remembering how red and angry it was.
“I will. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I shoved the phone in my cut.
“Ready?” I asked Colby.
“Ready,” he bobbed his head.
Wire in the Amber chapter got us all the details on the fuck who hurt her friend. We watched the place for the rest of the night, waiting for the right moment to go in.
It wasn’t hard to break into the fancy apartment he was stayin’ in. The place was a mess of booze bottles and pills. He did the job for us, really.