Walk the Line (Kings of Chaos 5)

“Right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. What happened?” I scrub my face with my hands as my eyes adjust to the dimness.

“Someone said they saw Blue’s mom talking to what appeared to be Calla’s Dad. Makes me nervous. Man didn’t come all the way up here in the dead of night like some cat burglar to play catch up. The fact that he didn’t say shit to Stone about coming up either, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

“Shit.” Pixie is getting crazier every year. I think Calla’s arrest followed up by her husband, Psycho’s death broke something in the tiny woman. “Wait. I thought Battle was in for life.”

“You and me both.”

“You think your family is in danger from them?”

“I ain’t about to take a chance on it. Your Old Lady’s house is the only one her mom won’t know.”

“Yeah. I get it.” I scratch my scalp. “Alright man, bring them over. I’ll get the house up and make space.”

“Thanks, brother, it’s just for tonight, while we do some recon and ask some important questions.”

“I’d do the same if I was you. Here, let me give you the address when you’re ready.” I relay the address and climb from the bed to grab a quick shower and finish waking up. Dressed in jeans, and a t-shirt with my holster and my cut over it, I sink onto the mattress by Blanche. I shake her gently.

“Hmmm.”

“B, get up we have a situation.”

“What’s wrong?” she mumbles.

“Blue, Delphine, and Bolton are coming over.”

She opens her eyes. “Whaaaa happene?” she slurs.

“You know there’s bad blood between her and her family.”

“Mmmhmm.” She nods.

“Shadow’s worried her mother might be doing something really stupid in her grief. They’re going to crash here tonight while he sorts things out.”

“What time is it?”

“About twelve-thirty.”

“Jesus. Alright. Let me go wake Whit, let her know what’s happening, and make up the pull out couch and blow up mattress.”

She slips from the bed, and I start moving the furniture around to make room for the playpen and the pull out bed. I know Bolton will want to stay close to his baby sister and mother, so I make room for the blow-up bed too. By the time I’m finished, Whitney is stumbling out of her room in pajamas pants and a loose tank top. Her hair has been placed in a messy bun.

“Who’s coming over?” she mumbles.

“Friends of the family. Her mom is going through some issues, and they need a space to crash for the night where she can’t come disrupt them. They have a two-month-old, they don’t want to be caught up in drama.”

“M’kay. Do I need to be up for this?”

“No, Whit. You can go back to bed, we just didn’t want you to wake up and be lost in the morning,” I say gently.

She nods and toddles back to bed like a zombie.

“Think she’ll remember any of that?” I ask Blanche.

“It’s a fifty-fifty chance,” she says with a smile.