Page 104 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
rsed through my veins.
Draven sneered, expecting me to fold, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. When it came to people I didn’t like, I never backed down. And I did not like Draven.
He was rude.
First, he called in the middle of the night. Then he barged into Nick’s house before dawn. Now he was telling me that it wasn’t my place to sit in the living room of the house where I had basically been living for months.
And this stare-down was just an intimidation tactic.
But I wouldn’t let him bully me out of the room, not when Nick said I could stay. In a lot of ways, Draven’s behavior reminded me of my father. And though I’d always had a difficult time standing up to Trent Austin, pushing back against Draven wasn’t all that challenging.
“Fuck. She’s got a backbone, this one,” Draven finally said, breaking away.
“She reminds me of your mother.” Stone chuckled.
“They’re a lot alike,” Nick said before looking at his dad. “Emmy can stand up for herself. But I’ll warn you once. If you ever stare at her like that again, I’ll fucking beat you within an inch of your life.”
I swallowed a gasp at Nick’s statement.
Draven looked to the floor and nodded. “I apologize, Emmeline.”
“What do you want?” Nick clipped.
“Shit’s going down with the Arrowhead Warriors. It’s getting out of hand and we need to put a stop to it. Something serious. We’re looking to send a message. The Gypsies need a favor,” Draven said.
“What kind of favor?”
“Need you to help us start a fire.”
I clamped my mouth shut and listened as Nick, his father and his father’s men had their conversation. I stayed silent but that didn’t mean my mind wasn’t racing.
“No,” Nick said to Draven’s request.
Start a fire? Nick put out fires. He didn’t start them.
“I wouldn’t ask if I had someone else to do it,” Draven said. “Need this done right. No trace.”
“Not happening, Dad. I’m not getting involved in your shit.”
Draven sat calmly on the couch and stared at Nick, his brown eyes keeping his son’s as he refused to give up. “Just need you to come down and give us some tips, help us figure out how to torch this place without it getting back to my men.”
“No,” Nick repeated, his stance firm and unwavering.
“Why not?” Stone asked. “This shit is serious, Nick. Show some fucking loyalty.”
I was surprised at the older man’s sudden anger. If anyone in the room was going to lose their cool, I had expected it to be Draven. Even Jet was now wearing a serious look. But not Draven. His expression remained impassive.
Holding up a hand, Draven immediately silenced Stone’s protest. “This deal with the Warriors will not end well if we don’t have your help.”
“Don’t fucking talk to me about bad endings. I’ve seen firsthand what can happen to the innocents caught up in a rivalry between motorcycle gangs,” Nick said.
“What happened with the Travelers and your mother was tragic,” Draven said. “I underestimated them and I won’t do the same with the Warriors. You of all people should understand my need to strike first, keep the damage and casualties contained.”
At the mention of his mother, Nick’s already-tense body became rock solid. The muscles of his forearms pulsed as his hands formed tight fists.
“She’ll be safer if you help us,” Draven said.
“I seriously fucking doubt that,” Nick snapped.
