Page 5 of Desperate Victory

She picked up her huge bag and slung it over her shoulder. I didn’t even pretend like that was okay. I lifted it by the strap and transferred it from her shoulder to mine.

“I am capable of carrying my own things,” she told me in that tart little tone that made me grin, even if she was giving me lip.

“Yet, you don’t have to and I know the boys wouldn’t make you carry a damn thing if they’re around.” The amused gleam in her eyes betrayed her.

“Of course not,” she said, threading her arm through mine when I offered it. “It wouldn’t be polite.”

A real laugh escaped me and I shook my head. It would absolutely be impolite and Jasper had cracked heads for far less. I pressed a kiss to her temple.

“What was that for?” Like she didn’t know, but still, I adored that easy smile on her face. The fact that everything that had been done so wrong to her was healing and she was… Fuck me, she was happy.

“Because you’re adorable when you’re smug,” I teased her then led her out of the suite and toward the elevators.

The last few months on the road had done her a lot of good. There was warmth in her eyes, color in her cheeks, and their time in Florida netted her a bit of a tan. Not that I could imagine her out in the sun that much. I’d heard about her training sessions. They were grueling, but…

No, no buts. Ivy was thriving and I loved it for her.

In the elevator, she pressed the button for the lobby before dropping back to lean against the wall in the corner. The guys really had taught her well. It was a defensible spot and out of direct line of sight when the elevator doors opened.

“Stop brooding,” she said, poking me.

“Doing my best,” I told her, not even bothering to try and dismiss the charge. “Just a lot on our plates right now, Ivy.”

“That’s why I’m here. Why we’re all here.”

It was. They were coming to help. All of them. Ivy. The Vandals. Adam’s cousin—how he got plugged into the Network I didn’t know and I didn’t ask. I appreciated the Network, and respected it. I also knew to keep a healthy distance.

As much as I wanted to ask her for everything immediately, I waited. We were limiting delicate discussions to spaces we controlled. The hotel was one of Adam’s, I thought. But I could be wrong. Still, it was too public. Bodhi’s penthouse was far more secure and the man took threats to his privacy seriously.

I liked that about him.

When the doors opened, Bodhi rose from where he’d been reading a paper and having a cup of coffee like he did this everyday.

Maybe he did.

“PPG,” he greeted Ivy as he fell into step with us. Bodhi hadn’t parked. The SUV idled out in the valet area in perfect view of the lobby.

“You remember I’m right here, right?” I rolled my eyes at the nickname. I knew exactly where that started and I could appreciate the fact he shortened it, but seriously…

“Was I not supposed to?” Bodhi deadpanned as we stepped out into the cold. Ivy laughed and gave Bodhi a kiss on the cheek. There was an ease to him around Ivy that I’d only seen when he was with Mayhem.

Where it was a possessive protectiveness with Mayhem, Bodhi’s watchfulness with Ivy was far more brotherly. I could respect that.

Once she was in the car though, I glanced at him. “Does Mayhem know you call her PPG?”

He smirked. “Yes. She doesn’t have a problem with it.” Then he clapped me on the shoulder and I chuckled.

My phone buzzed as I slid into the passenger seat. Adam planned to go out when we were back and he was asking for an ETA. So far, we’d stuck to the plan of no one moved alone.

Mayhem consented to the bodyguard when we couldn’t be there or she wanted to handle something solo. Ezra was never left alone. He refused bodyguards so he was stuck with us or Mayhem. Preferably, one of us as well as Mayhem.

Granted, his choices had been about protecting Ada and Lainey. I could respect that. But it was going to take a while for Adam or Lainey to not worry if he was out of their sight. Time they needed to heal and until we dealt with everything, they weren’t getting that time.

So, Ezra dealt with the overprotectiveness the same way Lainey did. Adam, Bodhi, and I were afforded a little more freedom, but we were still trying to make sure we weren’t flying solo. Too many players on the board.

Now we had unknowns.

Easier to defend if one of us was there and not chasing after the fact. We’d gotten lucky when that corrupt son of a bitch took Lainey. Damn lucky.