Chapter 17

Chapter

Seventeen

PHOEBE

" M aman," I clutch my phone to my ear as Fabien's mom answers the call.

"Cher, I was wondering when we'd hear from you." I cut her off rudely and will have to deal with the consequences later.

"Kai is being arrested." The line goes quiet, and I can hear the officers talking to Kai and Fabien from a few feet away.

"Give me details." I nod to myself and start repeating everything I hear.

"Mr. Thorton is being arrested for terroristic threats. Who did he allegedly threaten? A former employee has filed the charges. You'll need to come to the station to give your statement. This isn't a joke, is it?" I bite my thumbnail when Kai gets shoved towards the cruiser parked at the curb.

"Kai! We'll meet you there," Fabien calls out from next to me.

I gasped as the officers placed Kai in the back of a cruiser and slammed the door on him.

"Put him on," Genevieve snarls in my ear, and I tap Fabien on the shoulder, offering him my phone.

"Ma?" I nod up at him.

He takes the phone and starts talking rapidly in Creole.

"What's going on?" I turn to Leah's voice and shake my head.

"We don't know. Kai was arrested," I can't seem to be able to speak anymore.

I can't lose him.

My chest starts to burn, and I can't get enough air. I clutch onto the nearest table and bend in half. I can hear Leah calling my name, but it's as if I'm underwater.

It's muffled and faint.

My ass hits the floor as my vision starts to narrow. I blink my eyes and try harder to find the air missing from my lungs. Someone forces my head between my knees.

"brEATH," Fabien's voice leaves no room for argument.

My lungs inflate, and the world spins.

"Again, little one. Slow it down. Take back control. That's it. Leah, grab Kai's keys. I'll need you to drive us to the station." Fabien's voice is stern to me and gentle to Leah.

He knows exactly what we need and delivers it flawlessly.

I'm not sure when he picked me up and put me in his lap, but when I raised my head, we were both on the bar floor by the door Kai was smoking at. The entire place is basically empty, and I frown. Cowboy is across the bar talking to the prospects at the main doors.

"Got them," Leah rushes back into view, dangling the keys to Kai's sports car.

"I'll stay. I'm alright now." Fabien looks reluctant, but I shake my head.

"Go, we won't all fit in his two-seater. Plus, I hate police stations." He frowns at me but sighs in defeat.

"Stay here. We'll be back soon." He kisses me quickly and then stands with me still in his arms.

"We're on lockdown." He speaks to Cowboy, who nods and then reaches for me.

"You protect her," it comes out as a snarl which lets me know just how pissed he really is, even if he isn't showing it.

"Let's go," he says, reaching for Leah, but to our surprise, she engulfs me in a hug first.

"Are you going to be ok?" I smile and kiss her cheek.

"Yes, go." I gently push her away, and Fabien grabs her hand, turning for the door.

"That's new," I elbow him in the gut so he shuts up until they clear the doorway.

"You like her." He teases, and I growl at him.

He backs away with his hands up.

"Happiness looks good on you, Darling. It's been a long time since I've seen it." I feel my cheeks blush and thankfully he changes the subject so I don't have to answer him.

"Judge meeting them at the station?" Cowboy questions me, but I shrug.

"I don't know. But has Genevieve ever not been there when the club needs her?" I turn to him and catch his dimple popping out with his smirk.

"Not ever." His country twang makes me giggle.

"Let's get you settled. I have calls to make and members to wrangle." I stop dead in my tracks, though, as I glance at the TV above the bar.

"Wait, turn that up." I point at the bartender, who grabs the remote and unmutes the television.

"The National Weather Service has upgraded the storm to a category five. The storm's path is now clear and should hit landfall tomorrow night, with New Orleans taking the brunt of the one hundred and sixty-hour winds."

The newscaster keeps talking while pictures of the last superstorm that hit our city flash before our eyes.

"Fuck," I whisper as I look around at our employees.

"Close up! Head home and prepare." Cowboy calls out to them as he takes out his phone and calls Glitch, if I had to guess.

"Call Church. We're going on lockdown, Sugar."

I sit at the bar and stare at the TV, thinking about the past.

Am I happy?

It's an emotion I didn't think I would ever feel again. Contentment, for sure. Giddy even, absolutely. But happy?

It's something that feels like a betrayal to Sam.

They'd want me to be happy. Hell, they'd be pissed if I wasn't. Their words float through my mind, making me smile.

A life without joy and happiness is lonely. This world would be worthless without them in it. So live it your way, my little devil. Only you make the rules for your life.