Viktor frowned. “I cannot remember the exact day. July, maybe?”
That rang true with the events that had happened since. “How did you wind up with the Crows?”
“I am not sure. It had escaped my knowledge that they were still something I should think about.”
“Ours too, and I’m sorry about that. We didn’t know we had reason to look for them.”
“Really?” Viktor shifted on the bed, flexing his legs. Newly clean, barefoot, and dressed in Kings merch, he seemed like someone else. “Priest was a monster.”
“We know that now.”
“Locke never told you?”
I shook my head, leaning hard on the wall. “It took Rocco’s crew a while to trust us, and sometimes life moves too quick to stake a claim to the past.”
“I understand that, perhaps now more than ever. Folk told me that Locke is okay?”
“He will be,” I corrected with more conviction than I truly felt. “You’ve had me worried, though. I told Jakov you were alive, and I’ve been shitting a brick I’ll have to tell him you expired before he got here.”
At the mention of Jakov, something in Viktor relaxed. “He is coming for me?”
I checked the time. “Two hours. Do you know why Sambini took you?”
“To find favour with the Albanians. Their alliance is not an easy one, and I exploited that. So I had to go. I do not know if the Albanians knew about it, though. Maybe Sambini gave me to the Crows as an insurance policy. To guarantee assistance from Jakov if their relationship with the Albanians did not work out.”
“Two-faced cunts.”
Viktor smirked. “You sound like your nomad.”
“Ranger?”
“Yes.” Viktor’s gaze flickered to a beat-up cargo bag in the corner. “Locke said he cut his hair.”
The comment felt as left field as the fondness hazing eyes that were as light as Ranger’s were dark. But it reminded me of the angst I’d seen in Ranger over the past few months, and I wondered if Viktor had claimed the chunk of his heart that had been missing all this time.
Did Ranger even bend that way?
Did Viktor?
Strange thoughts for a strange moment, but they were cut short by the rumble of bikes in the yard.
Cam. I knew the sound of his hog as well as my own, and I moved to the window in time to see him sweep into the yard with Embry and Mateo.
No Saint.
No Alexei.
No Ranger.
Rubi came out to meet them, and I watched every breaking news item hit Cam, tracking his gaze as it swung from my bedroom window to the bunkhouse.
Mateo and Embry dismounted. Mateo was set free to catch up with his kids, and Embry made straight for the clubhouse. To check up on Orla and Locke, and I was glad of it.
Jealous, but glad.
Cam remained with Rubi. Knowing he’d find me soon enough, I wrenched my gaze back to Viktor.
He was slumped forward, rubbing his head with a shaky hand, clear signs of nausea and pain on his face.