The Alpha's Rogue ✔️

31 | Just Turned Traitor

Pic of Phoenix above 😍😘

3697 words

Maybe she had been too harsh to him the night before.

Maybe her tendency to spit out the first words that popped into her head had finally landed her in a situation she couldn't just undo.

Maybe her unruly emotions had plunged her into an ocean so deep, she could do nothing but regret the actions while floundering without a life preserver.

"What do you mean, he left? For how long? Where'd he go? Why didn't he tell me anything? What's up with you guys and all your stupid secrets?" Savannah shot the questions rapid-fire, not caring who answered as long as she got answers.

Cale rubbed the back of his neck and looked to Phoenix with a wry expression.

With an equally tense look, Phoenix turned his eyes back to Savannah. "We received a message from the Captain--"

"From Zion's father, you mean," she interrupted, wanting to be clear on that point. It was ridiculous the way they cloaked him in mystery to make him appear even more legendary.

"Yeah, his father. It was about the Lava Mount Ruby."

"What ruby?" Cale's brows lifted in curiosity.

"Did he find it?" Savannah's hopes rose for some inexplicable reason. Why should she be happy that Zion was one step closer to stealing an already stolen gem? She should hate the fact he was still chasing after material things while leaving her heart battered and alone in this God-forsaken city.

"They believe they have confirmed its location, and are one step away from getting their hands on it. It's going up for sale at an underground auction tomorrow at a location somewhere near the Islands."

"That's great," she commented flatly, not feeling any enthusiasm over it. "So, with Victor's network of men everywhere, why did Zion need to leave in such a hurry?" Something still didn't make sense to Savannah. Was a ruby really worth more than her?

"It's still super risky, going into this auction against arms dealers and men who have been involved with illegal trade for years. One wrong move, and it's all over. Zion is the only man for the job."

Savannah blew out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "That's... comforting."

"He'll be okay," Phoenix felt the need to reassure her, as if he read the concern on her face that she'd failed to hide. "He's impervious, remember?"

That word tipped off something in her brain. "How... how much of our conversation did you hear last night?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Phoenix.

He held her gaze steadily. "Enough to know you both clearly have issues, and this disagreement has been brewing for a long time. But also enough to know you're both making a huge mistake. Is this really the way you want to han--"

"Oh, please," Savannah interrupted with a mirthless laugh. "The last thing I need is a lecture from a rogue."

"So you'd take a lecture from someone else?" Phoenix crossed his arms and stood to his full height, refusing to cower under her sardonic glare.

His attitude caught her off guard. He'd always had trouble with her authority, but it had never been as blatant as this. "I guess," she shrugged, playing it off. While wondering what he was going to say, she tried with all her strength to remain standing under the awful knowledge that Zion had left her. Sure, she'd said some pretty horrible things to him in the heat of the moment when her entire world seemed to shift on its axis. But in the morning, everything looked different and she'd hoped for at least a few minutes to further explain herself and clarify a few things.