He went.
* * * * *
“Right, Lieutenant Keaton.” Pause. “Okay, thanks, uh…Chace.” Pause. “Right. I’ll let you know. Thanks again.” Another pause. “Right, good-bye.”
Jussy hung up, kept at her phone, thumb sliding over the screen and Deke knew she was checking texts since it seemed like a hundred of them came while she’d been talking to Chace.
She finished with that and lifted her big brown eyes to Deke.
She was sitting cross-legged on his couch. She’d left the station with the windbreaker but the minute he got her up in his trailer, he found a flannel shirt of his and made her switch it out.
The cops didn’t fuck around processing her phone so they could give it to her before they left and she didn’t fuck around making her calls while Deke made her instant coffee, gave her aspirin, made his own calls to his crew and changed the sheets on his bed.
Now she was on his couch and Deke was hips to his kitchen counter.
“Well, you heard most of it but don’t know the texts so let me sum up,” she announced then launched right in, “Lieutenant Keaton is now Chace to me and he’s fully briefed. I’ve called Joss and Dana and they lost their minds. I got through to Lacey and she lost her mind. I think I talked Joss and Dana out of dropping everything and flying out here because my mom can be dramatic and I don’t need that. And Dana is sensitive, she’d take one look at me and lose it and I don’t need that either.”
She drew in a huge breath, winced through it, and kept talking in that grainy voice that was getting better but still pissed him way the fuck off.
“I thought I talked Lacey out of canceling gigs, getting in her private jet and hauling ass out here. I also thought I’d talked her out of showing on Sunday. But Jiggy, her manager, just texted and said she’s back on that rant. He also shared that they’ve not had any threats or seen anyone creepy or, I should say, anyone creepier than some of the usual creepy that follows Lacey around. But he’s beefing up her security because I told him that I figure that asshole meant Lacey when he said ‘the other one.’ And I told Jig to keep her away because we don’t need to make things easier for that guy with both Lacey and me right here.”
She stopped talking and Deke gritted his teeth, holding himself back, giving her space until it looked like she’d crumble under the weight of her words taking her back where she was just a few hours earlier with that fucking guy.
If she started to crumble, he’d go to her.
Just like Jussy, she pulled it together so he stood where he was.
“Jiggy assured me he’d talk her out of showing here, even on Sunday,” she continued. “Lacey’s a bona fide spitfire so he might or might not be able to do that. Mr. T, however,” she lifted her phone and shook it, “doesn’t get talked out of anything he doesn’t want to get talked out of. He’s texted that he’s already booked his flights and will be here early this evening in order to ‘oversee the investigation’…his words. I gave Chace a heads up about that too.”
It was awesome, though not surprising, she had people who cared so much about her.
And it would be interesting (read: funny) to watch Chace work under the thumb of whoever this Mr. T guy was.
Carefully, Deke noted, “You didn’t call your brother.”
“I don’t have a brother,” she shot back.
He only lifted his chin slightly and said softly, “Your call, gypsy.”
She looked away, swallowed like it was painful, Deke again beat back what seeing that made him feel then she looked back to him.
“Mr. T has also activated my publicist,” she shared. “I don’t use her often but she’s on retainer. She’s going to be contacting Chace in order to coordinate anything that needs to be done in case any of this leaks.”
“Chace promised me he’d keep a lid on it and the man’s a friend, Jussy. Know him well, through good times and seriously bad. So I can tell you he’s a damn fine man and a really good cop. He makes that promise, he’ll put all he’s got into keeping it,” he assured her.
“Good to know,” she mumbled.
Deke studied her, knowing from what he saw that Chace was pushy about the ice because her face was fucked up but the swelling wasn’t as bad as it could have been so it could have looked a helluva lot worse.
He just hoped it could have felt a helluva lot worse and now didn’t.
It was what was at her throat that made Deke’s gut burn.
Her voice was softer, beginning to tremble, when she told him something else he heard.
“I called Bianca. She didn’t pick up. Left a voicemail. Mr. T has taken over dealing with her parents. He doesn’t want me more upset than I already am. So he’s informing them about what happened.”
“Got another friend, also a good man and smart as a whip,” Deke said. “He’s got skills. He’s also got a business where he uses those skills and he’s got a team. You want, I’ll talk to Decker. He’ll find her for you.”
“Can you call him?” she asked, the good side of her face starting to dissolve, now that she had nothing to do opening it up for the weight of what had happened to come crushing down.
That was when Deke was done with leaning his hips into the counter.
He moved to her, wedged himself in beside her and pulled her into his arms.
That last, he didn’t need to do. She came out of her cross-legged position. Shifting to her hip, she fell to his side, landing with her chest to his as well as the healthy part of her face, snaking an arm around his stomach, pressing into him.
Only then did he answer her request.
“I’ll call him.”
“Thanks, Deke.”
He held her with one arm and carefully wound his other hand in her hair.
“You wanna tell me who this Mr. T guy is?” he asked.
“Mr. Thurston. Granddad’s manager. Dad’s manager. He was also my manager when I was more active, and still is, to tell the truth, even if he isn’t managing tours and making sure no one fucks me over.” He felt her let out a big breath before she continued, “He’s a good guy. A member of the family now. Though he isn’t demonstrative. All business, always has been. I still think he’d push me out from the front of a speeding train even if it meant he took that hit.”
“Good you got that, Jussy. All that you got,” he told her.
“I know,” she replied, like she totally did.
He gave her next what he needed to give her so she could mull it over as shit calmed down and stuff started fucking with her head.
“Chace wants me to talk to you about Victims Assistance. Early for you, baby, but puttin’ that in your head. You need it there to know, things start fuckin’ with you, we make a call and we’ll get you some help.”
“Thanks again, Deke.”
“Now, want you to quit talkin’,” he said. “You need to rest your throat. Also gonna put you to bed because you just plain need some rest.”
He felt her cheek slide on his chest and he tipped his chin down to catch her eyes.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Try.”
“I just drank two cups of not the greatest but very strong coffee,” she told him.
He shot her a grin. “I know my gypsy’s feelin’ better, she’s givin’ me shit about my coffee.”
“I’m going to the mall first chance I get and getting you your own four-cup Mr. Coffee. No coffee drinker should drink instant.”
“I like it.”
“It’s awful.”
“It’s coffee.”
“It’s awful coffee.”
“It’s an excuse for you to bust my chops so you’re not layin’ down and tryin’ to get some shuteye.”
“This is because there is no way I’ll achieve the shuteye portion of that order.”
“Then you can’t sleep but you can rest.”
“Deke.”
“Justice.”
They went into staredown, something Deke had a feeling he’d win but he didn’t get the chance to brin
g that to fruition.
He heard vehicles approaching.
He looked to the door and felt her head lift from his chest to look that way too.
Carefully, he detached from her, got up and went to the side window.
Then he blew out a sigh.
Krys’s Camaro, Lexie’s Charger, and if it wasn’t bad enough Krys was clearly bringing a posse rather than just a bag filled with Jussy’s things, that posse included Twyla and Deke knew that because her pickup followed Lexie’s Charger.
He turned his eyes to Jussy.
“The big-haired cavalry has arrived.”
Her brows drew together, she flinched and again his gut burned.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
She nodded.
Deke went out the door.
He was at the bottom of the steps in front of the closed door by the time they all got out of their cars and started tramping his way, the girl gang including Lauren, who was carrying a bag.
“You couldn’t carpool?” he asked.
“Get out of my way, big man,” Krys demanded.
She was pissed and not hiding it, a staple in Krys’s emotional stratus.
Though now he could see she was a lot more pissed than normal.
“She’s had a rough morning,” Deke growled.
“No shit?” Krys asked, stopping in front of him.
“She doesn’t need you losing your mind,” Deke told her.
Krystal had no reply except to put two hands on him to shove him out of her way.
There was no chance Krys could shove Deke out of her way.
What there was a chance of was a heavily pregnant Krys wanting to get to her friend so Deke would let himself get shoved out of her way.
This he did.
She threw open his door and stomped in.
“Hey, Deke,” Laurie greeted, walking past him, face a warring mixture of amusement and concern.
Deke lifted his chin.
“Deke,” Lexie said, also walking past him with the same look on her face, except with Lexie, it was clear the amusement was winning out.
Deke didn’t say anything and not only because they heard Krys shouting from inside, “Motherfucker!”
“Yo,” Twyla gave her greeting, not breaking stride as she walked right by him.
He followed Twyla in.
He had a decent-sized Airstream.
Him, Jussy and four women was four women too much.
“I do not believe this shit!” Krys was still shouting.
“Calm down,” Deke grunted.
Her eyes cut to him.
“Calm down?” she yelled.
“Hey, Jus,” Lauren said softly and he took his eyes from Krys to watch Laurie push through and set the bag on the floor by the couch. “Krys and I went to your place. Got some of your stuff. Think you’re covered but you need anything else, you give us a call and we’ll take care of it for you.”
“Hey, I’m Lexie,” Lexie stated before Jussy could get in a word to Laurie. Lexie was sidling closer to Jussy, doing it with a friendly but cautious smile on her beautiful face. “I get that it’s not a good time for us to meet but Krys was calling around, saying you were staying out here with Deke and we thought…you know…”
She did not share what she thought Jussy knew.
Krystal did.
“Jus’s gotta stay here with you, we’re doin’ a once-over of this place and an inventory. Told Chace I wanted Jus’s ass at Bubba and my place and he said Jus wanted to be here so she’s here. But she’s here and we’re gonna scrub it down so a female can live in your lair without toxic spores taking root in her lungs, not to mention we’re makin’ sure you got some food to feed her.”
She said all this to Deke, not Jussy, and she wasn’t done.
“And if you give me lip, I’ll be glad for it because I’m lookin’ for a reason to lose my mind and someone to lose it on and you’re a big guy. You’ll be able to take it when I do.”
“You women wanna clean my trailer, I’m down with that,” Deke replied and watched three women blink at him in surprise.
Twyla did not. She was a sister to her sisters and she was a sister to the brotherhood and not because she was a lesbian but because she was a badass. She knew any man would not turn down a pack of women cleaning his house.
So she was grinning.
“But you can come back and do it,” Deke went on. “Jussy’s gotta lie down and get some rest and before you give me shit,” he said the last, his voice lowering. “I already changed the sheets.”
“Talked with Tate,” Twyla said at this point, cutting off a Krys who had opened her mouth to speak, or maybe snap, though she could have also been set to do more yelling. “I’m not on tonight at Bubba’s so I am on tonight to keep a lookout here. Tate thinks, days, when she’s up for it,” she jerked her head Jussy’s way, “she’s at the garage with Stella, at the bar with Krys or at the salon with Lexie. Never alone. Public. Lots of traffic. She’ll be good.”
Deke announced an alternate scenario which was actually the only scenario.
“She’ll be here with me and when she’s good to go back home, I’ll be there with her.”
“Brother, you got work,” Twyla reminded him.
Which reminded him of something else, he not only had to call Decker to activate him to find this Bianca bitch, he also needed to call Max.
“And that work’s at her place so I’ll do that work once the cops free up Jussy’s house, doin’ it with Jussy there,” Deke replied.
“Okay then, now we’ll look at the food situation and then we’ll go shopping. We’ll come back in a few hours to clean,” Laurie decided.
“He needs a coffeemaker,” Jussy put in. “If anyone has an extra or if one of you could go back to my house and get mine out of the utility room, it’d be appreciated.”
“I got a kettle,” Deke said to her. “Don’t need a coffeemaker.”
“Deke, you need a coffeemaker,” she returned.
“No I don’t.”
“Let me rephrase,” Jussy fired back. “I need a coffeemaker.”
Instantly, Deke looked to Lauren. “You got the time, bring her coffeemaker.”
And he watched Lauren’s eyes get so huge it looked like they’d pop out of her head, and she did this, he knew, because she was trying not to bust a gut laughing.
Deke ignored that.
It had not been lost on him in the last couple of hours what his response to Jussy’s attack, and more, Jussy’s response to his response, meant.
That was not for now.
They’d talk that through later.
He had his gypsy princess with a banged-up face, a fucked-up throat and a man out there who they didn’t know dick about intending her harm.
He’d lived through the shit that went down with Lauren and Tate, it being Deke who carried Laurie to his truck after she’d been kidnapped and stabbed and then he drove like a crazy motherfucker to get her to the hospital. It’d been Deke who’d taken Lexie’s back when the dirty, now-dead police chief Fuller had targeted Ty to plant shit in his house that’d get his ass back in prison. And he’d been one of the men helping dig Chace’s now-wife Faye out of the ground.
Shit for Jussy was not going to get close to being that extreme.
What happened happened.
And now for her it was over.
That was what he had to focus on.
After that, they’d sort out the rest.
“You all do the inventory and ask Jus what she likes. Make a list. Me and Deke gotta have words,” Krys bossed, shot him a glare then stomped out of his trailer.
“You better go,” Lexie urged quietly.
“Yeah, you better go,” Laurie agreed.
Deke looked to Jussy.
She was grinning at him, fucked-up face and all.
He didn’t get it, but from experience, it was always the way.
Inject the sisterhood in any situation, no matter one of their own had her house broken int
o, a knife held to her throat, strangled near to death, she had her girls around her, she was sitting in crazy-ass pajamas on a couch in a trailer and grinning.
He sighed and followed Krys out.
She was standing by her Camaro.
He did not speak until he reached her and when he did, he did it subdued so it could not be heard in case someone was listening.
“We are not doin’ this now and just to make it clear, we’re not only not doin’ this now, we’re not doin’ this ever.”
“When I told Chace she was comin’ to stay with us, he told me you wouldn’t care I was pregnant, you’d take me down I tried to get her from you.”
Deke said nothing.
Krystal didn’t return that favor.
“Bub says you two got somethin’, Jus’s all for it, you got your head planted right up your ass.”
Deke remained silent.
Krystal’s face softened.
Slightly.
“Brother, she just got attacked. Gonna be a tough row to hoe feelin’ safe after that. Takin’ on that row, she does not need to deal with the kinda hurt you can lay on her she feels one way, but you’re puttin’ in this effort just ’cause you two are friends.”
To that, Deke spoke.
“Not gonna lay any hurt on her.”
“Think you won’t. It happens no matter how cool you’re trying to be.”
“Not gonna lay any hurt on her,” Deke repeated.
She got closer. “I know you’re a good guy, Deke, but I’m not thinkin’ you’re getting me.”
“No,” he grunted. “You’re not getting me. I. Am. Not. Gonna lay any hurt on her.”
Krystal stared up at him and she was wide-eyed now.
“Go in, find out what she needs, round up your posse,” he ordered. “Got some calls to make and I’ll be back in. You guys hang until I’m back. Don’t want her alone.”
“Okay, Deke,” Krys agreed readily.
Krystal Briggs agreeable.
Deke blew out another sigh.
She gave him a shit-eating grin, kept on giving it and didn’t move.
“I got calls to make,” he reminded her.
“Right,” she said, still grinning and doing it as she moved around him and headed back to the trailer.
Deke leaned against her car, eyes to the road leading up to his property, pulling out his phone.
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