I went charging into the living room, Boo hot on my heels but Vance was gone.
“God dammit!” I shouted at the empty room.
“Meow! ” Boo concurred.
* * * * *
I arrived at King’s nearly an hour late and the minute I came through the door May bore down on me like I was a clueless tourist wandering into the street in Pamplona and she was the bul .
She was fol owed, to my complete surprise and absolute mortification, by Daisy and Roxie.
“Wel ?” May asked after she arrived, looking at my face closely.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I stated, walked right by the trio and stomped across the room, ignoring the kids who were staring at me.
The ladies caught me at the entry to the hal and hustled me, protesting al the way, into the yel ow counseling room.
Roxie shut the door and May drew the blind on the window to the hal .
“Oh Sugar, what happened?” Daisy asked, eyes on me, her voice gentle.
I faced off against Daisy and ignored her soft look. “I said I don’t want to talk about it.”
And I didn’t. My emotional Rottweiler was straining against his chain, snarling and barking, teeth bared.
I didn’t need this shit. I didn’t need these people.
I didn’t need to think about the fact that I’d had unprotected sex, twice, with Crowe. If his swimmers were anything like him they were gonzo and had probably already fertilized at least one of my eggs and as I stood in the yel ow counseling room were likely creating a beautiful baby with dark hair, dark eyes and amazing bone structure.
This would mean I’d never get Vance Crowe out of my life.
Furthermore I didn’t need to think about what he said to me, how he said it or how it made me feel.
I needed to think about my mission. I needed to keep my head in the game.
The door flew open and Roxie, who stil had her hand on the knob, went flying.
Indy, Al y and Jet stormed into the room. I looked to the ceiling and fought for patience, or deliverance, or the ability to beam myself to Nicaragua.
I came back into the room when I heard Indy say, “Sorry Roxie.”
“What’d we miss?” Al y was staring at me.
Jet closed the door.
“I have to get to work,” I announced, stalking to the door but Daisy got in front of me and stopped me.
“He hurt you?” she asked, her voice stil kind.
“No,” I answered. “I’m late. I have appointments.”
“Does anyone know if they did it?” Jet whispered to May.
“We haven’t got that far,” May replied.
“Sugar, talk to us,” Daisy grabbed my hand.
I looked at our hands then at her then I pul ed my hand out of hers. “Listen, I don’t mean to be rude but I have work to do and this, real y, is none of your business.” Daisy’s head jerked and she took a step back.
I went to walk by her but a strong hand wrapped around my upper arm, ultra-long fingernails (I noticed, at a glance, they were painted frosty pink with swipes of silver across the tips) biting into my flesh and Daisy turned me back around. I was now facing a Daisy without the kind and gentle look on her face. This was a serious Daisy, serious as a heart attack.
“Girl, I know you’re a kickass, head-crackin’ mamma jamma but whatever happened with Vance you ain’t ever gonna get through if you don’t talk to your girlfriends, comprende?”
“You aren’t my girlfriends,” I told her.
Her eyes narrowed.
“Excuse me but we held the goddamned Sacred Girlfriend Ritual last night in your very own livin’ room,” Daisy declared, “complete with margaritas and makeup.”
“Sorry, Jules, but you aren’t getting rid of us,” Indy said.
“If he hurt her, I’m gonna kick his fuckin’ ass,” Al y said to no one.
“Vance wouldn’t hurt her, no way,” Roxie said quietly, watching me.
May pushed through everyone and grabbed onto my upper arms. “Talk, girl,” she said quietly in her Mama’s-gonna-make-it-better voice and even I, head-crackin’
mamma jamma (whatever that meant) was no match for May’s Mama voice.
I took a deep breath and let it go. “The date was terrible,” I told them and May’s hands dropped and she stepped back, her face fal ing with disappointment.
“Oh no,” Jet said.
“We fought,” I explained.
“About what?” Roxie asked.
“He tried to tel me what to do,” I answered.
“Wel , that wasn’t the way to go,” Indy muttered.
“When we got back to my house, we made up,” I went on.
“That’s good,” Jet put in, her expression brightening.
“Then we started to… um, you know…” I faltered.
“Then we started to… um, you know…” I faltered.
“Go on,” Al y encouraged.
“Then, at a good part, Vance had to stop and go outside to shoot Sal Cordova who was stalking me.” Daisy started to giggle.
“He shot him in the ass,” I told Daisy and I had to grin because I stil thought it was funny.
“What kind of good part?” Al y asked, bringing me back to the matter at hand.
I looked at her, grin stil on my face now for a different reason. “A really good part,” I told her.
“What we talkin’ about here? Hands and fingers or mouth and tongue?” Daisy demanded to know.
“Or fingers and tongue?” Al y threw in an alternate combo.
“Hands and fingers, mainly fingers,” I answered.
“Oh my,” Roxie breathed.
“Vance got shot too,” I said.
“No!” Indy exclaimed. “Lee didn’t tel me!”
“He’s okay, just a graze, some stitches in his thigh,” I assured Indy.
“So, you didn’t do it,” May said.
I looked to May. “Yes. We did. This morning. Twice.” Their eyes grew round and they leaned in.
“How was it?” Indy asked.
“What’s his body like?” Al y asked.
“Did it hurt? Are you okay?” Roxie asked.
I closed my eyes, bit my lip and then opened my eyes again and told them the rest. Al the rest, everything. When I was done talking, they were staring at me, mouths open.
“Holy crap,” Indy breathed.
“I knew that horse ridin’ thing was no urban myth,” Daisy said to Indy.
I looked at Roxie and she had tears in her eyes. I watched her a second and, forgetting about my travails, I walked to her.
“I’m okay,” I assured her and she nodded, tears stil threatening. Then I asked, “Are you okay?”
“Vance. We…” she stopped. “Jules, remember I told you yesterday he was the one who rescued me when my ex kidnapped me?”
I nodded.
“Wel after he brought me back, he went after my ex, Bil y, when Bil y got away. Tracked him for days. In the end, during the big face down when Bil y caught up with us at Daisy’s party, Vance shot him in the hand.” I stared. I’d heard the story but I didn’t know it was Roxie’s boyfriend or Daisy’s party.
Wow.
I shook off my wonder at this news and focused on Roxie. “You said ‘us’,” I told her, getting closer but not touching her, “did you see that happen? The shooting?” She nodded.
“Roxie, that must have been tough,” I said softly.
She blinked at me. “I’m not crying because of that.” This surprised me. “Why are you crying?” I asked.
“I’m crying because of something Hank told me, the reason why Vance went after Bil y. See, when Bil y kidnapped me, he beat me up pretty badly, broke some ribs. When Vance found me, I was a mess. He didn’t take to that very wel , said any man who raised his hand to a woman had to pay. Hank told me he went after Bil y because Vance came from a violent home. His Dad put him out of the house when he was ten because Vance tried to get in between his Dad and his Mom when his Dad was beating her. This
al fits together and it makes me happy he found you but it also makes me sad that he had to live through that before he did.”
“My God, I didn’t know that,” Al y said from behind me.
“I did,” Indy replied quietly.
“You went through a lot with this Bil y,” I said to Roxie, ignoring her words about Vance.
That was another thing I didn’t need. Knowing why Vance was turned out. Knowing he’d witnessed his mother’s abuse. Knowing he’d had enough strength of wil , sense of self and capacity for love at age ten to go against his father in an effort to protect his mother.
I didn’t need that at al .
So I rol ed it up in a big old bal and threw it in the high, chain link fenced compound that stood behind my emotional Rottweiler.
“Jules, did you hear what I said about Vance?” Roxie asked, taking me from my thoughts.
“I heard you. I know about Vance. I know he was a street kid and he’s an ex-con and recovering alcoholic.”
“Holy shit. I didn’t know that either,” Al y said again.
“I did,” Indy repeated.
“How do you know al this shit?” Al y asked.
“Lee told me,” Indy replied.
“That boy has a big mouth,” Daisy put in.
“He does not,” Indy defended Lee.
“He tel s you everything,” Jet entered the conversation.
“Of course he does. We don’t have any secrets,” Indy replied.
“Oh please. You lie to him al the time,” Al y returned.
“Okay then, Lee doesn’t have any secrets,” Indy retorted.
“Excuse me girls, but can we get to the topic at hand here?” May cut in and looked at me. “When’re you gonna see him again?”
“I’m breaking up with him tonight,” I announced.
May gasped.
Daisy looked at the ceiling. “Here we go again,” she said.
“What?” I asked.
“Jet tried to break up with Eddie,” Daisy told me.
“Didn’t work,” Jet said on a smile.
I turned to Jet in surprise. “Why did you try to break up with him? I saw him last night. He’s hot.” Jet just stared at me like she thought maybe I’d recently sustained a head injury.
“And Roxie tried to break up with Hank. That didn’t work either,” Daisy continued.
My eyes swung to Roxie. “You did? I saw him last night too, he’s lush.” I took them both in. “Are you two nuts?”
“Um… have you looked at Vance?” Jet asked me.
I shook my head. “It’s not the same thing. Anyway, it’s not I shook my head. “It’s not the same thing. Anyway, it’s not about the way they look. It’s about how they act.”
“Sugar, how… exactly… is Vance acting like someone you’d wanna break up with?” Daisy queried.
“He said ‘mine’, like he was claiming me. Like I was a possession or something,” I argued.
This was true. It was just like I was a possession, a highly-valued family heirloom with treasured, precious memories attached that had gone missing and was thought never to be found but, al of a sudden, it was back.
I didn’t tel the girls that though.
“Our boys can get kind of possessive,” Indy shared but she didn’t sound too upset by it. “You get used to it, I just try to ignore it,” she advised.
I persevered. “And, he tel s me what to do. Al the time,” I informed them.
“Yeah, they can be bossy too,” Indy said on a sigh. “I just go my own way and ignore that too.”
“Wait until you’re branded. Eddie branded me,” Jet added.
I blinked at her. “Branded you? Like they do to cows?” I asked.
She smiled. “Not exactly like that. He just made it known that if anyone touches me, they’l answer to him or any of his friends.”
“Lee did that with me too, in a way,” Indy threw in.
“Hank too,” Roxie said.
Damn.
“Vance has already done that. The whole Nightingale Investigation Team has thrown down on my side,” I shared.
“I knew that too,” Indy smiled.
“I didn’t! Dammit! Why am I so out of the loop?” Al y snapped.
May broke into Al y’s rant, she sounded exasperated too but at me. “Oh for goodness sake, Jules, you break up with that boy you’re off my Christmas card list.” I just stared at her, keeping my mouth shut.
She took my stare and then pul ed out the big guns. “And no birthday cake for you. I know you like your cake and your birthday is tomorrow and I had a good one al planned to make for you. But, you let go of Vance Crowe, forget it,” May went on.
“May, that’s not fair!” I protested and it was true, it wasn’t fair. It was cruel. I loved her birthday cakes. Everyone loved her birthday cakes. She made the best birthday cakes ever (even better than Auntie Reba but I’d never tel Nick that).
Last year, she made me German chocolate cake with that delicious condensed milk frosting with pecans in it. It was amazing.
I carried on my argument to May. “It’s my life. I know what I’m doing!”
“Mm hmm,” was al May uttered.
The rest of the girls were looking at each other.
“Your birthday is tomorrow?” Jet asked.
“Let’s have a party!” Al y yel ed.
“Great idea,” Indy said.
“No!” I broke in. “No party.”
“Too late, Sugar. Ain’t no stoppin’ the Rock Chicks when there’s a reason to party,” Daisy told me.
there’s a reason to party,” Daisy told me.
They started smiling.
Oh crap.
I took a deep breath.
Whatever.
Time to move on. It was obvious I wasn’t going to get anywhere with this pack.
“I have to get to work,” I told them.
“We’l get together tonight, plan the party,” Al y decided.
“Eight o’clock. Brother’s.”
“We should go together, since we live close,” Indy said to me. “I’d love to ride in your Camaro.”
Daisy was watching me closely, she was smiling.
I sucked in my lips. I real y didn’t need this shit.
“I’l pick you up, quarter to eight,” I said to Indy, “after I get back from the shooting range.”
“The shooting range?” Indy asked, eyes wide with excitement. “Cool! Can I go with you?”
I stared at her. Then I sighed.
“Yeah, give me your cel . I’l program in my number.” Told you I was a fool.
Chapter Eleven
We Sleepin’ at Your Place or Mine?
Indy and I pul ed up to Heavy’s house at five thirty.
The Rock Chicks and I had al exchanged phones and numbers and Indy had cal ed me that afternoon. When I told her I had to train with Heavy before the shooting range, she asked to come along to that too.
I’d said yes.
More fool I.
I pul ed my exercise bag out of the backseat and led Indy into Heavy’s house.
“Heavy!” I cal ed. “We’re here.”
“Who’s fuckin’ ‘we’?” Heavy came out of the kitchen and stared at Indy.
“Uncle Charlie!” Indy yel ed when she saw him.
“India Savage!” Heavy yel ed back, a huge, goofy smile spreading on his face. “Get over here, girl, give your Uncle Charlie a hug.”
They hugged each other. I stared.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
They ignored me.
“I didn’t know you were cal ed Heavy,” Indy told him, leaning back in his beefy arms.
“Long story, girl. God, I haven’t seen you in ages. Not since that FOP picnic, what? Two years ago? Hear you’re shacked up with Nightingale,” Heavy replied.
Indy got al girlie and showed him her ring, wiggling her fingers for effect. “We’re getting married,” she said.
“About fuckin’ time you two got together,” Heavy
replied, letting her go, “luckiest boy on the planet.” I was stil staring.
Heavy had never given any indication at al , whatsoever, that he was the kind of man who would al ow anyone to cal him “Uncle Charlie” without a swift upper cut leading directly to a KO.
Boy, I real y did not know Heavy.
I should probably learn a lesson from this and research my benefactors a bit more in future.
“Hel oooo?” I cal ed.
Heavy grinned at me. “This is Indy Savage, Tom Savage’s daughter,” he said this like I didn’t already know it already. “Tom and I worked together when I was on the Force. I’ve known Indy since she was yay-tal .” He held up his hand to about thigh level.
Then something occurred to him, his grin fled and he blinked at Indy.
“What’re you doin’ with Jules?” he asked, morphing into Father Bear at the thought that Indy was turning vigilante and joining my crusade.
“We’re going out tonight for dinner after she trains and shoots,” Indy told Heavy. “I heard she’s good. I wanted to watch.”
Heavy kept staring at her.
“Honestly, Uncle Charlie,” Indy assured him, “I’m not getting involved with Jules’s other business. Lee would handcuff me to the bed again.”
Again?
I didn’t get to ask the “handcuff to the bed again” question because Heavy’s stare sliced to me and it was my turn to get the Father Bear treatment.
“Speakin’ of that, what’s this I hear of you goin’ hand-to-hand with Jermaine and Clarence?”
“I took Jermaine down,” I told Heavy.
“Word is you went in after ‘em, confronted ‘em. What I train you, girl, is for defense, not offense. Got me?”
“They had a couple of runaways,” I explained.
“Shit, Jules. Now you’re gonna have every fuckin’
asshole on the street cal in’ you out. It’l be like the Wild Fuckin’ West. You learn quick and you’re gettin’ strong but you go up against one of them motherfuckers without surprise on your side, they’re gonna wipe the floor with you.”
My back went straight. “Heavy, don’t worry about it,” I said.
“I do worry about it,” he retorted.
“Wel , don’t,” I told him.
“I know you got Nightingale’s team at your back. They’re good but they got business to attend to, they can’t protect you every minute of the fuckin’ day,” Heavy went on.
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