Rock Chick Redemption

by Ashley, Kristen

  Jet came over and sat with us.

  “That’s cool,” Annette said to Daisy after she smiled at Jet. “I’d let you do my hair.”

  Jet looked at me with wide, frightened eyes and gave a firm shake of her head that said clearly, “no, no, no”.

  I had no time to react, as Daisy started talking.

  “Oh Sugar, aren’t you sweet?” Then she gave a tinkly laugh.

  The bell over the door went and our eyes turned to see who came in.

  Luke was standing there. He’d changed nuances of his overall look; still all black, his t-shirt skintight, except this time with long sleeves. Instead of just plain boots he had on black motorcycle boots and instead of cargo pants, he had on jeans. As a fashion maven, I appreciated the subtlety that still managed to pack a punch. As a woman, I just appreciated him.

  “Jumpin’ Jehosafats, I think I just creamed my pants,” Annette whispered, staring at Luke.

  Luke’s eyes locked on me. He lifted his hand and crooked his finger.

  “I was wrong about before. Now, I’ve definitely creamed my pants,” Annette breathed.

  I got up and walked to Luke.

  He put a hand in the small of my back and propelled me into the books.

  We turned right, into the biography section, and stopped.

  “Got plans tonight?” he asked.

  I blinked at him. “I’m going to a strip club,” I answered.

  His eyes flashed, momentarily showing his surprise.

  Then he gave me one of his sexy half-grins.

  My heart stopped beating for a second.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “I’m your date,” he replied.

  My heart stopped beating for five seconds.

  Then I breathed. “Excuse me?”

  “You’re not on camera, you’re with me,” he said.

  “Excuse me?” I repeated.

  “Hank called. His case is bustin’ open. He’s busy. I’m assigned to you.”

  I blinked, twice. “Excuse me?” I said yet again.

  The grin came on full-fledged and he moved into my space.

  “I’m your bodyguard.”

  Holy cow.

  “You don’t leave Fortnum’s unless you’re with me,” he said.

  Holy fucking cow, cow, cow!

  I struggled for a second and then decided not to fight it.

  I wouldn’t win anyway.

  First off, Lord knew I needed a bodyguard. Second, Hank obviously set this up. Last, no way, in hell, was I going head-to-head with Luke.

  So, I said, “Okay.”

  “Outside this store, you don’t do anything unless you can see me.”

  “Okay.”

  “You aren’t anywhere unless I’m close enough for you to touch me.”

  I gulped at any thought of touching him.

  “Okay,” I said, but it sounded kind of strangled.

  “We straight?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “Roxie, listen to me.”

  I stared at him. If I listened any closer, my ears would start bleeding.

  “I know you’re Hank’s woman and I don’t give a fuck. I also know the stories of the two who came before you, Indy and Jet. You mess around, do something stupid, put my ass on the line, you answer to me. Got that?”

  I nodded again. I definitely got it.

  “You don’t want to answer to me,” he warned.

  I suspected he was right but I had to ask, out of curiosity. “What would…” I cleared my throat, “answering to you entail… exactly?”

  “You don’t wanna know,” he replied.

  I nodded and decided I didn’t.

  He got closer and his indigo eyes went funny.

  “I’d never raise my hand to a woman,” he assured me.

  I nodded again and let out the breath I was holding.

  “Therefore, I’d have to get creative,” he finished.

  Good God.

  “I promise to be good,” I said quickly.

  “One more thing.”

  Shit.

  “Yes?” I asked, even though I seriously did not want to know.

  “For the record, I like Hank,” he said.

  “Um…” I muttered, not knowing where he was leading with this and I still did not want to know. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Things don’t work out with you and Hank…”

  I waited while he paused, my eyes wide, my lips parted, my heart thumping.

  “You can erase my day.”

  Oh… my… God.

  He smiled at me in a way that I didn’t know if he was serious or playing with me. Then, he moved out of my space but lifted his hand and touched his finger to the tip of my nose. I blinked again, shocked at his words, shocked at his touch, shocked that it was gentle and sweet. It didn’t go with his badass attitude.

  Then he was gone.

  I stumbled out of the bookshelves like a dying man in a desert would stumble into an oasis.

  “You okay?” Annette asked from across the room.

  “No,” I said.

  “Cream your pants?” she asked.

  The eyes of the two customers at the espresso counter, both male, came to me in avid curiosity.

  “I don’t think so,” I answered.

  “Oh, you’d know,” Annette replied.

  I bumbled over to the couches and collapsed.

  “What’d I tell you about this place?” one customer had turned to the other, they were obviously friends. They were both looking at Annette, Daisy, Jet and me sitting on the couches.

  “I don’t even like coffee and I’ve decided I’m a regular,” the other one said.

  “I don’t make tea!” Tex boomed threateningly at him and he jumped.

  I closed my eyes trying to think positively. At least Monty’s day wasn’t going to be boring. Instead of being mortified, I thought of it as my way of paying back Lee’s boys for all the headaches I’d given them.

  “I hope you’re having fun!” I shouted to the room.

  In my head, I heard them laughing.

  What I didn’t know, in a suite of offices in Lower Downtown Denver, they were laughing.

  * * * * *

  Daisy went out and got us all bagel sandwiches for lunch. Daisy, Annette and Jason decided to stay the day with me at Fortnum’s so I wouldn’t get bored.

  We spent the early afternoon helping Jane go through boxes and boxes of books. We spent the late afternoon behind the espresso counter while Uncle Tex taught us how to make coffee drinks. It wasn’t rocket science but Uncle Tex was a drill sergeant and Daisy kept gabbing about everything under the sun and over-frothing the milk.

  After we learned how to make coffees, Lee and Indy walked in.

  Indy smiled at me but I could tell something was wrong.

  My first thought was Hank.

  My heart clutched and my eyes flew to Lee. Hank was his brother and they were close. If something had happened to Hank, in the line of duty or because of me, I should be able to tell with one look at Lee.

  At least I thought so, but Lee’s face was closed tight.

  I felt like someone put their hand to my throat and squeezed.

  They arrived at the espresso counter and Lee looked at me. “Can I talk to you, please?” he asked.

  I swallowed, nodded and walked from behind the espresso counter. He sat on a couch with me and put the sole of his boot up on to the edge of the table. I sat with my legs crossed under me, sideways on the couch, facing him. I looked at his posture. He was sitting exactly the way Hank was when I first laid eyes on him.

  Before I could stop myself, I said, “You’re just like your brother.”

  “Sorry?” he asked.

  “Nothing.”

  Lee watched me closely and I could swear he was reading my mind. Finally, he muttered, “Fucking hell.” His gaze was still on me.

  “What?” I asked.

  His eyes crinkled. “I like this,” Lee said, as if to himself, obvious
ly pleased about something, pleased and amused.

  “Is Hank okay?” I ignored what he said and got to what I considered was the matter at hand.

  Lee’s eyes focused on me again. “Yeah. Why?”

  “You looked serious when you walked in. I was, um, worried.”

  The corners of Lee’s lips curled up slightly. “He’s fine, busy. He wanted me to come talk to you.”

  I nodded. “What do you like?” I asked, going back to what he said earlier.

  “Sorry?” he repeated.

  “You said, ‘I like this’. What do you like?”

  He didn’t hesitate but said, straight out, “You’re in love with Hank.”

  My eyes bugged out of my head. “What?” my voice was high and didn’t sound like my own.

  He leaned into me. “It’s good Roxie.”

  I wasn’t sure but I thought I’d started panting.

  Lee went on. “Hank dated a girl, in high school, she was sweet but boring as hell. Hank’s women have all been boring. You…” he paused, “aren’t boring.”

  Good God.

  First, I wasn’t sure I wanted to think about Hank’s women. Second, well, second was obvious.

  “Please, let’s not talk about this,” I begged.

  Lee watched me some more and gave in, but he did it with another eye crinkle.

  Then his face got serious. “We’ve got information.”

  Shit.

  Maybe I wanted to talk some more about me being in love with Hank and not being boring, whatever the hell that meant.

  “What?” I asked in spite of myself.

  “You know a man named Desmond Harper?” he asked.

  I shook my head.

  “Big player in Chicago. Mostly drugs. Flynn was a cog in his very large wheel. Flynn stole from him, big take. Harper is not happy.”

  “Shit,” I whispered.

  “He wants his money back.”

  “How much?”

  “Half a million.”

  “Fuck!” I shouted and everyone at the espresso counter looked over at us. “Half a million dollars?”

  Lee dropped his foot and turned to me. “Roxie, calm down.”

  “Half a million dollars and he bought me cheese puffs and took me to that sleaze bag motel? I’m gonna fucking kill that motherfucker!” I yelled.

  “Roxie –”

  I slammed my fists on my knees. “The least he could have done was bind my wrists with velvet rope. He sure could have afforded it. Stupid jerk.”

  “Roxie.”

  “Do you know…?” I interrupted conversationally, well, more like loony-tunes conversationally, but still. “He never paid any rent. Never bought groceries. What a dick!”

  “Roxie.”

  “What? Was he selling drugs?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” Lee answered. “Listen to me, Roxie –”

  I rambled on. “Probably. Probably to little kids. How could I have been so fucking blind?”

  “Please listen to me.”

  “I’m an idiot. I’m ten times an idiot. God, I could just die.” Then I forged ahead because the last comment was too close for comfort these days. “Not die die, as in not-breathing die, but die figuratively, if you know what I mean.”

  Lee was grinning.

  “What?” I asked as if I hadn’t just been on a long-winded rant.

  “Definitely not boring.”

  I made a noise that sounded like “harrumph”.

  Lee took his opportunity.

  “I have good news.”

  I nodded. I very much wanted to hear good news.

  “Marcus set a meeting with Harper. He flew out to Chicago last night and spoke with him this morning. Harper now knows you aren’t involved. Not only that, Marcus has warned him off. He’s given you his protection and whether you, or Hank, want it, it’s now there.”

  I took in a deep breath and let it free.

  Maybe Marcus was gray too.

  “Now I have some bad news,” Lee said.

  I tensed. I very much did not want to hear bad news.

  “Vance and Mace have been in the wind.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked.

  “After the car chase, Vance came to me to tell me he was going to ground hoping to find out what the fuck was going on with you. I assigned Mace to move with him. They’ve been tracking and listening. Preliminarily, their assignment was to find out as much as they could, and ferret out Flynn or anyone else who came to town lookin’ for you. They got tuned into Desmond Harper at about the same time the police did.”

  I nodded.

  “Flynn’s been making Harper unhappy for awhile. Now, Harper’s not unhappy, he’s angry. When his boys got nabbed, something else he’s not pleased about, he assigned two more to come after Flynn.”

  I nodded again.

  “And Flynn is after you.”

  I blinked then asked. “And?”

  “They figure they’ll get Flynn when he comes after you again. No matter Marcus’s warning, Harper isn’t callin’ them off. You could get caught in the crossfire.”

  “No,” I breathed.

  “Don’t worry about it. You’re protected. Luke’s assigned to you. Vance is still out there, trying to find Flynn. He’s good, Roxie, very good. Because of that, I’ve pulled Mace.”

  I started to panic. “Lee, I need to go. I need to get out of here, I can’t ask you to –”

  “You go I’ll come after you personally.”

  My breath caught at his tone. There was no doubting he meant it

  “But, this is a lot, you’re doing too much,” I argued.

  “It’s a family thing.”

  I stared at him. “I’m not family.”

  He gave me a look.

  Then his eyes, dark brown, warmed into melted chocolate. I watched him, mesmerized and he reached out and playfully tugged a lock of my hair. He got up, walked to Indy, wrapped an arm around her and kissed her upturned lips. He spoke softly to her for a second and then he was gone.

  “Guess we’re done talking,” I said to Indy as she sat beside me.

  She put her hand on my leg. “Welcome to the family,” she said in a teasing voice.

  Jeez.

  There was no shaking these guys, any of them.

  “You okay after last night?” I asked.

  “Yeah. You?”

  “Yeah. I guess Lee isn’t mad at me for putting you in danger,” I said.

  “You didn’t put me in danger and anyway, Lee likes you. He told me that Vance told him you were a rock after he found you. Other women, they’ve had other…” she stopped. “Let’s just say, you impressed them.”

  I stared at her, floored.

  “Want a coffee?” she asked.

  “I want a drink,” I answered.

  “Whisky?” she teased.

  I hit her in the arm jokingly. She got up to get a coffee and I sat watching her go, not quite able to shove down the warm feeling stealing over me.

  * * * * *

  It was nearing closing time when my purse rang.

  I was sitting behind the book counter with Duke.

  I grabbed my phone, flipped it open and put it to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Hey Sunshine.”

  My heart fluttered.

  “Hey Whisky,” I said softly.

  “How’s your day?” he asked.

  “Pure and complete lunacy. But I now know how to make espresso drinks. Yours?”

  “We’re close to something. I’ve spent the day putting an operation together, we’re goin’ in tonight. It’d be good if you didn’t get shot at or attacked in the middle of it.”

  I smiled at the phone. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Good. Lee and Indy have got a key to my place. Ask her to give it to you. There isn’t much food in the house, there are delivery menus in one of the kitchen drawers.”

  “Thanks, but Luke and I are going to Smithie’s tonight. Jet’s sister’s debut. Maybe the gang will go out to dinner before.”r />
  Silence.

  Then, “Sorry, I thought I heard you say you were going to Smithie’s tonight.”

  “You did.”

  “Roxanne,” his voice was low and discouraging.

  “Hank,” I tried to mimic his tone and failed.

  More silence while I suspected Hank fought for control. “Did anything Tex said to you this morning penetrate that stubborn fuckin’ brain of yours?”

  Hank obviously lost the fight for control.

  “I promised Jet I was going.”

  “I’m sure she’ll understand.”

  “Hank.”

  “You aren’t goin’.”

  I ground my teeth.

  Then I said, “I’m going, Hank. Billy Flynn is not controlling another fucking second of my life.”

  Another beat of silence then, “Shit, you’re stubborn.”

  I think I got to him.

  “Damn straight,” I replied.

  Then he said, “I spent all day tryin’ to concentrate on work, and when I wasn’t concentratin’ on work, I was tryin’ to concentrate on handlin’ your shit. Instead, I found I spent most of the day concentratin’ on all the ways I want to fuck you breathless.”

  I went breathless at his words and nearly dropped the phone.

  “You’re damn lucky you make me hard just rememberin’ the taste of you or I’d think you were a major pain in the ass.”

  Holy cow.

  “Whisky.”

  He talked over me as he gave in. “Try not to burn down Smithie’s. Smithie is a good guy, he doesn’t deserve whatever mayhem he’s got in store tonight.”

  I couldn’t help myself, I smiled at the phone. “I promised Luke I’d be good.”

  “You’re good all right.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant by that but I found it made me both annoyed and my nipples went hard.

  Then he carried on. “You get home before I do, don’t wear anything to bed. I won’t be in the mood for obstacles.”

  I was sure what he meant by that and I felt a spasm between my legs.

  Finally he said, “Stay safe.”

  “You too,” I said back, my voice soft even though we’d had an argument. I didn’t know what his “operation” was about but I didn’t want to hang up the phone with him on angry words.

  More silence. So much that I got confused.

  “Hank?” I called, wondering if he was gone and didn’t disconnect or something was wrong with my phone.

  “I’m here,” he said, his voice had changed, gone husky.