Rock Chick 02 Rescue (20 page)

The man sat across from me.

“You Jet McAlister?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Ray’s daughter?” he went on.

I nodded again. Even though I knew this had to be about Dad, I stil felt my heart die a little bit knowing he was the cause of yet another disaster for me.

“I’m looking for Ray,” he told me.

I nodded, not sure what to say and too scared to speak anyway.

“You seen him?”

I shook my head.

His eyes moved from me to Louie and Vince, then back to me.

“It’s important I find him. Do you know where he’d be?” he asked.

“I…” There was a frog in my throat so I cleared it and said, “I’m looking for him too. He’s not real good at sticking around when things get… difficult,” I finished.

His face tightened at that and the scary part of his eyes escalated to such a point where I was pretty certain I was going to pee my pants.

I’d never met anyone like him before, his menace vibrated off him like a physical touch.

I wanted to run but I felt rooted to the spot. I had the feeling that this man was going to hurt me, or he was going to let Vince hurt me, and I didn’t want either of those things to happen.

“Honey Bunch? What’re you doin’ up so… oh my, we have company.”

I turned at this new voice, a female voice with a deep country twang. My mouth dropped open at what I saw.

Dol y Parton, or a fair impersonation of her, was standing in the doorway, big blonde hair, tiny body, enormous knockers, wearing a pink negligee set, complete with marabou feathers, even on the high-heeled slippers she wore. I realized she wasn’t Dol y because she had to be my age or maybe a year or two older.

I don’t know what propel ed me out of the chair but I stood and turned toward her.

She peeked around Louie and her blue eyes got huge.

Then she looked at the man behind the desk and they narrowed.

“What’re you doin’ with a Smithie’s girl?” she asked, hand on hip, hip jutting out and attitude hitting the room like a body blow.

“Daisy, honey, this is business,” the man behind the desk said.

“With a Smithie’s girl? In the middle of the night? I don’t
think
so
.” Her voice rose on the last two words.

“It’s not what you think,” the man said.

“Anything I think it better not be, Marcus, darlin’.” Louie, Vince and I were watching this discussion, our heads swinging back and forth between the participants.

Marcus looked at us and then said, “Get out.” I started to fol ow Louie and Vince but Marcus said, “Jet, you stay.”

I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad that I was left with Marcus and Daisy who were in the throes of a domestic situation. Though, I didn’t expect any time I spent with Vince would be a good time.

Daisy moved aside just enough to let them pass and then she closed the door and walked into the room.

Her eyes trained on me. “Jet, is it?”

I nodded, scared to death of her even though she had to be three inches shorter than me even wearing high heels.

She looked at Marcus. “What’s this about?” Marcus leaned back in his chair. “Her father owes me fifteen large. Poker.”

Some of the tension eased out of Daisy and she glanced at me again.

“You close with your Daddy, Sugar?” she asked.

As it seemed some of the attitude had seeped out of the room, I dug deep and found my voice. “He left us when I was fourteen but he comes back every once in awhile.

Some people wouldn’t cal that close but… he’s my Dad.” Daisy nodded as if she understood perfectly.

She turned back to Marcus. “Tel me again why Jet’s here?”

“Her Dad’s a hard man to find.”

The attitude came back.

“You see what she’s wearin’?” Daisy asked.

Marcus sighed, “I see it.”

“No one fucks with a Smithie’s girl. Not even you.

Comprende?” Then she turned to me, “I worked at Smithie’s. I danced a pole. Marcus met me there so it’s kinda our special place. How is Smithie? I haven’t been back in
ages
.”

Her tone had gone from seriously pissed off to sweet girl-talk in a flash.

I tried to keep up.

“I drive him kind of nuts,” I told her, taking advantage of what I hoped would be a turn of luck for me.

She laughed, it sounded like pretty, tinkling bel s.

“Everyone drives Smithie nuts,” she replied, her voice nostalgic.

“He says I’m a pain in his ass,” I carried on.

“I used to be a pain in his ass, then I married Marcus.

Now, as you can see, I’m a pain in
his
ass.” She smiled at me, huge and dazzling, her teeth were so white, they could light up the dark.

I felt it safe to smile back at her. Anyway, she was kind of funny and seemed sweet when she wasn’t being scary.

“If you girls are finished reminiscing, maybe I can ask Jet a few more questions?” Marcus butted in.

Marcus was saved the edge of Daisy’s tongue when a knock came at the door and Louie stuck his head in.

“Nightingale’s here.”

Thank you, God.

I did a mental sigh of relief.

Marcus closed his eyes in frustration.

Daisy clapped her hands.

“Lee’s here! I haven’t seen him in
ages
.” The door opened al the way and Lee walked in.

His eyes hit me in a way that told me he was surveying both my physical and mental wel -being. He seemed okay with what he saw which assured me I did not look nearly as freaked out as I real y was. Then he looked at Daisy.

“Daisy,” he said.

“Lee, Sugar Bunch, lookin’ good, as usual.” She winked at him.

His lips twitched.

“Let me guess,” Marcus said to Lee, “this one has your protection too. What? Are you building a harem?” Lee shook his head.

“I’m running this errand for Eddie.”

Marcus, who seemed to have accepted his fate, went scary tense again. I had the feeling he didn’t like Eddie.

“What’s it got to do with Chavez?” he asked Lee.

“Jet,” Lee said, and he wasn’t talking to me, he was talking to Marcus, my name was the answer to Marcus’s question.

“Shit,” Marcus said and looked at me like
I
was now a pain in his ass. His eyes swung back to Lee. “You tel Chavez I want my fifteen grand.”

“Take it up with McAlister. And some advice, Marcus, keep Jet out of it. It took a lot to talk Eddie from comin’ here himself with a couple of uniforms. You don’t want that kind of trouble.”

“I got trouble with you over this?” Marcus asked and the tenseness was stil there.

“Keep Vince under control and your focus on McAlister. If he makes good, keep him away from your tables. You do that, you have no trouble with me,” Lee answered.

I looked at Daisy. Daisy was watching this like a hawk.

She caught me looking at her and she came forward and hooked her arm through mine. “I’l walk you to the door, Sugar,” she said and propel ed me out of the room.

“I’m sorry you got woken up in the middle of the night,” I said to her as we walked from the big room down the hal .

She waved her hand. “Happens al the time.” Um… eek!

Then she went on, “You must’ve just come off shift and, no doubt, dead on your feet.”

I nodded.

She stopped at the front door and her face got serious.

“No harm wil come to you, I’l see to that. But your Dad better get his shit together. I’m not sayin’ this to scare you, Sugar, I’m tel in’ you like it is. Comprende?” I nodded again.

“Maybe I’l pop by Smithie’s some time,” she said in another quick change of mood.

“I’m working tomorrow night.”

Now, why did I tel her that? I didn’t want to become friends with Scary Marcus’s wife. Did I?

“Sounds good to me,” Daisy replied and her eyes slid sideways as Lee joined us.

“Don’t be a stranger.” she cal ed after us when we left and I didn’t know if she meant Lee or me.

Lee put me in his silver Crossfire and I buckled up. After he got in, I turned to him. “They knocked Tex out just outside my building,” I told him.

“Stun gun. He came to and cal ed me. He’s fine.” I nodded and began a delayed reaction shiver as Lee turned onto University Boulevard.

“You okay?” he asked.

I shook my head and then, realizing that he couldn’t see me because he was driving, I said, “No.”

“Did Vince…?” Lee started.

I interrupted, “No, they just dropped Tex, grabbed me, put me in a car and took me to Marcus. I didn’t fight or anything.”

I didn’t know if that was the right thing to do or not until Lee murmured, “Smart.”

Lee pul ed up to my building. The El Camino was stil there as was Eddie’s red truck, with Eddie leaned up against it, arms and ankles crossed. The casual posture belied the look I caught on his face when the lights of Lee’s Crossfire hit him.

Tex was standing beside him.

Lee stopped a few yards away from Eddie’s truck and he turned to me as I unbuckled my seatbelt, stopping me from getting out with a hand on my arm.

“It’s unlikely that Marcus wil do anything to you. It isn’t his style. He stays focused, doesn’t like mess and his problem isn’t with you. If you have to have criminals, then you want the kind like Marcus. He took you so it’d get back to your Dad and if your Dad thought you were in the line of fire, it would smoke him out.”

I felt added relief with his assurance and Daisy’s. At least relief for me, Dad was another story.

Someone opened my door but Lee wasn’t finished so I didn’t turn away.

“Vince is another story. He’s lookin’ for an excuse at payback for Einstein’s. Vince isn’t the kind of guy who’l take a blow like that to his reputation without gettin’ even.” My relief was instantly swept away.

“Stay careful, close to Eddie and if you can’t be close to Eddie, then cal Tex or Duke. If you’re stuck, phone me and I’l send one of my guys. Yeah?”

I nodded.

He stared at me.

“I’m being serious,” he said and he sounded serious.

I nodded again.

I was serious too. Serious as a heart attack, which I understood was very serious considering I’d nearly had one every day for a week.

He let me go and nodded behind me. A hand curled around my arm and I turned to see Eddie leaned into my door. He helped me out, closed the door and Lee took off.

Tex made it to us and put his big hand on my head.

“Shit, woman,” he said, then repeated himself, shaking his head, “Shit.”

I realized he was concerned and I felt tears crawl up my throat.

“I’m okay, Tex. They didn’t hurt me,” I told him.

His eyes turned to Eddie.

“I fucked up, Chavez. Swear to Christ, it won’t happen again.”

Eddie nodded.

“Get home,” he said to Tex.

Tex took another look at me and then lumbered off to his El Camino.

I turned to Eddie and opened my mouth but didn’t get a word out.

“I’m spendin’ the night with you, in your bed, and I’m not arguin’ about it,” he said.

I felt relief sweep through me again.

I didn’t want to be alone tonight, no way, no how.

“Okay,” was al I said.

I could swear I heard a knock at my door. Al warmth left me, my bed moved, there was the sound of clothes rustling and then I heard the door open.

“Eddie!” Mom gasped.

I burrowed deeper into the pil ows, trying to find dreamland again. I wanted to go where life was safe, normal and mundane. Where people didn’t hold knives to your throats, whisk you away against your wil or hot guys didn’t pursue you against al the laws of nature.

“Jet’s sleepin’ in today,” Eddie said quietly.

There was a hesitation while I was sure my mother mental y designed my bridesmaid dresses.

“Tel her Lavonne popped by for a surprise visit and she’s taking me to breakfast,” Mom whispered, “I won’t be back for
hours
,” she added meaningful y.

My mother.

I burrowed deeper into the pil ows.

Eddie didn’t answer verbal y but the door closed, there was more rustling of clothes, the bed moved and the warmth came back in the form of Eddie’s partial y naked body fitting itself to my back.

“Was she in her chair?” I asked, my voice muffled by the pil ow.

His arms tightened around me.

“She was standing. Go back to sleep.”

I started to push up.

“She needs to take her chair. I’l have to show Lavonne how to fold it, just in case.”

Eddie pul ed me back down.

“They’l figure it out. Sleep.”

“What time is it?” I asked. “I have to get to the bank, the grocery store—”

Eddie’s hand came up and curved around my breast.

“If you’re awake…”

Electricity shot straight to my doo-da.

“I could sleep,” I lied, settling back down, already two-thirds of the way to completely turned on.

His hand stayed where it was but it didn’t move with intent and he pul ed me deeper into him.

Surprisingly, after a few minutes, I slept.

* * * * *

I was curled around Eddie who was on his back. He had one arm wrapped around me and the other hand resting in the middle of his chest, very close to where my face was.

I looked up to see if he was awake, my cheek sliding on his chest and I saw he was asleep, eyes closed, face relaxed.

I’d never seen him looking like that.

He was a cool, badass guy when awake, always exuding a certain somewhat dangerous magnetic energy. In sleep, he was somehow even more hot, more attractive, more magnetic and definitely more dangerous.