“You don’t at all. You look like a sexy siren,” I assured her.
She blew the steam off her coffee. “I think I’ll keep you. You’re good for my self-esteem.”
I laughed at her, kissing her on the head. “Going into work today?” I asked.
“Yes. Back to saving the world.”
I rubbed her back. “I have a lot to do today. Bella is back from her grandma’s, your brother is working with me, and I have to go clear up some other things.”
It seemed like she only heard me sayother things. “What other things?” She walked to the kitchen table and sat down.
“Just fixing up some things from last night. Nothing you need to be concerned about.”
I sat my cup of Joe on the counter. I didn’t know if I would have time to drink it.
“You’re never going to tell me about last night, are you?”
“You don’t need to know, Amber. Plus, you’ve done enough for me.”
“You saved my brother’s life, Colt. So I think it’s the other way around,” she said quietly.
“It’s nothing to me and easily solved. I’m going to hit the shower and get ready.”
“Okay.”
I dove into the shower and washed off the remnants of our lovemaking. I came out fresh and squeaky clean, ready to handle whatever the day threw at me. I kissed Amber goodbye and left, thinking that after all the battles I’d endured, maybe things were turning around for the long term.
I pulled up to the house and noticed Hector was already at the front fences, slogging away.
“Hey, you’re hard at it already. You good out here? It’s pretty hot.”
“Yeah, I could use a glass of water.” He wiped his brow. It looked like he was trying to shake off last night.
I went inside and grabbed a bottle of water for him and one for me. I switched over to my cowboy boots and took him the water.
“Hey, brother. Stop for a minute.” As he gulped the water down, I studied him. I squinted from the heat picking up. “You worried about that guy last night?”
“No, and yes. I mean, I’ve seen someone overdose. I’ve seen a person die before, but not like that. I don’t know, it was kind of scary.”
I nodded my head solemnly. “Like I said, you ain’t cut out for that lifestyle. What you saw was a scumbag being eliminated. If he wasn’t shot, he would have killed you or me.”
Hector twisted his lips as he thought about it. “Yes, I know. He came out of nowhere, though. How did we not see him?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I mean, who knows? He was probably lying down in the grass like we were on the hilltop.”
“I guess,” he mumbled.
“You check the horses?”
“Yep. Sure did. That Moonlight is a hell of a horse.”
I swatted away the flies from my face. “She sure is. Hey, I want to take you somewhere today. I want to give you some extra backup.”
“Backup?”
I looked at him again. “Yes. I want you to meet my brothers in the MC, The Outlaw Souls.”
“Ah, okay. Are we headed there now?”
