What had Dirk done to get on my cousin’s bad side, not that he had any other sides? Had he insulted him in passing, or was it more, was it me? Philippe had always considered me part of the Haversham estate, property that was his inheritance, however many times I stabbed him, or however many times Grandfather reminded him otherwise. I’d kissed Dirk for the world to see. I’d liked it even more than playing Straw. My cousin would consider that a betrayal, like he’d considered me making friends with Toni a betrayal. It was very possible that he had found out who Dirk was and made him suffer in every way he could, without actually touching him. Why hadn’t he finished the final blow? Maybe Grandfather had stepped in. Maybe my situation with Clint had made Dirk a less essential issue. Was Clint in danger, or would grandfather’s protection continue, even after Clint betrayed the family?
My head pounded until finally I was able to shake my head and move my hand. It took a long time, but slowly, I could sit up and move my legs.
“Daniela, are you all right?” Dirk came and helped me sit up, his warm hands feeling like daggers to my heart. That’s why he hadn’t wanted to sleep with me. That’s why he wanted a marriage in word only. Of course he hated me and my family, because we were villains, and he was not. He was just an enemy of the family, who I had to bend to my will or destroy.
The realization didn’t hurt, because I’d stopped feeling as soon as I accepted the truth. There were no daggers in my heart, because I had no heart. I couldn’t have one, not when it put other people at risk.
I licked my lips and met his soft eyes. “You said that other people joined the battle. Who were they? Where did they come from? Was it another team adding dramatic flair, or was it outside interference?”
His smile was a lie. Funny how it took me so long to realize that when it was so obvious once I knew about his sister. His perfectly chiseled jaw was always angry. His voice was smooth, concerned, without showing his rage. “Nix is looking into it. It seems like there were two groups, one that was focusing their attack on Death-Hammer and Horse’s Demons, and another that came in and pushed them back. Did we get involved with the mob when I wasn’t paying attention? Maybe Jezebel knows something.”
“Jezebel knows that she’s going to make a gang war look like a walk in the park when she finds out who shot Mike,” Jezebel snarled, coming around the back of the ambulance to scowl at me. “Look at you, covered in blood like an Apache going to war, but the spark’s gone out of your eyes.”
“I’m perfectly willing to go to war,” I said, adding a polite smile. Just not against Dirk. I had to save him even if he hated me. Could I seduce him into working with the family? No, so they’d kill him.
I started shaking.
She turned to Dirk. “Do you know what’s going on? I was asking Nix, and he was vague, vague in a way that says that he knows what’s going on but isn’t going to tell me, because he thinks that I’m going to shoot the wrong people. I’m of the opinion that very few people don’t deserve being shot, but that might be because someone shot my camel!”
“They shot a rocket at Trix, and dropped a ninja army on us,” Dirk said, wrapping an arm around me, like he could protect me.
He had to know that it was my family. He had to know that touching me would only make it worse for him and everyone he cared about. Why was he touching me? Did he feel like he had nothing left to lose? There was always something to lose, no matter how hard you tried to distance yourself from feelings and attachments. Things crept up on you until you were attached to random camels in Las Vegas.
I sniffed, and the feelings broke loose with wild abandon. I wrapped my arms around Dirk and held him too tight, particularly after I’d choked him last night, but I couldn’t let him go. Philippe had come here, walked right into the place I’d thought would be the safest, and touched me. My arms. I needed to burn my arms to get his touch off. I hated him so much. I hated everything about him and whatever he represented. Maybe I could hate him as much as Dirk hated him, and then we’d have a common enemy and he wouldn’t hate me quite as much.
Probably not, but a girl could hope. Could I? Could I hope for something I wanted that much? I wanted to be safe, but I wanted to keep these people I loved safe even more. How could I protect them? Grandfather wouldn’t hurt Dirk if I got him to play along with Haversham’s business goals, but how could I ask him to do that? If he was careless with his life before he lost his team, his family, how would he care now? Who were the players who fought against what must have been Philippe’s hired guns? Whowere they working for, and was there anything I could do to get more of them on board?
Dirk held me gently and smoothed his warm hand over my hair. “It’s okay, Pinkie. Be careful with your arm. They said that it was probably broken.”
Jezebel bent over to sniff my arm, then she poked it. “Not broken. Someone used very good stuff on it that I haven’t seen for a long time. Trix got hit by a rocket? How’s she holding up, as good as Dani here?”
“She’s being carefully examined by a team of fine professionals that Horse let us borrow.”
“Insisted on us borrowing,” Jezebel corrected. “She’s in good hands then. Strong, big, powerful hands that have been waiting for her to be damsel enough to leap into the fray on her behalf. That means that she’ll be here any minute.”
“Where’s my hero?” Trixie growled, right on cue.
I looked up from Dirk’s neck and stared at her. Other than the bandage on her head under her crazy curls that looked much better than the one I’d put on her, and the crutches she wielded like weapons, she looked fine.
“You,” she said, nodding at me. “We need to talk. Dirk, out.”
“Well, I’d hate to interfere with hero worship, but she’s clinging to her man like he’s her hero, so maybe you can tone it down a notch and sleep off the head wound,” Jezebel said, pushing her down to sit on the end of the truck.
“And you,” Trix said, scowling at Jezebel. “I will need your specialized expertise. Someone shot your camel out from under you? Did you break anything?”
“Not yet,” Jezebel said with a pleasant drawl, then turned to Dirk. “Scoot, honey. We’re having a little feminine powwow. We’ll let you know when you can take Daniela to bed.”
“I’m not leaving her,” Dirk said, scowling at Trix and then Jezebel, while his arms tightened around me.
I held onto him because I didn’t want anything else, even if it was a lie. If he hated me, as long as he held me, I’d hold on to him and pretend it was real.
“Hey, Dirk, I need you for something,” Nix said, showing up at the back of the ambulance. “This looks like an afterparty to remember. Trix, you look amazing, as always. Jezebel, mad enough to eat horseshoes.”
“Spit nails,” she corrected, glaring with a smile. “Go on, Dirk.” She stepped aside.
Dirk hesitated, then kissed my cheek and let me go, slipping out of my arms like all good things did, because Nix summoned him. Was Nix in on his game too? Would I have to break him and the rest of them? Horse too?
Dirk gave me a soft smile. “I’ll be right back, Daniela. Be careful these women don’t drag you off to a taco bar or something wild.” His soft eyes were worried as he gave me one last look and walked off with Nix.
