“What’s up?”
“Wasn’t going to ask you this question in front of the boys,” he said. “I heard Tara was at the attack last week. How is she?”
Ah, Jesus. This will be an interesting couple of weeks.
Didn’t even ask about Elizabeth. Not that I can say any of us are surprised by that.
“She’s fine,” I said. “Remember, she’s like my little sister. I’m not gonna let anything happen to her, much less a bunch of fucking Bandits trying to mug her.”
“I can’t even,” Steele said, a flicker of fire appearing in his eyes. “I wish I was there with you. I would have some fucking Bandit blood on my knuckles right now.”
There was something unsaid there that put me on guard. I doubted that Steele thought I had a thing for her, but given that she had gone to pick me up and that I was the last to see her, jealousy was not out of the question.
“Would have increased the odds we kicked their ass,” I said with a snort. “But yeah, she’s safe.”
“Good,” Steele said. “Because I’m getting her back.”
I shrugged and tried to give a “go get ‘em” smile. It was meant to hide any other reaction that could have raised suspicion from Steele.
“I know you can,” I said.
“No, it’s not just a matter of can,” Steele said. “If she’s back in town regularly, that’s an opportunity for me. She’s coming onto my turf. This isn’t me trying to pretend to fit in in Albuquerque. I can fucking make it happen.”
“I just don’t think there are any guarantees—”
“Don’t talk to me like that,” Steele said.
I immediately bit my lip. I could do nothing but agree with him fully on this. I could not be the voice of reason; only time could do that.
“Don’t put it out there like that, OK? This won’t be like last time.”
“OK,” I said. “Hopefully, she stops by the gas station again this week while you’re there.”
I regretted the words as soon as I said them.And how the fuck you think Steele will feel when he sees you’re her bodyguard? What’s it going to look like when you’re the knight in shining armor and he’s the former prince having reverted to a fucking toad?
“Thanks, man,” he said. “Seven a.m.?”
“Seven a.m. Shift starts at nine, but I gotta show you before my other job starts. And technically, if the boss comes by, we could both be in big trouble, but truth be told, he almost never comes. He didn’t even come after the attack. He’s a bit of a hands-off investor, only cares about making money and not getting sued. And if he comes, just call me. I can find a way over.”
I sighed.
“The early hour sucks. There’s a reason I request Sundays off, and it’s so I don’t have to work on no sleep after our parties. But the rub is I have to work early on Mondays. So—”
“Fuck it, whatever gives me something else to do.”
I think you overestimate what this job will do for you, Steele.
And that’s a major fucking concern for me.
* * *
The Next Morning
I put it at fifty percent that Steele would show up.
Which was an awful low percentage to be staking the outcome of my week on.
If Steele did not show up, I was fucked. Either no one would be at the gas station and there would be complaints that reached my boss that the store was closed, or Tara would be without security. One involved the loss of my job, one involved the loss of something special, something that…
