“Cassie, let go of your mother’s face,” Ballistic says, like it is something he never thought he would say.
After a moment she drops her hand.
“I don’t want to know what this is about and no one here wants to see it. Cassie, go home, Rosa come with me.”
“But…” Rosa jams her hands on her hips and turns to her husband. “I had an idea that you’ll agree with. Someone can watch out for-”
“Mom I’m an adult. I don’t need anyone protecting me, certainly not someone from the club.”
She casts a quick look my way but then focuses on her parents.
“We’ll talk about this,” Ballistic tells his wife. “And then we will talk to you later,” he tells Cassie. “This is the kind of shit we expect from the hang arounds, not you two.”
“You did not compare us tothem,” Cassie glares at her dad.
“Randy Beillo did you really say that?”
Ballistic looks between the two women he loves, and I swear I see a twinkle in his eye. Which had to have been a trick of the light because Ballistic is not a funny guy, he doesn’t make jokes and he very rarely smiles.
They still look pissed. The phrase like mother like daughter has never been more accurate. Now they’re both glaring at him rather than each other. Laughter from the garage has me giving the men a warning look to shut their mouths.
“I’m leaving. Mother, always a fun time,” Cassie narrows her eyes, but there is no malice in her tone, only exasperation.
“All I’m doing is looking out for you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Come here,” Ballistic pulls Rosa to his side and tucks her under his arm. She isn’t happy about it but she knows when to stop arguing, especially given we’re now gathering an audience.
“Call if you need us.” Ballistic turns and walks away taking a reluctant Rosa with him.
After a few moments, Cassie turns running a hand through her hair. She pauses when she sees me staring at her.
“Want to tell me what Rosa was talking about?”
“Not really,” she adjusts her purse strap and checks her phone.
“Rosa seems to think you need protecting. From what?”
“Nothing. She’s overreacting, as usual.”
“Rosa isn’t the kind to get hysterical over nothing, sweetheart.”
“Believe me, you haven’t seen my mom hysterical, that was nothing.”
Cassie shakes her head, then turns and looks at me. She’s weighing up whether to give me shit about calling her sweetheart. Guess she figures it’s the southern boy in me because she doesn’t argue about it.
“Cassie,” I say her name softly, hoping I can get her to calm down a little and tell me what is going on. “Rosa seems worried. Are you in some kind of trouble? What did she mean about a monster?”
“Eli, leave it alone. God, I knew I shouldn’t have… I’m fine. I don’t need anyone’s help. I can take care of myself. Just forget any of this happened Eli.”
“He’s not wrong.” We both turn to Mace standing a few feet away. “Sounds to me like you have a problem.”
Never thought after what happened yesterday I’d be agreeing with this bastard. A car pulls up behind me and Cassie straightens her back, giving us each a hard look.
“I don’t need anyone’s protection. That’s my ride,” she walks round me and hurries to the car.
Neither of us get chance to say anything before she is in the back and the driver is turning around to head out. We watch it go, the gate closing quickly behind it.
