She passes her keys over and then the weight of the last half hour presses her down. I pull out the chair next to mine and she sits.
“As soon as your car is cleaned, you need to go home. Go back to school tomorrow and forget tonight ever happened,” I tell her.
“Not likely.” She snorts.
Rudi comes down the stairs and sets a small bag on the tabletop and expertly puts on a pair of gloves.
I lean back in the chair as she assesses my shoulder.
“You’re lucky. It’s not deep but you will need stitches.”
“Do it.”
Warren passes Phoebe a shot of tequila, telling her, “For the nerves.”
I don’t like the smile she gives him, and I certainly don’t like the shit-eating grin he gives her when she necks it back in one.
He takes the glass from her, and I relax when he stays behind the bar. Rudi jabs her needle in and out of my shoulder, and I relax further when Phoebe slides her hand across my thigh. I need to get this shit with her sorted. I don’t have the mental energy to dwell on it.
13
Luca
Islide behind the bar and pour myself a large measure of whiskey. I throw it back and pour another. We cleared the city of gangs, bar the Dog’s Blood Crew, when we rocked up in the city. Between being shot at and Ford being jumped tonight, we’ve obviously missed someone. After the shit Ford has been through, he would have been watching his back, which means these assholes waited him out. Maybe even followed him to his mom’s place. Closing my eyes, I struggle to figure out who is after us now.
“You look stressed.”
Opening my eyes, I take a deep breath. I don’t need this shit at the moment.
“Do I?”
“My daddy always shoots whiskey when he’s stressed. My mom usually rubs his shoulders, that seems to help too. Doesn’t your wife look after you?”
Narrowing my eyes, I slam the glass down and lean over the bar, getting real close in her face.
“From now on, you don’t talk to me, and you sure as shit don’t mention my wife.”
Instead of wiping the smile from her face, it grows wider.
“You know,” she sighs. “From what I’ve seen, you need a whole lot of looking after. I could…”
My hand shoots out and I grip onto her chin, my fingertips digging into her cheek.
“Last chance, and I don’t normally give a second so watch what you say. You’re under my wife’s roof, you’ll show her some God damn fuckin’ respect before I show you none.”
The bitch shudders and yanks her head out of my grip. “I think I’ll have an early night underyourroof.”
“You fuckin’ do that.”
King sits his ass at the bar and watches the Mayor’s daughter saunter towards the stairs. He loses his damn mind when he thinks I’m going to stand around serving drinks. He gets the hint and leans over, grabbing his own beer.
“She was asking all sorts of questions about you earlier. I think she has a crush on you.”
“What sort of questions?”
“About your relationship with Victoria, mainly. I could distract her, but you said we weren’t to go near her.”
I relent. “Fuck the shit outta her and keep her off my back.”
