“No.”
Iron Jack downs the rest of the bourbon. “I recommend you convince her to be a house mouse. Get her to move in. Then we can protect her until she figures out what she wants. Seems like she might have a wild side. The brothers will be down for that when it’s time. I don’t want them jumping the gun.”
“Got it.”
“She got family that could cause trouble?”
“I don’t know.”
He plunks the empty glass on the table. “Ask her. We don’t want surprises.”
“I’ll find out what we need to know.”
“Good.” He stands. “Update me tomorrow.” He aims a finger at Vicki to acknowledge her, then heads out.
I sit there for a minute. He’s thought about this more thoroughly than I have. I guess that’s why he’s the president.
Vicki picks up his glass, staring at it like she might lick it. She’s mid-fifties to his forty, but I guess you want what you want.
“Hey Vic, who was president before Iron Jack?”
“His daddy.” She gets starry eyed. “He was one hell of a man. I did him for years. His ol’ lady didn’t get in the way of his side pieces.”
And now, she’s gaga over the son. That’s not weird at all. “But you aren’t connected to the club.”
“Theron froze me out. I mean, she didn’t raise a fuss when Steel stepped out because, really, a man’s going to do what a man’s going to do. But she got back at those of us he saw on the regular.” She wipes a circle of condensation off the table. “And he took a shine to me.”
I can’t help but ask, “And you want his son?”
She stands up. “No, no. It’s not like that. I don’t know. Being around him makes me feel like when I was with Steel.”
That makes a lot more sense.
“What happened to Steel? And Theron?” Their picture is on the wall in the meeting room, but nobody’s shared how they died.
“An eighteen-wheeler mowed them down two years ago. Supposedly an accident, but nobody believes that. Steel could ride circles around a demolition derby and not get a scratch. No way he got caught in a regular highway accident.”
“Did the club investigate?”
“Oh, yeah. Blood was spilled over accusations. It was one of the few times the Wild Hair got known for vengeance.”
“Was another club involved?”
“No, just some meth heads. They’re in the marsh. Deep in the marsh.” She tucks the bar towel into her waistband. “You going to reel in that city girl?”
“Not likely.”
“Huh. She wants you to wring her out, that’s for sure.”
“You know me, Vicki. I’m not interested in anybody.” I scoot back in the chair and head toward the kitchen.
That pretty virgin isn’t for me, and I know it. It doesn’t matter if I want to figure out what makes her stare into the night and why she goes so crazy when she’s at my bar.
Vicki laughs as I go. “I remember your brother saying the same damn thing.”
I don’t bother looking back as I say, “Good thing I’m not him.”
The next morning, I shake off the cobwebs from having to stay up half the night watching Marietta’s apartment. I’m hoping this security detail on her doesn’t last forever.
