“Good,” I said.
He rolled the cardboard and propped it against the table.“You want to keep going?We can run another mag.Or stop here.”
My arms felt a little shaky.My head buzzed.“Enough for today.I don’t want to push it and freak out.”
“Smart,” he said.“We’ll come back tomorrow.Or whenever you feel ready.”
“When do I get my own?”I nodded at the gun.
His eyebrows rose.“Your own what?”
“Gun.You said we’d talk to Atilla.”
A slow, pleased smile curved his mouth.“You sure you want to carry?”
“If they come for me, I want something in my hand besides fear.”
Kane nodded.“We’ll get you fitted, then.The armory holds a few nine mils which might suit you better.Smaller grip.Lighter slide.You can try several until one feels perfect.”
“A wand chooses the wizard,” I blurted, then felt my cheeks warm.
He grinned.“We really need to get you a library card again.”
“You offering to take me on a date to the library?”I asked.
“Baby, I would buy youallthe library cards,” he said.
Baby.My stomach did a little flip.
“Later,” he said.“Right now, we get you back inside before Solena decides I stole her new assistant.”We walked back toward the main building side by side.My hand brushed his.He caught it and did not let go.
By evening, the compound felt different.Not tense exactly.Focused.Men clustered in small groups, speaking in low voices.Maps came out.Phones buzzed.Spade moved between office and yard, talking to Atilla, then General, then Kane.Whenever his gaze landed on me, I caught a flicker of something resembling respect.
I’d never expected a man such as him to see me differently.
The women moved slower.Made dinner.Kept kids occupied.Cleared space for the men to think.I hated how familiar everything felt.
“You okay?”Casey asked, handing me a stack of plates to dry.
“Diaz,” I said.“They’re going after him.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Does everything always feel so tense before a fight?”
She considered.“Sometimes.Depends on the fight.This one?Yeah.The man has been a shadow on the edge of our world for a while.Having a name and face makes the air heavier.At least now we know it’s more than just Diaz.”
“And I brought the spotlight,” I muttered.
She set a cleaned pot on the rack and bumped my hip with hers.“You brought receipts.Literally.Your brother’s notes.That drive.The fact Diaz sent his errand boy to talk instead of gun us down means he knows we can hurt him if we use what you gave us.Not to mention, the club hadn’t connected Roth to Diaz before this.”
I shook my head.“The way I see things, I painted a target on all of you.”
“You did.”Casey scrubbed harder at a stubborn spot.“In neon.Or more accurately, you just made it bigger.We were already on their radar.We ride certain roads.We take specific jobs.Men such as Diaz consider us either tools or threats.Nothing between.”She rinsed the pot with extra force.“Your arrival shifted us from ‘use occasionally’ to ‘deal with now or regret later.’Honestly, I prefer clarity.”
Her calm steadied me more than empty reassurances could have.“Do you ever regret your choice?”I asked.“This life?”
Casey paused, considering.“Sometimes.Mostly when injuries happen.Or when my daughter asks why she can’t attend a normal school or play at regular parks.I mean my oldest, Becca.”She resumed washing, her voice softening.“Then I remember what surrounds us.Family who appears when needed.Maui would catch a bullet for our kids without hesitation.Solena and Marci would slash tires and cut faces for any of us.”A smile crossed her face.“I wouldn’t swap this for some corporate asshole in a tie who lies while looking me in the eye and screws his secretary during business trips.”
