He pulled her fingers from his lips.“It’s the guy you got.”
She did a perplexed blink.“Sorry?”
“Me, that’s the guy you got.I’m not gonna be okay withanyone up in your face, Archie, and I’m also not gonna hang back, let it happenand let you deal with it if I can do something about it.”
“You knew he was my brother.”
“I did.And as your brother and as a man, he needs torespect you.”He shook his head sharply when she opened her mouth.“Nope, babe.No.He never should have been in your space like that.If you gleefully shothis dog, I’m out and he can take his anger out the way he sees fit.You’recalling him on pulling shit, he doesn’t like it, he takes a goddamn breath andgets some control.He does not come to your space and get into your face.No.End of discussion.”
He said those last three words because it was worth a shotto say those three words.
But this was Archie.
Consequently, it was not the end of the discussion.
“I would have told him that once he calmed down,” shereturned.
“I believe you, but it didn’t happen that way, and I’m justnot that guy who is going to walk in on his woman in thatsitchand not make the move I made.”
They both fell silent.
Jagger broke it.
“That an issue for you?”
“It’s definitely sweet, you looking out for me and beingprotective.But I can handle myself and my brother is never a threat.”
“But you get where I’m coming from?”
It took her a second, then she nodded.
Though after she gave him that, she asked, “If you’re havingwords with Dutch, how would you feel about me pulling you out of that andgetting in Dutch’s shit?”
He rolled his neck.
There was no popping, then again, he’d already popped it notlong ago.
She did not miss this move, or likely what precipitated it,even without the evidence being audible, so her voice was sweet to soften thescore she noted with her next words.“You get where I’m coming from,boyfriend?”
“All right, I’ll take a breath next time.Though, justsayin’, that happens again with Elijah, the fact of thatalone, that breath might not work.”
“Sometimes I think I should introduce you to my friendJoany,” she joked.“She thinks boys like you are all kinds of cute.”
He adjusted so he had an arm around her shoulders, and hetucked her into his side.
He then moved them in the direction of the door to the storewhile he said, “There’s a dude out there special enough for your girl.He justis not me.I’ve figured out I like them chill.”
“Mm…” she hummed, before, “I’m taking it our discussion isover?”
“My guess, Mal’s here by now and wegottatalk to him, see how he is and give him the heads up.Then you got a call tomake.”
They were in the hall and she was staring at the door theywere headed toward like she didn’t want it to get any closer.
He then gave her the same pep talk Dutch gave him.
“It’s good we know what’s going down, babe.Because what’sgoing down isnotgood and it needs to stop.”
“Yeah, I just…”
