Neither of them saidbut you really shouldn’t.It probably wouldn’t have made a difference.
They both became aware that he was still holding her hand. They’d gone very still together, even as the place was still recovering from the uproar.
He ran his thumb lightly over her fingers, tracing each knuckle in turn, gently, slowly.
It was officially a caress.
A statement.
And her head lifted slowly to look into his eyes.
And there was no reason to keep holding on to her. But he didn’t want to let her go.
And she didn’t pull away.
“Punch with the knuckles on the outside,” she said softly, finally. “Use the first two knuckles. The way you and Jon...”
She stopped.
Froze.
Realizing what she was about to say.
The way you and Jonah taught me, she almost said.
She looked up at him. A hunted, furious sort of yearning look flickered across her face.
“Anything else hurt, Glory?” He risked, softly.
He knew what the answer was.
Only everything.
He could have saidsame here.
Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, fucking Franco Francone emerged from the remainder of the milling crowd, strolled across the stage, and sat down in the middle of it right next to Glory, as if he owned the damn place. As if he ownedher. As if he was the rock star. And he looked like a rock star: tall and whip lean, black shirt open at the throat worn over a pair of jeans, some kind of leather necklace thing around his neck, very expensive-looking boots that the jerks in Oasis or what have you probably wore.
Glory gently pulled her hand away from Eli.
Folded it in her lap.
Eli’d stirred up the old pain and it was going to stay stirred and there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.
“Evening, Deputy,” Francone drawled. “Glory... what can I say? You were glorious.”
“Where the hell were you, Francone, when she was in the middle of that fight?”
Francone’s head jerked toward Eli. They locked gazes for a moment of raw, mutual, undisguised dislike.
Glory watched this warily, shocked.
It was very unlike Eli to be so very blatant. And rude.
“I was in the poolroom, Deputy. The guy went up there with akazoo, for God’s sake. No sane person would stick around for that. And I had to go hide my tears after she sang thehellout of ‘Songbird.’ By the time I came out to check out the ruckus it was pretty much over.”
Eli swiveled his head toward Glory. “You sang ‘Songbird’?”
He hadn’t meant to make it sound like an accusation.
