Rock Chick 06 Reckoning (48 page)

I’d run out of steam so I stopped and watched as George’s eyes were working. He didn’t get a chance to say anything because that’s when Preston Mason stood and he did so while clapping.

“Bravo, Stel a,” he said to me when he stopped his one man ovation. “You’re good. I liked the touch with the Second Amendment. I guess you didn’t skip that class while you were in school.”

“Go to hel ,” I hissed.

“You have your daughter kidnapped and murdered then you’l know the meaning of hel ,” he shot back and I felt the air grow thick as Mace went tight behind me and I felt waves of hostility coming from Vance
and
Shirleen.

As for me, wel , what could I say?

I was on a rol .

“You sure that hel has to do with Caitlin being kidnapped and murdered? Or is it something else, Preston?” I asked.

“Maybe that hel is knowing you had a beautiful daughter and an accomplished son and you spent your time making money and screwing people over and not getting to know your own fucking children.”

I scored a point. I knew this because his face twisted.

“Shut your mouth.” It was his turn to hiss.

“Not a chance,” I fired back. “You had your say in the limousine now I’l have mine. You make me sick. I can barely look at you without vomiting. You think I’m stupid? I’m not stupid enough to throw away something this good.” I jerked my thumb toward Mace. “Not like you did, you
fool
.

Foreclose on my parents’ house while my mother’s dying of cancer. Go ahead. That’l just be one more black mark on your soul but you already have enough to shoot straight to hel when your time’s up. Don’t you?” Preston glared at me and I strained against Mace’s arm to lean forward and scream, “
Don’t you?
”

I felt Mace lean into me and his mouth was right by my ear right before he said softly, “Enough, Kitten.” At his words, I straightened then sagged into him, spent.

He took my weight by wrapping his other arm around me.

Preston Mason’s gaze moved between the two of us then stopped on Mace. “I came by to talk deal.”

“There’l be no deals,” Mace returned in a firm voice.

“Be smart, son,” Preston replied softly.

“Maybe I should offer that same advice,” Mace suggested.

Preston stared at Mace then he shook his head. “Her parents wil be out on the street tomorrow.”

“That’l be difficult, considering the mortgage has been made current,” Mace retorted.

Surprise flashed across Preston’s face before he hid it.

Then he tried a different tact and nodded at me. “You can do better.”

“That’s fuckin’ hilarious, you givin’ me advice on women since you threw away two good ones without battin’ a fuckin’ eye,” Mace shot back.

I looked at Shirleen. Shirleen was grinning at Mace.

Then she looked at me and pressed her lips together like Then she looked at me and pressed her lips together like she was trying hard not to laugh.

“We going head-to-head?” Preston asked his son.

“Looks that way,” Mace answered.

“I always win,” Preston told Mace.

“This’l be interestin’ since the same holds true for me,” Mace returned.

“May the best man win!” Shirleen shouted. “New pool!” she went on. “I got fifty bucks on Mace.”

“Don’t think anyone’s gonna bet against you, Shirleen,” Vance put in.

At that, for some reason, Shirleen burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it, the situation was just too freaky and scary, I started laughing right along with her.

The door opened and Lee walked in with, of al people, Smithie.

“Wel , fuck me,” Lee said, looking at George. “Is this a social cal ?”

I felt the tension ebb out of the room as it moved out of Mace and the hostile vibes stopped emanating from Vance.

“Nightingale,” George replied but he was looking pale and his eyes were weirdly on Smithie. It was weird because they were on Smithie without ever actual y focusing on Smithie, then he said, “Mrs. Armstrong, perhaps we should go.”

“But –” pinch-faced lady (or, apparently, Mrs. Armstrong) started to protest but she didn’t finish.

“Is that…?” Smithie was looking closely at George. “It is!

George Riverside. Wel , damn, man. You don’t come George Riverside. Wel , damn, man. You don’t come around much anymore. Where you been, motherfucker?” I stared between George and Smithie as George’s face started getting red.

“Sorry, do I know you?” George asked.

“Sure. It’s been awhile but you used to come to my club al the time.” Smithie leaned toward Mrs. Armstrong. “I own a strip club and Georgie here likes lap dances. Dirty ones.

Pays extra to get a little touch here and there from the girls.

Usual y blondes with big tits. I mean
big.
” Smithie put his hands out in front of him and pinch-face lady reared back.

“Now he goes outta town for his action.” Pinch-faced lady turned to stare in horror at George as Smithie kept talking.

“Not far to Wyoming, is it George? Stil , got a friend up there, he says you’re a regular. Damn, ain’t cool to take your business out-of-state. What us local guys gonna do?” Pinch-faced lady stepped away from George and swung her gaze to Shirleen. “I’l cal you Miz Jackson.”

“You do that,” Shirleen replied, settling in her seat at the same time she was sorting through her pencil holder. She yanked out a nail file and leaned back, crossed her legs and started to file her nails.

On that, pinch-faced lady took off.

“Nightingale –” George started.

“We got pictures, George,” Lee cut him off then continued speaking. “And that’s scratching the surface. It took me half an hour to find that on you. You want more, you keep this shit up.”

George’s mouth got tight. Then he looked to his shoes and he left too.

Preston Mason’s cool eyes swung through the room.

Everyone stared back. Shirleen even did it while filing her nails.

“Pleasure,” Preston murmured and he, too, left.

The minute the door closed, Lee’s eyes went immediately to Shirleen.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Wil be, once Georgie Porgie gets his ass back to his office and cal s the dogs off Jules, Roam and Sniff,” she answered.

Clearly, that was good enough for Lee and his eyes cut to Mace. “You?”

“Yeah,” Mace replied.

Lee’s eyes moved to me. “Stel a?”

“You guys know a lot of dicks,” I told him.

Lee’s eyes crinkled in a smile that didn’t quite make it to his mouth and he said softly. “That’s the sorry truth.”

“Am I done here?” Smithie asked impatiently.

Lee clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks Smithie.” Smithie threw up one hand and then he was gone.

Shirleen hit a button on the phone and we heard the speaker click on and the phone ringing.

“Yeah?” Jack’s voice could be heard throughout the room.

“You get Stel a on tape doin’ her ‘You won’t have to wait for Lee to wipe the floor with you,
I’l l
do it’ speech?” Shirleen asked Jack.

My body went solid.

“Got it,” Jack replied then you could hear him chuckle.

“Get me a copy, I wanna transcribe that fucker,” Shirleen demanded. “Luke, Eddie and Hank’ve gotta hear this shit.

Hel , I might get Tom or Malcolm to send out a network-wide email to al the po-lice. Give the boys in blue a good old fuckin’ giggle.”

I turned and looked up at Mace.

Apparently, he was none the worse for wear after our episode in Lee’s office and the showdown with his Dad. I knew this because when he looked down at me his gaze was warm and he was grinning. He took one arm away, pointed to the corner of the room and my eyes went in the direction he was indicating.

Then his arms went back around me, he leaned down and said one, scary word softly in my ear.

“Cameras.”

I stared at the camera.

Effing hel .

I looked back to Mace.

“Is she serious?”

His grin broadened to a smile. “Probably.”

“Shit,” I whispered.

His arms got tight. “You okay?”

“Your Dad is the Supreme Asshole of Al Time.” His smile died and his arms went from around me to my biceps. He fingers curled around, his thumbs stroking the inside skin softly.

“I hurt you?” he asked in a soft voice.

“I’l live,” I replied in a softer one.

His eyes flashed but he let it go.

“Vance’l take you home. We’l talk more later.” I nodded.

From across the room, Shirleen entered our conversation, “Can I just ask what in
the
fuck is goin’ on with you two?”

Mace and I twisted to face Shirleen.

“It’s a long story,” I explained.

“Wel , get your ass over here and start tel in’ it,” Shirleen shot back.

I looked back at Mace. He smiled, bent low and kissed my forehead.

“Got things to do. You got a grocery list?” I pul ed the grocery list out of my back pocket and handed it to him.

Then I stared at the piece of paper in his hand, wondering if it was the grocery list or the flight numbers. I snatched it back and whipped around, flipping it open.

It was the grocery list.

I let out a big sigh, turned back and handed it to Mace again.

His eyes were narrowed. “What the fuck?”

“Nothin’, just, erm…” My mind raced for some reason to explain why I was such an idiot, then I came up with something. “Thought that was the set list for tomorrow. You know I’m weird about those.” I wasn’t, that was a total lie which had to be why his narrowed eyes got narrower.

“Anyway, it’s not the set list. It’s the grocery list.” I leaned up and brushed his mouth with mine and said, “Now, go forth and conquer bad guys, starting with your Dad.” He stared at me a beat, decided to let it go then lifted a hand to my neck and gave me a squeeze.

Then he was gone.

For your information, it wasn’t lost on me that he didn’t say a word about the fact that I told him I loved him.

* * * * *

“Okay, I’l cal Lana,” I told Al y.

Al y went on, “They’re gonna stay with Daisy ‘cause they’l probably want to be together and she’s got plenty of room. Marcus’s boys can’t do it; Tom says he’l take them to your gig tomorrow night. Then you can do your thing.”

“That sounds good,” I replied. “Can you tel Tom that Chloe looks like Caitlin, except older?”

“Sure,” Al y hesitated a beat and then said, “It doesn’t sound like you think this sounds good.”

“No, it’s al good. It’s just…” I stopped then asked. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?”

“Shit yeah,” Al y answered. “If family’s good, family’s everything. Mace can’t move on unless he sorts this shit out. You’re definitely doing the right thing.” I looked down at one of my arms. On the inside, four smal , shadowy, brown bruises had formed, three fingers and a thumb.

I sucked in a breath and shared, “Mace and I had an episode today.”

“What kind of episode?”

“I cal ed my Mom. Mace heard her being mean to me.

He freaked out, went bal istic, threw Lee’s phone against the wal . It exploded into, like, a mil ion pieces.”

“Holy shit,” Al y breathed.

“After that, I told him I loved him.”

“Holy
shit
!” Al y shouted. “That is
so
cool!”

“He didn’t say it back, he just stared at me.” Silence.

I pressed on. “Then, I said I thought he was probably a good brother and he lost it again. He grabbed onto my arms and hurt me.”

“Stel a –”

“I don’t care about that,” I cut in quickly. “I get it, al this stuff coming up for him again. It can’t be good to see it in the papers. Move around Denver knowing people know.

Having pictures of Caitlin in his face.”

“No, it can’t be good,” Al y agreed.

“He’s gonna react. I’ve gotta be able to take it.”

“Yeah. Though, chickie, he should be able to control it without hurting you.”

“He watched his sister’s head explode,” I reminded her.

Silence then she repeated, “Yeah.”

“I’m not sure I’m getting anywhere with him,” I confided.

“Girl, three days ago you were pushing him away. You got to give it time.”

She was right, so it was my turn to say, “Yeah.”

“You gonna be okay?”

“Sure.”

“You cal if you’re not. We’l talk,” she told me. “I’m here, I hope you know that.”

That was her way and, since I knew her, always had been. Al y was tough on the outside but sweet deep down and you couldn’t ask for a better friend.

“Thanks, Al y.”

“Later,” she said.

“Later.”

We disconnected and I cal ed Lana immediately. She wasn’t home so I left a message about Tom and Chloe and warned her that, if she cal ed, I might not be able to talk if Mace came home.

Then I flipped the phone shut and stared at Juno. I was sitting in my armchair; she was laying on my feet snoozing.

It was late. Mace had come home earlier to drop off the groceries but he couldn’t stay and I didn’t know when he’d get back. I’d made myself dinner for one, homemade chicken and rice pilaf and the round of cal s to the Rock Chicks to get them up-to-date and make sure they were keeping their mouths shut. Then I made the round of cal s to my band, including Floyd and Buzz who were driving home from Oklahoma. I gave them the head’s up and put them under threat of death if they didn’t keep their mouths shut too.