Rock Chick 08 Revolution (59 page)

I was beginning to get pissed-off.

Not about Hank having my back, I loved that. It felt great. He was an
awesome brother and that was just one of the many ways he proved it.

I was pissed-off about Lee.

“I don’t actually have to have his blessing, Hank. This would be
indicated by the fact I’m already taking cases.”

“He can teach you a lot,” Hank noted.

“So can Darius, who already has, Vance, who also already has, Hector,
Bobby, Ike and Mace,” I returned.

“That’s correct,” he conceded.

“So you don’t have to convince him. You don’t have to do anything.” I
reached out, grabbed his hand, gave it a squeeze and let it go. “And having
your support is all I need from you.” My voice dropped quiet when I finished,
“It means everything, honey.”

Suddenly, he reached out and caught me at the back of my neck. Pulling
me forward, he leaned into me and rested our foreheads together. And his voice
was quiet when he spoke too.

“My little sister, livin’ with a guy and bein’ a badass.”

Uh-oh.

My eyes were getting hot.

I lifted my hand to wrap my fingers around his forearm. “Hank—”

“You’ll never be a big brother, honey, so you’ll never understand how
this feels. Lettin’ go. Givin’ care of the girl you love and looked after a
long fuckin’ time to another guy. Seein’ her make her way in a world like
that.”

Oh God.

He was killing me.

So.

Loved.

My big brother!

“Honey—”

“It sucks. I’m happy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel like I’ve
lost something.”

Oh
God.

“Please—”

“Give him time,” he whispered.

He meant Lee.

And now I got it.

I was his little sister and Lee wasn’t ready to let that go.

I pressed my lips together before I nodded, our foreheads rolling. Hank
lifted a bit away but didn’t let go of me, mostly because I squeezed his arm.

“I get you,” I said softly. “But I hope you never let go.”

“Good to have your permission, ‘cause I see in him that you’re it for
him. He’s all about you. His world has become you. And he can have that.” His
fingers tightened around my neck. “Still, in the way I can, I’m gonna keep
hold.”

Hank saw in Ren that his world had become me.

I liked that.

I wondered if Ren’s sisters saw the same in me.

And my brother was going to keep hold.

Righteous.

“Good,” I replied.

“Now I’m gonna go before you go girl on me and burst out crying.”

I jerked back and declared, “That’s not gonna happen.”

That wasn’t a lie. It was true.

Still, I was close.

My big brother smiled at me.

Then he let me go and got up, muttering, “Shit to do.”

I had shit to do too. I had to run and get sweaty and come home and get
laid by my man.

I did not share this.

I walked Hank to the door.

He opened it. I followed and stopped in the jamb.

It was then I remembered to ask, “What did you and Lee decide about
Jane?”

He turned and answered, “He’s gonna tell the men. He’s gonna tell Indy.
I’m gonna tell Roxie. And we’re gonna keep our eye on shit but let the chips
fall.”

Time to scratch a conversation with Jane on my list, and I decided to
give her a heads up before I ran.

The good news was, neither Hank nor Lee had gone ballistic. That might
make Jane fret less.

Still, I’d have to keep an eye on things, too.

Hank leaned into me and I thought he was going to kiss my cheek.

He didn’t.

He put his lips to my ear and said, “He hurts you, I’ll fuck him up.”

Loved my big brother.

“That won’t happen,” I replied.

He pulled away, saying, “It better not.”

I rolled my eyes, and when I rolled them back, I saw him smiling.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

He smiled bigger.

Then he was gone.

* * * * *

I rushed offstage at Smithie’s after my final dance, keen to get the
hell out of there and get home to bed.

And Ren.

It was another bust of a night at Smithie’s. Even though I’d approached
a couple of the girls and had a chat with Tanya, one of the waitresses, there
was no thawing of the informational freeze-out.

I’d also had a chat with Smithie about what he knew about Gibbons. I
wasn’t telling him our progress on the case because I didn’t want him to lose
it and screw the pooch if what Steiner and Gibbons were doing went deeper.

But Smithie paid attention in his club. So he knew exactly who I was
talking about.

And his response was, “He’s an asshole. Shit vibe. But good customer.
He drinks. Tips the girls good. Gets a lap dance every night. Don’t love every
one of my regulars. But I don’t bitch when they buy drinks and take care of the
girls.”

Gibbons would tip the girls “good” since he’d see a return of that
money, and not in the normal way.

“Why you ask?” Smithie finished.

“Just keeping my eye on things and he gives me the heebie-jeebies,” I
told him.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Asshole written all over him. Then again, that’s
every other guy who walks through my fuckin’ door.”

He was right. But not
that
brand of asshole.

I left it at that.

Then I went about my business, hoping that Bobby and Darius would turn
up something or one of the girls would suck up the courage to give me a lead.

And soon.

But now the night was over and the workday was done for me. The girls
had half an hour of dancing before they were finished, but there was no reason
for me to stay. Therefore, if I did, it might be noticed and wondered about.

So I headed to the dressing room as the girls headed toward the stage
to take over once Lottie was done.

“Have fun,” I said on a big smile.

“Mm-hmm,” JoJo replied on a forced one.

“Have a good night, Ally,” Meena said as she passed me.

She also grabbed my hand.

I thought that was weird.

Until I felt her pressing something in my palm.

I closed my fingers around what felt like a piece of paper and a jolt
of energy surged through me making it hard to keep my voice modulated when I
called, “See you tomorrow night.”

“Later, babe,” JoJo called back.

Meena turned back and waved.

But her face said it all.

Fear.

Shit.

I rushed to the dressing room, got dressed, grabbed my stuff and hauled
ass. My palms were itching, but I didn’t want anyone to see me reading the
note.

So I waited until I was sitting at a stoplight before I yanked the
paper out of my pocket, unfolded it and read it.

We pay, or they do it. We talk, and they do
it.

They have more guys. Eyes all the time.

We don’t pay or we talk, they’re gonna hurt
Smithie.

I stared at the paper.

Then I whispered, “Fuck.”

* * * * *

I sat cross-legged on the bed in my jeans and tee (but I’d flipped off
my flip-flops).

Ren was up against the headboard, sheet to his waist, chest on view.

For once, I didn’t appreciate the view. My mind was on other things.

He was studying the note which, incidentally, was what my mind was on.

In other words, I was obsessing over it.

Ren had elected not to go to Smithie’s that night and instead stay in
and get some shuteye.

But I’d woken him up after I flipped off my flip-flops and turned on a
light.

Then I’d shown him the note.

He looked from it to me. “You want me to put Lucky and Santo on this?”

This surprised me.

“Would Lucky and Santo be helpful?”

“One of many things those two have goin’ for them is everyone
underestimates them.” He held my eyes. “Heads up to you, don’t underestimate
them.”

I nodded.

That was good to know, and as Curious Rock Chick, also a relief to have
that intel.

“So you want me to put them on this?” he pressed.

I leaned toward him and put my hand to his chest. “No, baby. But thanks
for the offer.”

“Ally—” he started, his voice cautious, and I knew where he was going.

This was bigger than me. Even bigger than me and Darius.

This needed team play.

So I cut him off in order that he wouldn’t worry. “I have to talk to
Lee.”

Ren let out a breath.

I took one in and said, “I had this feeling when it started. It wasn’t
bad. It was
bad.
Darius on it,
bringing in Bobby and Brody, I felt better.” I tipped my head to the note.
“That? Smithie needs the big guns.”

To that, Ren weirdly asked, “Do you know what’s amazing?”

“Well… no,” I answered, bemused at this turn of conversation.

“That you give a shit enough about what you do, and about Smithie, to
be big enough to set pride aside to do the job right.”

He.

Was.

So.

Awesome.

“You’re just saying that so I’ll kiss you,” I replied.

“No. I’m sayin’ it ‘cause it’s true. Though, I’m also sayin’ it so
you’ll kiss me. But mostly I’m sayin’ it so you’ll fuck me.”

My happy place spasmed, but my eyebrows drew together.

“I was dancing all night and you want me to do all the work?

“Babe, you dance for eight, ten minutes tops. That hardly puts you out
of commission.”

“I also had a run today,” I reminded him.

He grinned. “Yeah, I remember.”

That grin—another happy place spasm.

“So I’m thinking my man needs to put in a little effort,” I kept going.

“I did that after your run.”

This was true. And it was more than a little. This was because, before
I got back from my run, Ren had cleaned my Lelo.

“Okay, a little
more
effort,”
I amended.

“Are you sayin’ you’re good with missionary?” he asked.

“Missionary is growing on me,” I shared.

Ren grinned a grin I felt in my nipples
and
my happy place.

Then he set the note on his nightstand and lunged toward me, taking me
to my back on the bed with him on top.

His lips to my lips, his eyes looking into mine, he suggested, “Let’s
see if I can take it to number one.”

I was all for that.

Totally.

And I shared this by lifting my head and kissing him.

Hard, wet and wild.

Ren kissed me back the same way.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Top of That List

My eyes fluttered open as I woke.

Ren’s arms gave me a squeeze.

“Babe, you awake?”

I grinned to myself and rolled from Ren spooning me to me snuggling
front to front with my man.

He wrapped a hand around my jaw, tipped my head back and moved in,
giving me a soft, sweet morning kiss.

Oh yeah. This together
togetherness
rocked.

And did in a way that would last forever.

So that rocked a helluva lot more.

He disengaged and said in his sweet voice, “Mornin’, baby.”

“Mornin’,” I replied, snuggling deeper into his warm, hard body. Then I
declared, “I have to apologize.”

He did a slow blink and asked, “For what?”

“For going back on the promise I made myself last Sunday that I’d make
you breakfast in bed every Sunday morning until the day my arthritic hands
couldn’t crack open an egg.” I watched his face get soft(er) and thus hot(ter)
and kept talking. “But I have to talk with Lee, and I have to get to Fortnum’s
to check in.” I snuggled even closer and finished on a whisper, “But you pick a
day this week, I’ll make up for it.”

“You don’t have to make up for it, Ally,” he replied.

“Yes, I do.”

“Babe, you don’t.”

“Babe, you liked it,” I stated. “And I liked that you liked it. And I
like doing things for you that you like. So give that to me and think on a day
when you’ll take my rain check.”