"Not really."
"Hush, brats," Mama May Dee says in a soothing voice. "I don't want to throw this fine food out for the dogs."
The twins glare at one another while ball cap guy joins them at the table.
"This is Zane," Colbie says. "He's our brother. That's why we keep him around, in case you were wondering."
Zane is too busy on his phone to acknowledge me.
"He's rude," Colbie mutters. "He also smells like boysenberries."
Zane glances at his sister. "My woman smells like boysenberries, and she rubbed up against me this morning."
"She's a teacher," Colbie announces. "Teaches elementary children how to speak English. Zane is very proud to be dating a woman who can read and write."
Zane yanks Colbie's hair, eliciting a growl from her. A dog growls behind me and then another one. I feel like I'm falling into the Twilight Zone, but at least Sawyer isn't screaming at me.
"I don't trust you," she whispers, passing me to sit at the table.
"I'm here to protect you until Cooper is satisfied you're safe."
"My bodyguard, huh?" Sawyer says, wrapping her long curls into a bun on the top of her head. "So you'll take a bullet to save my life then?" When I nod, she turns to Bodie. "Please shoot at me."
"Bullets ain't cheap, darling. Besides, he's perfectly tall. I think we should keep him around in case we really do need a human shield."
"I prefer him dying to me being the human shield," Zane says.
"Fine," Sawyer mutters, "but I'm not listening to him or being nice to him or even talking to him."
Colbie says, "Whatever."
"Don't care," Zane adds.
Bodie grunts. "No skin off my ass."
Sawyer frowns at their lack of interest in her rage. In Ellsberg, she's accustomed to much more attention. Her family has power, and Sawyer's temper is legendary. Homeschooled after she refused to listen to her teachers, she never met an authority figure outside of her parents she didn't dismiss.
Her siblings weren't immune to her wrath either. She once chased Bailey down the street with a tire iron over an argument about spinach. Rather than brush the incident under the rug, her mom added it to the family's Christmas letter. Yes, in Ellsberg, Sawyer Johansson was a force to be feared and avoided.
Here in Last Dollar, she appears normal next to the McLaughlins. Makes me wonder if Sawyer feels like she's fallen into the Twilight Zone too.
Chapter 7
Sawyer
Who Made Who
With his shoulder length locks, Jace looks more like a surfer dude than a biker. I once knew this man with all my heart, yet he's a stranger now. His face is harder, less expressive. He now possesses the eyes of an enforcer, showing me nothing. Until he smiles at me.
Despite missing him over the last months, I roll my eyes and look away. The day he dumped me, Jace said the one thing he hoped was we could remain friends. I had no control over whether he loved me or would stay with me. However, I did have the power to deny him this one damn thing. No way was I staying his friend. Not nine months ago, not now, not ever.
"This is nice," Colbie says, patting Jace's hand and making really intense eye contact with him. "Do you see how good I am at engaging with people now?"
Colbie's speaking to Bodie who glances at Zane. "Did she say people or peons?"
Zane grins, but doesn't answer. I suspect the three of them are talking mentally again. Jace waits for someone to speak, and I see a hint of confusion when the siblings nod at an unspoken detail. If he was anyone else, I might explain. My broken ego refuses to give him an inch. I gave him too much already when I let myself trust him.
"So you two used to be friends," Zane says. "I was friends first with Yesenia."
The twins roll their eyes in unison and Bodie nudges me. "Zane thinks he's the first person to ever fall in love. Hell, this isn't even his first time falling in love."
"Those didn't count. Yesenia is a good woman."
"And the others were shit?" I grumble.
"Yeah," Colbie says, and Bodie nods quickly. "The one before smelled like a urinal cake. Another one had worms."
"Honest to goodness worms," Bodie adds. "I don't even want to imagine how she got them."
"Probably from dog sex," Colbie says.
"Hush," Mama May Dee admonishes from the stove. "That's not proper discussion for mealtime."
"We're sorry," Colbie says, "Zane's shitty sex life has led to these horrible lunch topics."
Mama May Dee waves her hand dismissively before leaving the kitchen.
"Where are you staying?" Colbie asks Jace.
My stomach leaps into my throat. "He can't stay here."
"Are you sure? I do love cat fights."
I hold Jace's gaze, daring him to stay at the house. He stares back, showing me nothing. Bodie stares at her sister, silently discussing something. I want to believe their conversation is over my panic, but I sense they're talking about the fries.