We didn’t crack heads. Or I should say, I didn’t crack heads. We did something else that rocked my world. It wasn’t worse than being left with musings of the terrible life ahead for two little boys I didn’t know and would never meet but it was something that shook my world and what I thought was my place in it.
We went to a bar off Evans, a dive I’d never been to and likely would never see again.
In the parking lot Luke turned to me. “The guy we’re gonna meet isn’t gonna be happy to see me.”
“Why?” I asked.
“He’l be expecting Bobby or Matt. At most, Ike.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means he thinks he’s flyin’ under radar and we aren’t takin’ him seriously. I walk in there, he’s gonna know aren’t takin’ him seriously. I walk in there, he’s gonna know we’re serious. You got your gun?”
I’d put it under my seat. I bent to retrieve it but he stopped me with a hand on my arm.
“You don’t go in there carryin’. With this you’re not the one posin’ the threat, I am.”
This al seemed quite complicated. I wanted to ask questions but instead I nodded.
Luke entered the bar in his usual manner, body language communicating confidently that he knew who he was, he knew what he was doing and he knew where he was going.
I fol owed, probably not looking as cool and confident as Luke because I didn’t know any of those things.
Stil , people turned to look when we walked in and when they saw us, their looks became stares.
Luke walked to a booth, a man was sitting in it and he reminded me of Sal Cordova. Ladies man or at least he thought he was. Caucasian, dirty-blond hair, dressed to the nines.
His face showed surprise and perhaps a hint of fear when his eyes hit Luke then he covered it. His gaze hit on me and he too stared but again only for a moment then his eyes went back to Luke.
“Stark,” he said when Luke arrived at the table, “didn’t expect you to be running errands for Marcus. What? You get demoted?”
My body went rock solid and I looked at Luke. Then I realized what I was giving away and I forced myself to relax.
Running an errand for Marcus?
Marcus Sloan?
Gun runner with drug dealer and pimp on the side?
Luke looked at me and I felt he was tel ing me something. It took a few beats for me to cotton on and I slid in the booth opposite Ladies Man and Luke slid in beside me.
“Who’s this? The Law?” Ladies Man was joking.
“Yeah,” Luke answered.
Ladies Man’s eyes cut to me and the forced joviality faded from his face. I could tel he didn’t know what to make of me.
I kept quiet.
“She on the payrol now or what? I heard she took down Warren last night,” Ladies Man asked.
“We’re not here to talk about Law,” Luke said.
Ladies Man’s attention returned to Luke. “Hey man, I don’t know what this is al about. When I got the message, I was fuckin’ stunned. Seems a lot of trouble over nothin’.” For some reason Luke said, “Stop,” and I didn’t think he was tel ing him to stop talking.
Ladies Man kept on smiling his good ole boy smile.
“What?”
“Stop,” Luke repeated.
“I know you’re a man of few words but what? Is this the message? Give me a clue.” He turned to me. “Law? Do you know? How many syl ables? Sounds like?”
Over the past few days Luke and I had shared a lot or at least I guessed in the World of Luke it was a lot. So I felt pretty safe in thinking that Luke would not take to this guy being a smartass very wel .
I wasn’t wrong.
Luke lifted up in a squat, leaned across the table and, I kid you not, grabbed on to Ladies Man’s col ar and pul ed him clean out of his seat. He put his other hand on him then twisted.
I reared back and just barely was missed when Ladies Man’s body went flying by me and into the booth behind us.
Oh… my… God.
I got the keen sensation that Luke had been holding back in our training sessions.
Like.
A lot.
Luke slid out of our booth and stalked to the other one.
I fol owed.
By the time I made it to him Luke had Ladies Man by the col ar. He’d pul ed him out of that thankful y empty booth and whirled, slamming him against a wal .
There was music playing in the bar but the hum of conversation died as everyone watched Luke.
Luke yanked Ladies Man forward and then slammed him against the wal again. I could hear the crack of Ladies Man’s skul against the wal .
Yikes.
Luke held him pressed there, his legs dangling beneath him a foot off the floor, his hands wrapped around Luke’s wrist and forearm. Just like in the movies, Luke held him aloft one-handed. I didn’t even know people could do that in real life.
It was a sight to see. It gave me a bel y flutter and a heart It was a sight to see. It gave me a bel y flutter and a heart flutter and I was jealous as al hel .
Luke wasn’t just kickass. He was kickass.
“Stop,” Luke repeated the same word.
Ladies Man wasn’t feeling like being a smartass anymore. He looked scared shitless.
“Got me?” Luke asked.
“Yeah, yeah. Got you. Tel Marcus, nothin’ to worry about.
I’m out,” Ladies Man rasped because Luke’s hand was wrapped around his throat.
Luke dropped him.