Shit, now even Marcus Sloan was looking after me.
I didn’t know what to do with that and didn’t have a chance to process it.
“No discussion,” Zip broke into my thoughts, “no, ‘ Zip’ is gonna talk you out of this one,” Zip imitated my word-is-law voice when he said his own name and it was hard not to laugh.
The good thing about this was Tex wasn’t going to be pissed that we weren’t going out that night. The bad news was I didn’t much like people tel ing me what to do. I’d already decided to lay low until the coast was clear, I didn’t need the Grumpy Middle-Aged Men Posse and Daisy tel ing me what to do.
“Listen, folks –” I began to say in my word-is-law voice.
May forced her way into the group.
Not good.
“What’s goin’ on?” she asked, eyes narrowed, she planted her hands on her ample hips, elbowing Zip and Duke as she did so.
“Nothing, May. Everything’s fine,” I answered even though it was an obvious lie. I didn’t need May to know what was happening. She’d freak.
May’s narrowed eyes focused on me. “You thinkin’ of breakin’ up with Crowe again?”
“No!” I snapped, exasperated. So I broke up with him once and it almost took effect. I’d learned my lesson. Was I going to pay for it for the rest of my life?
Jeez.
“Vance and I are solid, we’re real solid,” I went on, assuring May. “We’re… good.”
I started smiling to myself. I couldn’t help it. Vance and I were good. Even I, Miss No Relationship-or-Sex Experience, knew enough to know we were seriously good.
At the sight of my smile, Daisy gave a tinkly bel laugh.
The men weren’t laughing.
“Better wipe that goofy-assed smile of your face, Law, and get your fuckin’ head in the game,” Heavy barged right into my happy thoughts so I scowled at him.
“I have my head in the game,” I told him.
“Your mind’s somewhere else. Probably knitting baby booties,” Zip said and even though I knew he was trying to goad my head crackin’ mamma jamma to the surface, I stil took the bait.
“No! Not booties. Knitting sweaters for Vance. Babies are out of the question, for now.”
Daisy gave another tinkly laugh.
“Hon, you thinkin’ about babies?” May asked, her face now the picture of motherly worry. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too soon? As in, seriously too soon? I mean, it’s only been a week.”
“A week and three days,” I replied.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Zip said to the ceiling.
“Let me get this straight. A second ago we were talkin’
about three angry drug dealers markin’ you for rape and torture and now we’re talkin’ about you knittin’ sweaters for Crowe?” Duke asked. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ. You fuckin’
girls.”
At Duke’s words May lost her motherly worry face and it went back to the narrow-eyed, pissed off face.
Then I watched, fascinated, as her face started to get red.
Zip and Duke moved a bit away from her.
Then she exploded. “What? ” she screeched.
“What’s goin’ on?”
Everyone turned and Vance was standing at the end of the row.
He had his hands to his hips. He was wearing a black tshirt, his black leather jacket and black cowboy boots. His hands had pushed the jacket back and you could see a gun clipped to the wide belt on his jeans.
He looked good.
He also looked unhappy.
Before I could say anything May advanced on him, arm up, finger pointed. She got right into his space and poked him in the chest.
Uh-oh.
That was spitting in the eye of the tiger if I ever saw it.
“What you doin’ about this, boy?” she snapped.
Um.
Yikes.
May cal ed Vance “boy”. I wasn’t sure that was good.
Vance didn’t respond; he just looked down his nose at her.
I wasn’t sure that was good either.
“My girl’s been marked for rape and torture and you swing by to pick up your Arby’s roast beef and cheese?” May continued.
“It’s covered,” Vance replied.
May’s back was to me but I saw her body go rigid.
“Covered? ” she shrieked.
Time to intervene.
“May,” I said as I pushed through Duke and Heavy and headed toward Vance and May. “It’s okay,” I told her when I arrived. “I told Vance last night I was off the streets. He’s giving me a panic button and I’m checking in regularly.”
“Panic… checking…” May spluttered, “I do not believe what I’m hearing. What kind of lame-ass bul shit is this?” I noticed with dismay that Roam, Sniff, Clarice, Indy and Jet had al joined our party.
“Jules has tracking devices on her car and in her bag.
Her house is wired and under surveil ance. I’m giving her a panic button and I know her schedule for the day. She checks in whenever she arrives somewhere,” Vance explained and I thought it was rather nice of him, he didn’t have to. Then his eyes cut to me. “Which you didn’t do when you arrived at Fortnum’s.”
Whoops.