It wasn’t good that I had the attention of the Nightingale brothers and Chavez, but Crowe had said he’d talk to them.
Having Stark and Mace witnessing me face down Cordova was kind of embarrassing. If word was even remotely correct, Stark was one badass mother. Kai Mason, known as Mace, was also known for not being far behind Stark in the badass mother stakes (not to mention he had a reputation for having a seriously short fuse).
“Oh yeah? How’s that?” Zip asked, interrupting my moment of mortified reflection.
“He kinda caught up with me,” I told Zip.
Silence.
“Zip?”
“He there?” Zip asked.
Zip’s question confused me. “Sorry?”
“Crowe, is he with you now?”
“No. Of course not. We had a talk. He let me go.”
“He’s not there?” Zip asked, surprise evident in his tone.
“Um… no.” I drew out the “no” thinking, maybe, Zip had final y lost what marbles he had left.
“You sure he isn’t there?”
That’s when I got a chil up my spine and looked out the front window.
No Harleys in sight.
I let out a breath.
“He’s not here Zip. What are you going on about?”
“Crowe’s got a way with the ladies. You look like you do, which you do, you get in his sights, he’l nail you faster ‘n snot.”
I rol ed my eyes to the ceiling.
Pu-lease.
“I hardly think so,” I said.
“Girl, you’re loco. Pure loco. What’d Crowe say during this talk?”
“Not much,” I lied.
I was already freaked out and Zip was pissed off. I didn’t want to get Zip more pissed off which would serve only to heighten my freak out.
“He get a good look at you?” Zip asked.
I would guess the answer to that was “yes” considering his face was an inch from mine and his body was pressed against me.
My bel y fluttered just thinking about it.
I ignored the bel y flutter (again).
“Yeah. Zip, don’t worry about it.”
“These boys got a way about ‘em, Jules. They don’t fuck around. They see somethin’ they want, they get it. They’re fuckin’ famous for it. A woman don’t stand a chance. He seem interested?”
I had no idea the answer to that and I didn’t care (wel , maybe a little but I had bigger fish to fry).
“Listen, Zip, honestly, there’s nothing to worry about. We went our separate ways. I’l be smarter, I’l be more quiet. I’l be –”
“Laid, good and simple. Crowe got a good look at you, you’re his. You’re gonna be fucked and I mean that literal y.”
“Zip!” I yel ed, shocked.
He ignored me. “Though, this may not be a bad thing.
Crowe won’t want a woman of his gal ivantin’ around town, lettin’ off smoke bombs, slashin’ tires and puttin’ herself out there. You’ve been noticed. You’re gettin’ a lot of attention.
It makes me un-comfortable. You get me? You were supposed to be invisible, you ain’t invisible. Everyone knows about ‘The Law’. Heavy and Frank and me been talkin’…”
Oh crap. Not Zip, Heavy and Frank talking. That was not good.
Every once in awhile they got worried about me, a lot more often lately. I found ways to calm them down but I didn’t figure this would last forever. I needed them, I had a lot to learn and they could teach me. I also liked them and I liked spending time with them.
They were the closest things to true, good friends that I had. It might be a little pathetic that a twenty-six year old social worker’s friend posse included an old, bald gun shop owner; a guy whose nickname “Heavy” said it al ; and then there was Frank who looked like he could hole himself up in a cabin with fifty years of provisions and mastermind a violent world takeover on a computer.
But I didn’t care if it was pathetic, they were my friends and that’s al I cared about.
“Zip, stop and listen to me. Vance Crowe is not in the picture. I’m fine and I’m not stopping.”
“Jules.”
“Zip,” I said quietly and then, with feeling, “No.” He was silent again. He knew what my quiet voice meant. My word wasn’t law for nothing.
“Zip, I promise, I’l do better,” I assured him.
He was silent for another beat then he gave in.
“Jules, you be safe, you hear? Keep your eyes and ears open and your head down. I want you in here tomorrow, got me?”
I smiled. Crisis averted.
“Got you.”
“Fuckin’ loco,” he muttered and hung up without saying good-bye.
*
I was getting ready to go out and wreak some havoc on bad guys when I heard a knock at my backdoor and Nick came in. “Jules? You home?”
“Yeah,” I cal ed from the bathroom, finished wrapping the band around my ponytail and went into the kitchen.
Boo was tel ing Nick about my day, snitching on me in kitty language.
Luckily, Nick didn’t speak kitty language.