Eddie’s arm was curled around my neck, his hand hanging loose in front of me, which meant I was tucked super-close to his side.
This I’d decided to cal the Eddie’s Woman Hold and even though the w-word was seriously flipping me out, I had to admit, The Hold wasn’t so bad.
The minute we entered, my musings on The Hold ceased and I wanted to turn around and run.
I wasn’t a big fan of being the center of attention, I much preferred to fly below radar. That, obviously, was not going to happen the morning after I’d been grazed by a bul et.
I’d looked in the mirror that morning and I thought I looked like I normal y looked, I just had a white dressing taped to my temple. It wasn’t that bad, certainly not as bad as the looks on everyone’s faces made it out to be.
Duke and Tex were behind the espresso counter. Jane and Al y behind the book counter. Mom, Trixie, Ada, Blanca and Lottie formed one huddle in the seating area, Eddie’s sister Gloria, Tod, Stevie and Indy in another and the Wild Bunch plus Hank the last.
When we walked in, everyone stared at us.
Eddie and I stopped.
I did a store sweep.
Then I did a vague hand wave.
Then I said, “Hey.”
No one moved.
I sighed. “I’m perfectly fine,” I told them.
This prompted action, but only from Duke.
He walked from behind the espresso counter, grabbed a broom that was against the wal and stormed outside. He swung the broom like it was a basebal bat against a telephone pole. He did this with such force, it split in half, the broom portion flying out into Broadway, where luckily the cars were stopped across the intersection at a light.
Then he did an under arm toss, throwing the remaining portion into the street and stormed back in.
Everyone watched this, therefore, everyone was watching Duke when he came back. He pointed to me, brows drawn under his trademark rol ed, red bandana that was tied around his forehead.
“You’re done,” he said, his gravel y voice low and barely control ed.
I nodded. I was too scared to do anything else.
Then he pointed to Eddie.
“You got two days to sort this shit out. You don’t, Jet and her Mom are disappearing. Got boys everywhere who owe me favors. She stays in this kind of danger, I’m putting her on the back of a hog and she’s gone. Got me?” This outburst took me by surprise.
First, I didn’t know Duke liked me so much. Duke was kinda surly so I figured mostly he put up with me, not that he liked me. Not enough to break a broom and definitely not enough to go head-to-head with Eddie. Second, I was flipping out because Duke was going head-to-head with Eddie. I didn’t think Eddie would like that.
“Calm down, hombre,” Eddie said in a warning tone.
I was right, Eddie didn’t like that.
“I’l calm down when I don’t hafta jump on my bike in the middle of the night to make sure one of my girls didn’t get her head blown off.”
“Duke, it’s just a graze,” I put in, feeling the words “one of my girls” slide through me like silk.
His eyes cut to me. “I don’t fuckin’ give a shit, do you see where it is? An inch and half your head would have been gone. Jesus fucking Christ!” he exploded.
I had no chance to defuse the situation I felt hands on me then. I was shifted outside of Eddie’s arm and then engulfed in a hug. I felt Tex’s flannel shirt against my cheek and then I felt his beard press against my forehead.
“Fuckin’ A, Loopy Loo,” he said, absolutely no boom to his voice.
I couldn’t withstand it. Tex always had a boom to his voice. Tears hit my eyes and I couldn’t control them.
“I’m okay,” I whispered.
“World would be a poorer place, without you in it,” he whispered back, actual y whispered.
“I’m okay,” I repeated, putting my arms around his waist, or trying to, he was a big guy they didn’t fit al the way around.
If you told me two weeks ago I’d be hugging Tex, I would have laughed in your face. But there you go.
His arms loosened and he turned me towards Mom who was standing there. She pul ed me to her, one-armed and this started the rounds of hugs, cheek-kisses (except for Blanca, who laid one right on my lips) and a lot of me saying, “I’m okay.”
I had to admit, this brought it al home to me. You get caught up in your chaos, you don’t realize just how much you’re dragging everyone along with you.
In the end, I was slouched, exhausted, on a couch between Mom and Trixie, my head on Mom’s shoulder, her head resting against mine. Ada’s handkerchief with most of my mascara on it was clutched in my hand.
“I’m sorry,” I told Mom, “I just wanted to fix things.” Her head came up and she looked down at me.
“Can you do me a favor, dol face?”
I nodded.
“This time, can you let someone else fix things?” I looked to Eddie, who was the someone else who was going to fix things. He was talking low-voiced to Mace. They broke off and stepped outside.
Damn.
I sighed.
As Eddie would say, one thing at a time.
“Sure,” I said to Mom.