“I don’t do bourbon or tequila,” she informed him.
“I don’t care,” he informed her and she planted a hand on her hip.
Oh boy.
The Attitude.
“We’re in crisis mode and little black dresses. Crisis plus LBDs equals alcohol consumption. Strike that, crisis at all equals alcohol consumption. I gotta keep my girls steady in the face of the unknown and we’re your guests,” she educated him.
“Work with what you got,” he returned and she glared.
Then she muttered, “Tequila shots it is,” and turned to the shelves behind the bar that held a variety of glasses.
I looked at young biker and stated, “I don’t need tequila. I need to know what’s going on.”
“Boys get back, you’ll get briefed,” he replied.
“Do you have any preliminary intel?” Gwen asked and from her words I figured she’d had ongoing commando’s woman lessons.
“Boys get back, you’ll get briefed,” he repeated.
I gave up on him and looked to Gwen. “Where’s Hawk?”
She looked at me and answered, “He dropped us off and then he took off.”
“Does he know what’s going on?” I asked.
“Well, he knows Tack and he knew who those guys were in the cars that were after you so I’m thinking… yeah,” she answered. “Though he didn’t share,” she finished quietly.
Damn.
I moved to her and LaTanya trailed me. “Can you call him?”
“Uh… no, honey, sorry,” she said softly. “When I say he took off, I mean he took off to wade into whatever is going on. And when he’s involved in an operation, I leave him be and let him concentrate.”
This was probably smart.
Still, even knowing hot guy commando Hawk was in play didn’t stop me from shaking which I belatedly realized I’d started doing.
“Elvira, tequila,” LaTanya muttered and I knew she saw me shaking.
Then she grabbed my hand and I looked at her.
“It’s the Russian mob cleaning up Bill’s mess. Tack told me. And I’m not involved, like, at all and they came after me. They’ll go after Bud and Billie.”
“You can’t know that,” she said gently.
“When I told Tack about Bud and Billie, he got someone on it right away. So, yes, I can know that,” I replied.
She pressed her lips together and looked at Gwen.
Gwen looked at me. “I know Tack, Mara. He’s a good guy. A really good guy. If he’s got someone on it, they won’t mess around.”
This didn’t make me feel better either though I was getting a suspicion president of a motorcycle club Tack was not like any of the bikers I’d met in my mother’s trailer.
“Tequila, hon, now,” Elvira ordered softly and my eyes went to her.
“I’m already drunk, I don’t need more. I need my wits about me,” I explained.
“Tequila, Mara, now,” Elvira kind of repeated.
“But –” I started.
“Don’t know how long it’s gonna last but you’re on a bumpy ride. You got your girls but you need more. Listen to Elvira. Smooth the edges. Tequila. Now,” she demanded.
I swallowed. Then I nodded. Then the girl gang bellied up the bar. I took my shot glass from Elvira. The other girls grabbed one and in unison we belted them back.
I put my shot glass on the bar while wincing.
LaTanya, who didn’t let go of my hand, squeezed it.
We heard a door open just then and we also heard a man’s angry voice barking, “You got this fucked up shit, you tell the fuckin’ cops about it.”
I knew that voice.
Brock.
I pulled my hand from LaTanya’s and raced around the bar to see Brock striding in using an angry gait and he was just behind Tack.
“We don’t roll that way, man, and you know it,” Tack growled.
I stopped, eyes on Brock and asked, “What’s going on?”
His eyes cut to me and his face changed.
It was not a good change.
It was the worst change of all.
My legs trembled.
Oh God, no.
“No,” I whispered, my gaze darting to Tack who was wearing the same expression. “No,” I repeated and I felt an arm slide around my waist but didn’t tear my gaze from the two men.
Brock moved swiftly to me, stopped in front of me and ordered gently, “Need you to sit down, Mara.”
“Tell me,” I returned quietly.
“Mara, honey, I need you to –”
I knew it, I could read it on his face and I couldn’t hold it back.
Therefore I lost it.
“Tell me!” I shrieked.
“They got the kids,” he replied quickly and I stared at him, my lungs hollowing out but other than that nothing, just numbness invading every inch of me.