She rolled her eyes, and my fingers twitched. If we made it outta here without another fucking scene, I'd be tossing and turning tonight for sure, imagining how good she'd squirm with my big hand slapping her sweet ass 'til she learned some damned respect.
Her mouth popped open, but whatever sass she had planned was drowned out by new commotion inside the house. Prez started screaming at the drunk.
“You stupid toasted asshole – let go! You're not getting a hold of this shit! I'm not standing here while you splatter your damned brains all over your place. Fuck's sake, Jimmy, your little girl's standing right outside. Just breathe.”
“Fuck you! I know what I gotta do, there ain't another choice!” The drunk's voice sounded rushed, desperate, angry. “Outta my way, Dusty. Don't make me shoot you, too.”
Shit. I stood on the step leading inside, one hand on my nine, ready to bust in if the standoff got ugly. I could feel Cora's tense little eyes all over me, standing behind me, scared for her life.
“You won't. Give it the fuck back!” Dust exploded, his voice so loud it was barely muffled by the wall between us. “Don't be a goddamned idiot. Please. For her sake, if you don't give two fucks about your own anymore. We'll figure shit out with the Torches, take you away and stash you somewhere safe, same as her. Come on. It's not too late, Jimmy. You've been like a brother to me. I'll never walk away easy if I let it go down like –“
One deafening gunshot silenced the Cap'n.
Cora jumped. I pulled my nine, and my fist hit the door, making enough space to peek inside.
“Daddy? Daddy?!” I heard her call behind me, her voice dying in a brutal whisper.
Dust was heading toward me, a grim look on his face. “He fucking did it. Couldn't talk the stupid motherfucker out of shit. Nothing left to do except take care of the girl like we planned,” he growled.
Prez punched the button for the garage, and we listened to it creak open. “On it, Prez. Cora?“
I walked toward her, ready to grab her hand and help her up. “Shit. Girl, I'm real sorry for what just went down. You never should've heard any of that. I –“
Felt like I was touching ice when I pushed her fingers through mine. She just stood there, her eyes barely bigger than her open mouth. The girl had gone damned near catatonic, and who could fucking blame her?
I helped her onto my ride. Wrapped her arms around me, and told her to hold on tight, making sure she could at least do that before we moved.
It wasn't 'til she was on the back of my bike and I had a helmet strapped to her head that she started to wail. Dust revved his engine and pointed a finger at the road.
Forward. No delays.
I nodded. It was a long, hellish ride through Knoxville. I made damned sure Cora's arms stayed locked around me, and I held her small, soft hand the whole way home.
If I could've fixed the hole in her old man's head and killed him all over again for putting her through this gruesome bullshit, I'd have done it in a heartbeat.
But the Prez was dead right. Nothing left to do except keep her safe. Well, just one more thing, after the big two.
Protect her.
Keep her sane.
And find out what the ever-living fuck was going on here.
II: Wires Crossed (Cora)
The bike's tires spun, loud and dizzy, but they had nothing on my head.
A couple hours ago, I'd been finishing up my paperwork with Mister Fisher, the kind, older teacher helping me intern in his ninth grade math class. Daddy had been sick at home the last few days, so I'd stopped at the drug store on my way home and picked up some cold medicine.#p#分页标题#e#
Now, he was dead. I'd heard the gunshot that killed him, put him out of the soul killing misery dripping off him like the sweat and liquor I'd smelled the last time we embraced.
Now, I was pressed up against this hulk in his ink and leather, this utter bastard who looked like a Viking and talked like he'd just stepped out of prison.
Now, I couldn't begin to piece together what was left of my life.
I should've snapped. Shattered. Died on the spot.
Instead, I was riding with this demon. My mind, my soul, my heart in ruins, broken so suddenly they turned me into a zombie, the only thing that kept me from throwing a fit and falling onto the road blurring by beneath us.
It didn't help that the monster who'd forced his way into my life was handsome in a rogue I'm-going-to-fuck-you-up or just fuck-you kind of way.
Big, brutal shoulders that would've made any linebacker or champion lifter jealous. Ice blue eyes, colder and darker than mine. Light cinnamon colored hair lay thick on his head, connecting with the solid stubble on his chin, sandpaper that looked like it would scratch in all the right ways against a woman's skin.