I smiled. “Really?”
He nodded. “Then I don’t need to wait around for your mom to leave before I can fuck you. It makes me feel old.”
I laughed. “I was thinking about getting my own place.”
“I don’t want to stop you if that’s what you want. But I want to take you home.” He touched the bruise on my face with a grimace. “Maybe I can do a better job of keeping you from getting into trouble.”
I snorted. “That was your son. Fuck. What’s he going to think if I move in with you?”
“Gunner can get bent. I didn’t raise him to act like this.” He sighed. “His brothers aren’t like that. I don’t know where I went wrong with him.”
“Shh,” I said, smoothing his white hair. “My mother raised me to be meek and quiet. Some of us are just born one way and can’t be changed.”
He chuckled. “That’s almost wise for a young thing like you. No wonder you rejected Gunner. And for that matter, Bill and the rest of those guys. You’re too smart for them.”
“Hey,” I said, “That sort of talk will go straight to my head. You said yourself I’ve already got too much ego.” I laughed. “So cut it out.”
I could have laid there and bantered with him all evening. Or better yet, gone back to his place, fucked again, and bantered the rest of the evening. But my house phone rang. “The machine will get it,” I said.
My mother’s voice sounded out of the answering machine from the kitchen, “Veronica and Lily aren’t home, please leave a message!” Then we heard Bill. “Nomad,” he barked, “You aren’t home and you ain’t picking up your cell. So I’m betting you’re there. Pick up. Now.”
Nomad launched off the couch, nearly toppling me in the process. He answered the phone in the kitchen. I could still hear Bill’s end as it played through the machine. “Nomad,” he said, “Eagles were spotted downtown. I need you to take a couple guys down there to scare them off.”
“Why me? You’ve got enough people around tonight, don’t you?”
“Because the Eagles are afraid of you, now,” he replied. “I want them to see your face in town. I’m sending Anchor out to the highway to patrol, too.”
Nomad sighed heavily. “All right. On my way.”
“See you there, old man.”
They hung up. I scrambled off the couch and grabbed our clothes. “How can I help?” I asked.
“Can’t. You haven’t been Prospect long enough for a job like this.” He dressed quickly, pulling on his jeans as he walked off to retrieve his boots.
“For real?” I asked. “You’re not just trying to protect me, are you?”
“For real. You can give me Gunner’s gun, though.”
I retrieved it from a drawer in the kitchen, calling over my shoulder, “What about Whitney?”
“She doesn’t live downtown.” I didn’t realize he’d followed me; he suddenly embraced me from behind, pulling me tight against his chest and resting his chin on my head. “Pack a few things,” he murmured, “I’ll pick you up later or in the morning. Whenever we’re through.”
I sighed contentedly and relaxed into him. “Okay,” I said, holding his arm around me and smiling. That simple gesture made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I wasn’t ready to start thinking far into the future about this, but I could sink into the moment, enjoy being with him. And move in with him?
Maybe. He spun me around and assaulted my mouth with another intoxicating kiss. Though brief, it left me wanting to agree to anything at all. “See you soon.” He winked as he left.
I paused by the front door. My mind was in a fog; a post-orgasmic haze of fulfillment and elation. But something was nagging at me. Something we’d just talked about only a moment ago.
What was it? Something about the Eagles…
Whitney.
I grabbed my jacket. Then, hovering in the living room, trapped in a moment of indecision, I cursed at myself. You don’t let fear get the better of you. Cut it out. Move. I retrieved my gun.
---
I parked my mother’s car a block away from Whitney’s house and jogged the rest of the way, hand at the hilt of the gun tucked into my belt. Nomad was probably right - no one was here. Whitney was fine. She was just some girl, anyway. While the Eagles would definitely seek revenge on the Dust Bowl Devils for the shootout at their strip club and for stealing her away, I couldn’t imagine they’d care one way or the other what actually happened to her.
On the other hand, we could be wrong.