My stomach clutched and I ignored his instructions because I was in sort of a mini-freak out. Mace could put any girl in a mini-freak out, especially tel ing her to flirt with him and most especially using a soft voice.
“What?” I asked, sounding stupid.
His eyes shifted and he lifted a chin to the bartender.
“Two beers,” he said.
I shook off the freak out and leaned into him.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered.
He circled me, getting close, cutting me off from my posse and forcing my back to the room. He leaned against the bar, looking, for al the world, like a guy on the prowl with me being the prowlee.
“Lee got word shit’s goin’ down tonight. He put together a team.”
No.
No, no, no.
No shit going down and no team.
I could just about handle my friends offering moral support when they were having fun while they were doing it.
I didn’t need the Wild Bunch out there getting paid overtime on Lee’s nickel. That was one favor too far.
The bartender deposited our beers on the bar and Mace slipped him a bil , then he ignored the drink and I did too.
“If this is dangerous, we’l leave,” I told him.
He shook his head.
“Finish what you start,” he said. “We have it covered.”
“You have what covered?”
“Don’t know, when we do, it’l be covered.” Eek.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“You’re here to talk to your Dad. Lee’s out there, somewhere, and so are Vance and Matt. I’m assigned to you. Something happens, I grab you and we go to the safe point.”
Safe point?
Safe point?
This did not sound good.
In fact, it sounded real y not good.
I opened my mouth to speak but he wasn’t finished.
“Something happens and I have to grab you, you come with me, no argument, no struggle, no worrying about your friends or I’l neutralize you, no hesitation. Got me?” Oh… dear… Lord.
I was pretty certain I didn’t want Mace to neutralize me. I didn’t know how he’d do that and I didn’t want to learn.
I decided to pul out the attitude. “I’m cal ing it off. No neutralizing, no worrying about my friends and no owing Lee the overtime he’s paying you,” I said.
He watched me for a beat and something happened to his expression. His face became hard but the look in his green eyes went soft. I watched, fascinated, and I felt the change throughout my entire system.
“Get that out of your head and focus. This is voluntary overtime, for al of us.”
I stared, trying to process his words but he didn’t give me a chance.
He got closer and his voice dropped to a whisper.
“Babe, watching you these past months has been like watching a flower bloom. Don’t disappoint us.” Then he was gone.
I stood and stared in the space he’d been occupying.
“Um… hello?” Tod said to me, drawing out the “hel o”.
“Um… hello?” Tod said to me, drawing out the “hel o”.
I snapped to and stared at them al . They were al looking at me.
“Mace was just here,” I said.
“He was?” Indy asked looking around.
I couldn’t believe they hadn’t seen him but I ignored that as there were slightly more pressing things at hand.
I told them al what he said.
They al continued to stare at me.
“We gotta go,” I declared.
They looked at each other.
“We ain’t gonna go, Sugar. He’s right, finish what you start,” Daisy said.
Lottie was watching me, then a slow smile spread on her face.
“I couldn’t put my finger on it but it’s true. You are a flower. I thought it was the hair but it isn’t the hair, it’s you.” My sister.
“Pu-lease,” I muttered and rol ed my eyes.
She just nodded, looking al happy in the face of certain danger.
My eyes moved to Indy. “What the hel did he mean, watching me these past months has been like watching a flower bloom? Who talks like that? And, anyway, he barely comes into Fortnum’s.”
“Um, I kinda forgot to tel you.” Indy was shifting uncomfortably and it worried me.
“What?” I asked.
“Lee has surveil ance on Fortnum’s, cameras and bugs, twenty-four seven. He put it in when I was going through my drama and never took it out. The boys at the office watch for security purposes and… um, for kicks.” I stared at her.
“You’re joking,” I breathed, at the same time silently asking God to make Indy tel me she was joking.
She shook her head.
I knew it was selfish, but I real y wished God would pay more attention to me.
I was processing this, thinking about al that went down at Fortnum’s, Eddie Torture, me running and hiding from Eddie, Dad’s serenade, Lottie and me wrestling.
“Holy crap,” I breathed.
Indy bit her lip.
Daisy tensed.
“We got the high sign,” Daisy whispered.
I didn’t have time to worry about being on show, nearly every day, for the Wild Bunch.
It was confrontation time.
We al shuffled around mental y preparing.
“Everybody got their stun guns?” Tod asked.
“I can’t wait to get my hands on Dad,” Lottie said.
“Let’s rock,” Indy said.
Dear Lord.
* * * * *
We walked down the back hal and Shirleen was standing in it. “They’re on a bathroom break. Ray’s at the table, get in there,” she said.
Daisy nodded and everyone stepped aside to let me go first.
I looked at Shirleen.
“Thank you,” I told her, and there was a lot of feeling in it.
She turned her eyes to me and her face was gentle.
“Child, you got nothin’ to thank me for. You get a chance to do a good deed, you do it. That way, when you need a good deed done, it’l come back to you. Karma.” I wasn’t certain I wanted to have a discussion about karma at that particular moment and luckily Shirleen didn’t wait for my comment, she stepped aside.
I walked into another dark, smoky, sweat-smel y room.
Dad was alone, sitting at the table, looking dirtier and far more worn down than he had a week ago.
“Dad,” I cal ed.
He looked up, his eyes grew bright and my heart clutched.
Then he caught sight of my careful y closed face, the brightness died and he stood up.
“Princess Jet,” he said, then his gaze went beyond me and his eyes grew bright again, “Lottie!” He looked like he was going to go for her but her body language didn’t invite approach.