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She held my gaze for a long time before she nodded.
“Yeah. That’s the question I’d like to ask.”
It made me wonder what question she was casting off to the side.
“A regular Coke with extra ice for you, and an ice cold beer for you.” The waitress broke our connection as she slammed the glasses down onto the table. “Your food’ll be up in a few minutes. And if you want dessert, go across the street. We don’t do that sweet shit here.”
I chuckled. “Thanks for the update.”
The waitress winked at me. “You know I have to do it for the newbies.”
She walked away, leaving us alone again. And I saw Dani looking around. Oh, this would be rich. Because I knew exactly what the fuck she was searching for. I grabbed my beer and tipped it up to my lips. I chugged half of it down, quenching my thirst in the hopes that my greater thirst might dissipate. But as I sat my glass back down, I felt my need for this innocent girl grow.
Especially when she sighed.
“Something wrong?”
She blushed. “Nothing.”
“Aww, come on. You know you can tell me.”
She rolled her eyes. “All you’ll do is mock me for it.”
I gasped playfully. “Why, Bambi. I’m hurt by your accusation.”
She snickered. “Jerk-off.”
“Loosey-goose.”
“Hey, I’m not loose.”
“No, you’re just cute. Searching for a straw to use like a big ol’ grownup.”
She sipped her drink. “Shut up.”
“Oh, they grow up so fast.”
She started giggling, and the sound held me hostage. It was glorious. A relaxing sound. One that soothed my beating heart and brushed away the pain I felt creeping up into my shoulder again. And as I sat there, watching her gaze around the dimly-lit pub, I got lost in my own thoughts.
Most men I ran with would’ve thought her life was boring. But I didn’t. I wondered what it might be like to not have to worry about my crew all the time. I was always on edge. I never fully slept anymore. One eye was always open. One ear always listening. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for an attack. Waiting for someone to come disrupt things and plunge us into another turf war that ended with one of us in the hospital for a damn month.
John…
We never even saw it coming. Dad sent us out after some bullshit gang that kept creeping up on our turf. Trying to peddle their drugs in our city. Trying to bring their dramatic assholery over the lines of Ann Arbor. We owned this town. We kept the people inside it safe from outside influences like laced drugs and faulty firearms that exploded in your face. We marked our territory everywhere we went. We opened fire whenever we saw something we didn’t enjoy.
And it got us ambushed one night.
“Max? Can you hear me?”
Dani’s voice ripped me from my thoughts. “What?”
“You’re shaking. Are you okay?”
I looked down at my trembling hand before I slid it off the table.
“Yeah, I’m good. Blood sugar shit.”
Worry filled her face. “Are you diabetic? Do I need to go up to the bar and--?”
