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Tiger studied my face. “Are the bags underneath your eyes yellow? Holy shit, did someone actually land a punch?”
Bub wrapped his arm around Tiger’s shoulders. “Come on. Your ‘welcome back’ drinks are on me. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
I nodded. “I appreciate that, Bub. Thanks.”
He winked. “Anytime, Max.”
I watched the two men walk away as I sipped my third drink. Rupert topped it off before he held it in the air, beckoning for another pitcher to be brought to the table. I caught eyes with some of my men. Bushley and Mark. Grandfather and Sully. I waved at them and they came over to talk. Filling me in on their lives, their girls, and their adventures. I sat there and continued to drink, listening to every story they had for me. I loved hearing about their lives. What they got up to when we weren’t working.
I liked the fact that my men felt safe enough to live their lives. To go on adventures. To play with their children in the backyard and take vacations.
That was why this situation pissed me off so much. Because looming threats like this made my men fear for their safety. The safety of their families. Soon none of them would be on vacation. Or enjoying their lives. None of them would let their children play outside. Soon the paranoia would take hold, and that’s when mistakes were made.
“Think you should slow down on those drinks?” Rupert asked.
I drained my fifth--no, sixth? No, fifth--drink before I waved my hand at him.
“Hush. Larry here’s telling me about his trip to the mountains. You get any fishing done? I know how much you like to sit and fish,” I said.
I listened to Larry’s fishing trip stories and nodded as Panther talked about his newly-wedded wife. I slung back drinks and laughed with the guys, giving absolutely no fucks about how much I was drinking. This was just as much my night to enjoy as it was theirs. And I needed to enjoy something after that fucked-up meeting with my father.
What I didn’t take into account was all of that beer on an angry, empty stomach.
And as Rupert helped me stumble out of the bar, I wondered if he was right.
I wondered if we needed to start doing drive-bys near campus to make sure Dani stayed safe through all this.
25
Dani
I slipped into my car and decided to go hang out with Max for a little while. After my morning classes and that awful conversation with Kline, I needed to see him. Hold him. Kiss him. Hear his voice in my ear. I couldn't sleep. I’d barely eaten all day. I felt guilty for some reason. Even though I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. I just didn’t want Max to be upset with me. I didn’t want him thinking that I was straying, or whatever. I wanted him and only him. No matter what came our way.
“Text message from Mom. Do you want me to read it?”
My SUV came alive with the Bluetooth automation voice. I peeked down at the dashboard and reached over, pressing the red ‘X’ button. I didn’t need to be speaking with my mother right now. Especially since I knew what she was calling to talk about. I mean, it was eleven o’clock at night! What did she think I was doing right now?
“Incoming call, Mom.”
I rolled my eyes. “Really?”
“Incoming call, Mom.”
I groaned. “Come on.”
“Incoming call, Mom. Do you want me to pick up?”
I sighed. “Yes. Pick up the call.”
“Danika?”
“Yeah?”
“Oh! Hi, sweetheart. Is now a good time for a quick chat?”
“Is that what your text was about?”
“It was, yes.”
