The chaos hit me before I reached the bottom step.
Cord and Plug were sweeping the floor near the bar, both of them moving with the dead-eyed misery of men who had been given a job they didn’t want but knew better than to argue about.
Tempi stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, looking at Twister like he had personally offended her.“I said I can sweep,” she snapped.
Twister sat at the table with one arm stretched across the back of his chair and a cup of coffee in front of him.He looked calm.Too calm.Which probably meant Tempi was losing this argument.“You made some of the mess,” he said.
“Exactly.”
“And they’re prospects.”
Cord kept sweeping.
Plug swept harder.
Neither one looked up.
“They will do what I tell them to do,” Twister continued.“And I told them to sweep.”
Tempi narrowed her eyes.“I don’t like standing here while they clean up after me.”
Twister leaned back.“Then don’t stand there.”
Her mouth dropped open.
Cord’s broom paused.Plug elbowed him, and Cord started sweeping again.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Twister warned.
Tempi planted her hands tighter on her hips.“Like what?”
“Like you’re about to throw the cue ball at my head.”
“I wasn’t thinking about the cue ball.”
Twister’s lips twitched.“Bottle?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m the Prez, Tempi.I can tell my guys to sweep if I want.”
“Your guys are grown men.”
“Prospects.”
“Still men.”
“Debatable,” Hodge called from the pool table.
Cord muttered, “I heard that.”
“You were supposed to,” Hodge said.
I stopped on the bottom step and took it all in.
The Saint’s Outlaws in the morning was apparently no quieter than the Saint’s Outlaws at night.Good to know.
Wheels came out of the kitchen with a steaming mug in his hand.His eyes found me immediately, and he changed direction without missing a step.
