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“Who did you threaten?” Slash asked.
“My sister’s boyfriend,” Coach said, no hesitation. “And it was his house I broke into. With a weapon. Hence my time inside.”
“Okay. But tell us how that shit went down,” Slash said.
“It went down like… my little sister came to me with a face that had marks on it. And I grabbed a crowbar and drove my ass across town to beat that lowlife sonofabitch to death with it. And I told him as such. The coward called the cops, and before I could get more than a swing in, I was getting hauled off, and he was allowed to stay free and likely put his hands on another chick. Maybe one without a big brother whose willing to do what’s right.”
“Alright. I don’t have a problem with that. But I do need to know if you plan to go back and finish that job.”
“No need,” Coach said.
“What’d you find God inside?” Slash asked, tone dubious.
“Nah, but he did,” Coach said, shrugging. “In the literal way,” he added. “My sister told me he was shooting shit up his arm. Took too much. And now the world has one less domestic abuser walking around. So that’s a closed chapter.”
“And you’d be interested in setting down roots in Shady Valley?”
“Don’t have much for me back home. Can’t imagine I’d be able to find a good job with my record now.”
“Family?” Slash asked.
“Got my sister. That’s it. She’s got her life there. I can visit. She can come here. It’s not that far. Couple hours.”
“Alright. And you have no issues with what we do here?”
“No.”
“Got any affiliations to worry about?”
“I grew up in a rough neighborhood. Known a lot of guys who were connected. But I went a more straight route. Never affiliated with anyone.”
“Okay. Well, I’m comfortable offering you to prospect then. It’s ass-breaking work, but if you’re up for it…”
“I’m not afraid of work. It’ll feel good to have some purpose after all this time.”
“Good. Well, Crow can show you up to your room. I’ll look into getting you a bike. And you’re probably going to want to take a trip out of town tomorrow to stock up on some supplies and shit. I’ll advance you your first two weeks of pay. And tonight I guess we’ll take you out to drink. Let you find a girl. Get that prison chastity off of you.”
And so that was exactly what happened.
I went ahead and offered to drive again, not feeling like partying myself.
Eventually, the bar led back to home with about half a dozen women.
Not in the mood even more than usual, I moved outside, surprised to feel a slight cool breeze that told me it wouldn’t be long until the worst part of summer was over.
As it almost always did these days, my gaze slid in the direction of Morgaine’s house.
And it was then that I noticed a slight light.
The lights were never on at night. At least not that I could ever see.
“Can I give you a word of advice?” a female voice asked, making me turn to see Judge’s girl, Delaney, standing there looking at me.
“I could probably use it,” I admitted.
“Whoever she is, she’s probably waiting for you to get your head out of your ass and go see her,” she said, giving me a knowing smile.
“How…”
“Oh, please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “The distractedness. The longing looks out the window. It can only be one thing. A woman. But speaking as a woman, I would be all of five minutes away from giving up on you completely,” she said before leading Sal, the corgi, out past the driveway and onto the grass.
I might have shrugged off the advice of the guys.
What the fuck did they know about relationships, about women?
Nothing.
But Delaney had a perspective I didn’t.
If she thought that there was a chance that Morgaine wanted to see me, then I really should go.
Besides, I didn’t want to show up the next day and make her think I only wanted to see her when there were plans involved.
That wasn’t the case.
I wanted to see her.
Way more than seemed even normal.
Maybe it was time to stop fighting it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Morgaine
I was being paranoid.
Leaving the lights on at night.
But I thought I heard something outside.
Normally, that wouldn’t bother me. I mean, there were creatures all over the place. I’d been woken up by many of them in the past, and never felt the need to put on a light or sit up with my heart hammering in my chest.
But that was how it was that night.
I even grabbed my lightweight silk robe and slipped it on over my naked body and grabbed one of my poisoned knives from the kitchen and kept it with me in the loft.
All because I heard a slight scuffle outside the house.
