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Guess, for Mace, it was the thrill of me being alive.
Yeesh, men were so weird.
He let me go and I dropped my hands. He yanked his T-shirt out of his jeans, pulled a penknife out of his pocket, cut away the hem and pressed it against my temple. This must have meant he didn’t have tissues in the glove compartment.
I took over with the pressing. He turned away and buckled up.
I put on my seatbelt too and off we went.
He drove to the parking lot at the Kmart strip mall off Alameda and Broadway by Indy’s house. There was a clutch of vehicles parked haphazardly, close to the entrance off Alameda, all SUVs except for the red Dodge Ram.
I scanned the huddle of people, counting. Lottie was there, her arms wrapped around her middle, standing next to Vance. Indy was being held by Lee. Tod had hold of Daisy. Matt was leaning against one of the SUVs.
No Dad.
Everyone was alive and breathing and I appeared to be the only member of the walking wounded.
Eddie was close to Indy and Lee, pulling a hand through his hair, but when our lights flashed into the lot, his head jerked around. He started walking toward us before Mace had a chance to get close.
Mace swung the truck around, positioning my door close to Eddie and stopped. I didn’t even get a chance to put a hand out when the door swung open, the interior lights went on and Eddie saw me.
“Dios mio,” he said, soft and quiet.
“It’s nothing, just a—”
He didn’t let me finish. He reached around, released the belt, pulled me out of the cab and into his arms, which went around me so tight I could barely breathe.
“Graze,” I finished on a poof of expelled breath.
He leaned back, took my hand away from my temple and looked at my wound.
“We’re going to the hospital,” he said.
“Eddie, it’s nothing. I just need to clean it and…”
His eyes cut to mine and I quit talking.
“We’re going to the fucking hospital,” he repeated in a voice you just did not argue with, even me, and I seemed to be able to argue with Eddie all the time.
“Okay,” I replied.
He moved away, his arm around me and everyone crowded in.
Tears started falling from Lottie’s eyes, Indy’s face went so pale it shone in the dark, and Tod cursed.
Daisy snapped, “That just cuts it. I’m done fuckin’ around with this business. Sugar, you had it your way now I’m callin’ Marcus. This meanswar.”
Eddie didn’t break stride, even with the threat of Marcus entering the mix. He ignored her comment and kept on going, straight toward the truck. He bleeped the locks, opened my door and helped me in. Before he closed it, Lee was there.
Eddie looked at him.
“I’ll wanna know how you let this get out of hand,” Eddie said to him, and I could tell he was angry and placing blame square on Lee’s shoulders.
A muscle jumped in Lee’s cheek, he gave one nod, accepting blame.
“No,” I said.
Eddie started to close the door but I put my foot out to stop it.
