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I nodded and began a delayed reaction shiver as Lee turned onto University Boulevard.
“You okay?” he asked.
I shook my head, and then realizing that he couldn’t see me because he was driving, I said, “No.”
“Did Vince—?” Lee started.
I interrupted, “No, they just dropped Tex, grabbed me, put me in a car and took me to Marcus. I didn’t fight or anything.”
I didn’t know if that was the right thing to do or not until Lee murmured, “Smart.”
Lee pulled up to my building. The El Camino was still there, as was Eddie’s red truck with Eddie leaned up against it, arms and ankles crossed. The casual posture belied the look I caught on his face when the lights of Lee’s Crossfire hit him.
Tex was standing beside him.
Lee stopped a few yards away from Eddie’s truck and he turned to me as I unbuckled my seatbelt, stopping me from getting out with a hand on my arm.
“It’s unlikely that Marcus will do anything to you. It isn’t his style. He stays focused, doesn’t like mess and his problem isn’t with you. If you have to have criminals then you want the kind like Marcus. He took you so it’d get back to your dad, and if your dad thought you were in the line of fire, it would smoke him out.”
I felt added relief with his assurance and Daisy’s. At least, relief for me. Dad was another story.
Someone opened my door, but Lee wasn’t finished so I didn’t turn away.
“Vince is another story. He’s lookin’ for an excuse at payback for Einstein’s. Vince isn’t the kind of guy who’ll take a blow like that to his reputation without gettin’ even.”
My relief was instantly swept away.
“Stay careful,” Lee went on. “Close to Eddie, and if you can’t be close to Eddie, then call Tex or Duke. If you’re stuck, phone me and I’ll send one of my guys. Yeah?”
I nodded.
He stared at me.
“I’m being serious,” he said and he sounded serious.
I nodded again.
I was serious too. Serious as a heart attack, which I understood was very serious, considering I’d nearly had one every day for a week.
He let me go and nodded behind me. A hand curled around my arm and I turned to see Eddie leaned into my door. He helped me out, closed the door and Lee took off.
Tex made it to us and put his big hand on my head.
“Shit, woman,” he said, then repeated himself, shaking his head, “Shit.”
I realized he was concerned and I felt tears crawl up my throat.
“I’m okay, Tex. They didn’t hurt me,” I told him.
His eyes turned to Eddie. “I fucked up, Chavez. Swear to Christ, it won’t happen again.”
Eddie nodded.
“Get home,” he said to Tex.
Tex took another look at me and then lumbered off to his El Camino.
I turned to Eddie and opened my mouth but didn’t get a word out.
