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“What?” Bonehead Dagger shrugged.
I growled, “Her goddamn safety is what. Think.” I tapped my temple, warning him.
As if I wasn’t fired up for good reason, he merely replied, “If she’s not with us, she’ll be dead, so what does it matter?”
The fuck? “Dag!”
I was about to rip him a new one when Elle rested her hand on his thigh. Quietly, she said to him, “Thank you for being honest with me.”
When she went back to studying her perimeter, Pops’ eyes met Dagger’s, neither looking playful as Dagger was seconds ago. It wasn’t a warning. It was best friends silently talking.
What are these two old coots up to?
They were good men, always doing their best to watch over the club, but for some reason, their actions were irritating my nerves. I didn’t want to be left out of their plan. My wound hurt, and I wasn’t in the mood for games. Nor Elle’s fear. “Babe, what’s with the swivel? You’re making me seasick.”
Possibly trying to yet again save my dumb ass, Pops rerouted her sudden anger spike. “Girly-girl got issues?”
Flames practically shot from her eyes after her head whipped back to him. “I’m. Precious.”
From over his shoulder, he winked. “You sure are. Now speak.”
Back to looking out every window, her hands wrung in her lap of nervously bobbing knees. “I’m not to ask questions.”
In anger of my own, I opened my mouth to explain that she was my fucking Old Lady so she could do whatever the fuck she wanted, but I was beat to the punch by Dagger. “Says who?”
She started to unravel. Her chest panting, she answered, “My whole life.”
Her moods and reactions were like a volcano. Sometimes they were bold, explosive. Other times, idle. Quiet and submissive.
This particular and gut-wrenching response had me instantly wanting to coddle her, promise Elle she was safe and would never have to live that way again. I was about to do just that when Dag pointed out the front windshield, asking Elle, “You see this red light Vice is about to run?”
Vice balked, “It’s yellow.”
Dagger rolled his eye. “Point is, it’s now behind us.”
Elle quickly fidgeted in her seat to see the light being left behind. She couldn’t because there was a trailer in the way, but the point was made. Slowly, she faced forward again but said nothing, so Dagger, once again, pointed at the windshield. “Up ahead, there’s another light. Do you know when it’s going to turn red?”
Almost child-like, she nibbled on her bottom lip, shaking her head.
“And there ya go. Try not to expect a different light to act the same. It may have been programmed differently. It may be far more forgiving and let many more cars pass before warning the red light is coming.”
Quietly, and carefully pointing her thumb over her shoulder, she asked, “And if I ever come across the old light again?”
My arms moved to embrace her—swear her life would be nothing but perfect from this point forward, but the old coot tapped his temple and spewed wisdom. “Be smart. Remember that short fuse. Don’t get stuck in the intersection and get into an accident. Be patient. Wait until it turns green again.”
A slow, purposeful breath was exhaled by Elle as she gave a cautious nod. “You’re right. Thank you.”
When silence lingered, from the front seat, Pops asked, “Anything else, Precious?”
She nervously licked her lips. “Umm… yes.” Then she whispered to me, “Can I hold your hand?”
Dagger, as if to give us space, casually moved to prop his back against the corner of his side of the seat and the passenger door. He rested his right arm on the back of the seat, watching me as if silently saying, “You’re welcome.”
He had helped me avoid a crash of my own, in an intersection my ignorance created.
When he stuck his tongue out at me behind Elle’s back, I couldn’t help but be thankful.
That smart fucker.
