Page 77 of Bourbon & Blood

I stared at the back of her copper hair and worried a bit. I’d been pretty raw just then and my fate was in her hands. If she went to the cops, she could maybe have my ass locked up.

“I don’t understand, am I crazy?” she asked.

“Crazy for what?” I asked softly, petting her hair, stroking my fingers through it as much to comfort her as to relish in the sensation of it through them.

“For feeling so safe with you like this, after… after knowing… after seeing?”

“I like to think your heart knows and your head just ain’t caught up yet,” I said.

She turned her head and shifted her body so she could look at me.

“I think that’s as good an explanation as any,” she said and I nodded slowly.

She sniffed and said, “He was going to really hurt me. I was so afraid, and then you were there…”

I nodded and she said, “Maybe my head always knew and it was really my heart that needed to catch up.”

I smiled at her then and put my hand back to my side.

“Maybe just.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, and I chuckled then.

I don’t think I’d ever beenthankedfor killin’ someone afore.

“C’mon, baby, let’s get cleaned up,” I whispered after a minute and she nodded against my chest.

We showered together and got ourselves dressed. I rushed her a little, as I had at least one stop I wanted to make on the way out of the city. It was still early yet before the all-day festivities got going out there on my daddy’s land.

She packed a bag enough for two or three days even though she was only stayin’ for tonight and it made me smile on the inside. My girl liked to be prepared, and while somehow, I knew that about her, it was still nice to see.

Slinging her canvas backpack that looked some kind of vintage over her slim shoulders, we locked up and headed down to the bike. She put her helmet on while I got it started and then making sure the straps of her bag were secure, she climbed on after me.

I rode us on over to the bookstore first. I knew my girl had a love of reading and that she was feeling down after a rough night sleeping and her memories coming back. Her friend was still missing, and the weight on her shoulders when it came to worry and heartache was growing with every hour of every day that passed that Maya couldn’t be found. She needed an escape, and I aimed to provide one or some for her.

I knew today would be hard, lost in a sea of people that she didn’t know, but Hex had suggested this little community get-together with a purpose in mind. It was a damn good idea as we climbed up the ladder of fuckin’ lackeys in this little melodrama full of backstabbing and intrigue.

“What are we doing here?” Alina asked when I killed the bike’s engine in a shady parking spot out front of the bookstore. She got off the bike and I did too, fishing my wallet out of my back pocket on its chain. I opened it up and further fished out a hundred and handed it to her.

“Go on in and get what you want, cher,” I told her. She looked from the money in her hand and back up to me, confused.

“You need a break,” I stated. “I told you, I take care of what’s mine. Now go on, now.”

She stood up on her toes and kissed me, shrugging out of her backpack as I said, “I’ll be right on out here when you’re through. Take your time. I’m gonna make a call.”

“Okay,” she said softly and handed me her bag for safe keeping. She took herself inside with no more questions asked.

I rang through to Hex.

“Where you at, brother?” he asked.

“Made a quick stop,” I said. “Headed your way next. Everybody there?”

“Oh, just about,” he said. “Folks are playin’ and the crawfish’ll be boilin’ here soon.”

“Good,” I said.

“Just a warnin’ to you,” he said, his voice lowering. “Yo’ daddy’s in his liquor already.”

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