Page 103 of Petty's Crime

I see by Rufus’s glare that he’d rather not have an audience for what’s about to be said, but RoseLyn seems relieved that I asked. “Please, Red.”

He shrugs and takes his chair, leaning his elbows on the desk and sitting forward. Now he’s staying, he seems determined to be an active participant.

Rufus is equally set on taking the initiative. “I want to know what you’re doing with an outlaw gang,” he starts, his cheeks glowing red. “Why the hell did Bart send me here to find you? And you, sir, why are you wearing a cut with that same damn image on it?” His eyes flick to the oversized insignia behind Red.

Red, as I expected and welcome, takes charge. “First, we’re a club, not a gang. And I’d prefer you to leave your misconceptions aside until you get to know us, with particular reference to our part in RoseLyn’s life.” He does that prez stare that he’s perfected, and surprisingly, Rufus stays quiet.

Martina, sitting alongside RoseLyn, reaches out her hand and touches hers. “Honey, you had us so worried. When we couldn’t contact you, and Bart was being evasive, we came to Vegas…”

RoseLyn pulls her hand away. “I didn’t want to worry myparents,” she starts with a sneer on her emphasis. Red catches her eye and raises his chin slightly, a gesture she correctly interprets. She sighs and joins her hands in her lap. “I’ve been having trouble for months. When Saul got out of jail, he made it his mission to make my life a misery. He stalked me, left notes, then escalated his threats.” As her mom gasps, RoseLyn continues her soliloquy, “He wanted me back, and obviously I wasn’t going near him. So, he decided if he couldn’t have me, no one else would. He…” her voice catches, “he, well it looked like he was trying to kill me. Bart decided I needed protection, so employed security for me.”

“You should have come home immediately.” While she’s been talking, Rufus’s eyes have widened. “Why the hell are we only just hearing about this? You say it’s been going on for months?” he snaps.

“Because that’s what you’d have done. Called me home,” RoseLyn explains. Her eyes, opposite to his, become slits. “He could have gotten to me just as easily in Texas. I’m a grown woman. I made the decision to handle this myself, and not cause myparents,” there’s that sneering emphasis again, “worry.”

“And where does he…” Rufus points my way, all his previous geniality toward me missing from his voice, “come in?”

Red steps in, as though seeing RoseLyn’s floundering. “The Satan’s Devils run a security business. Her manager approached us to provide bodyguards for her.”

“I can imagine what your security service is. Isn’t it normally called a protection racket?”

Red snorts, his eyes flare, but that’s the only outward sign he’s taken umbrage. “Quite the opposite, in fact. I’d be grateful if you could suspend your suspicions and hear the facts.”

“Dad, they run a casino. They’re legit,” RoseLyn cries out. Her gaze flicks to me and then to Red as if shocked at her father’s disrespect. “You don’t get to judge them.”

“And you?” Rufus turns on me. “You’re part of this crew. You really her boyfriend?”

I clear my throat and prepare to face up to my confession. “Not when we were in Texas. I was there as her bodyguard, but since—”

Rufus’s hands clench as he interrupts, “You’re a legit business?” He snorts. “Legit bodyguards don’t sleep with their clients.”

“It’s not like that, Dad.” RoseLyn sits forward and faces her father. “Red’s men needed me out of the way so they could draw Saul out. Petty—Clark—came with me so I was still protected. We thought introducing him as my boyfriend would explain his presence best. We were pretending. We didn’t have sex.”

“I put you in the same bed.” Martina looks horrified.

“Told you they were fucking,” Rufus says disgustedly, then glances at Red as if to ask him how to explain that.

“We weren’t.” RoseLyn shakes her long hair over her shoulder. “Not then. But being away did help us get close.” She leans away from her mother and into me. “There’s been a lot of things to sort through, but yeah, now we are together. And,” she throws a glare at her father, “believe it or not, as you so delicately put it, we haven’t yet fucked.”

I hide my grin. She’s splitting hairs. We’ve come close, but no cigar as yet due to my injuries caused by my wife. I don’t think Rufus would appreciate that explanation, so I keep my mouth shut.

Martina shifts awkwardly, obviously uncomfortable with the words for the sex act that her husband and daughter are using, but Rufus is all glares. He examines RoseLyn’s face carefully, as though trying to catch her out in a lie. She holds her head up and returns his stare steadily.

After a moment, he turns his attention to Red. “And did the ruse work? Did you get Saul?”

Red lets no emotion show as he raises his chin. “We did.”

“And has he been arrested?”

“He’s been dealt with,” Red states. “You won’t need to worry about him anymore.”

“He dead?” Rufus’s expression manages to convey his disgust at the option.

“He tried to kill me, Dad,” RoseLyn reminds him. “He got out of prison once before and immediately came after me.”

“So I’m right?” he addresses his daughter.

RoseLyn, showing how good an old lady she’ll make if she has me, shakes her head. “Red says he won’t be coming after me again. I don’t need to know more than that.”

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