Page 57 of Lady Sings the Blues

“Just the library.” I lie.

“Aren’t you supposed to have an escort now because of the Horde and your house?” Blaze cuts in.

“Not that Beau ever said.” And that’s the truth. He never once mentioned an escort. “Besides, joining a club called the Horde? Really?”

Both men laugh. Blaze rubs his hand over the top of my head, messing my hair, and Levi tweaks my nose like I’m their little sister.Hello, I’m older.

Laughing along with them I say, “I doubt any of them can spell library, forget about going in one. They might spontaneously combust from all the intelligence assaulting them.”

To that, the two men reward me with tipped up lips and nods of agreement.

“I guess it’s okay. You need anything,” Levi says, “You call straight away. It’s our job to come running.”

When I look into his big eyes, I have to ask myself why a man would choose this life. Prospecting, by all accounts, sucks. Forced to do every gross, menial job the brothers can think of, to prove their loyalty.

I realize I’ve been staring when he reaches over to tug on one of my curls, and clear my throat. “You know Levi, you’re going to make some girl really lucky someday.”

A big dimple appears at the corner of his smile as he runs a hand through that dark, wavy hair.

“Nah, nah, nah…just because Bossman is content tethering himself to one pussy for the rest of his life, don’t go jinxing the rest of us. No offense.”

“None taken. You’re young, too young to understand you’re only chasing down different pussy every night because you haven’t found the one meant for you, yet.”

As he opens the gate he says, “Then let’s hope I stay too young to figure that out forever.”

All three of us laugh as I drive through the gate. Still laughing, I shake my head at the little punk as I turn onto the road, tossing a salute to the men before they disappear from my sight.

That went well.

What they don’t know as they happily guard the gate at the compound two miles outside of town, is that I just drove through town, past the library. I take the highway until I hit the interstate. Then I take the interstate. I want a Starbucks.

Three hours later I get a text from Beau.

Him: Where R U?

Me: FK U

Him: Calling.

Then my phone rings. “Beau.” I answer.

“Would you like to tell me why you left here without an escort?”

“Not really. Here I thought I was an adult who could go where I wanted, whenever I wanted.” Feeling proud of that response, I sit up a little taller in the seat and click on my blinker to merge into the left-hand fast lane to pass a tractor-trailer.

“That was before you became Brimstone. Elise, get home.”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Darlin’, where are you? I sent Blue down to the library, he said you weren’t there anymore.”

“Never went. Changed my mind. I’m allowed. You don’t have me barefoot and pregnant yet Beau Hollister.”

“Is that what this is about, the job?”

“Yes.” I grip the steering wheel tighter. “That and the fact that you baited and switched. The man I fell for wasn’t a Neanderthal. I’ll stay home and take care of the kids?”

“Well Dawna—”

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