Page 20 of Master's Rise
He laughs again. Jesus. I’m getting a headache from my sniper hyena and the derelict cougar. The zoo references are fitting today. Brothers are coming out of the bar to see what the fuck all the noise is. The cougar sounds like a woman getting mauled.
I hit the alarm and grab the derelict’s good arm dragging him into the lot, more precisely, away from my fucking truck. His nose is dripping blood everywhere. Handing the file to McCabe, I ask, “Did you call the ambulance?”
He opens the file. “Yeah. They said ten minutes, six minutes ago. This isn’t the report I have. There was no water in his lungs.”
Great. I need a mystery added to my plate with Seren, the zoo, expansion, walking dictionaries and schooling the Brothers. I hear the ambulance and decide it’s a good time to go inside. I’m ready to shoot someone with the noise we have now.
Brinks jogs over. “What do you need, Boss?”
“Tylenol and a fucking drink.”
“I got this. The ambulance for both or just the stuck pig?” More zoo references.
“I have no fucking idea. Let them take whoever wants to go.”
Raid puts his hand on my arm when Sharp lets out a loud guffaw.
My body freezes. “Calm the fuck down already! There is nothing wrong withyouthat reincarnation won’t fix either!” I yell at the loud bastard.
The whole fucking lot is laughing. I move forward before I shoot the loud fucks. “I need a drink.”
“I’ll buy you two.” Raid makes a path and opens the door for me. “That was slower than Seren.”
“Shut the fuck up or I’ll start practicing on you!” I’m about ready to snap here and he has to pointthatout?
He fucking laughs.
I go right around the bar grabbing the Tylenol and whiskey and walk to the back room. It’s been a fucking day and it’s about to get worse before it gets better. Seren’s father didn’t drown and she got a phony report.
~*~*~
Seren
My friend Freedom helped with tomorrow’s food prep so I have the whole day free. This is turning out to be a perfect day. I am so excited my hands are shaking. Cort should be here any minute. I feel like I know him because of Rex and his stories but I just met him. That’s not true. We met at the funerals, but he was a man clearly devastated by grief and cloaked in sadness. Like today, minus the devastation, he was watchful but didn’t speak of the sadness I saw in his eyes.
Rex’s accuracy and insight into Cort is incredible. Most people exaggerate a loved one’s strengths and gloss over their weaknesses. Rex has been spot-on with everything. It had me remembering the stories he and my dad told. If they are all just as accurate, the men in my life have been crazy, courageous and extremely stupid at times. It feels good to remember.
A knock at the front has me smiling. I want to say it’s for the memories, but it’s for the mountain of a man that doesn’t treat me like an airhead that should have been named Bubbles.
Opening the door, I see something is wrong right away. “Cort, is everything okay?”
He heaves in a breath telling me he is most certainly not okay. “No, not even a little. I wasn’t sure if I should cancel but I can’t make myself go home. I need to share.”
The quote from earlier flits across my brain,For when we have joy we crave to share,so we remember them. “What happened, is Rex okay?” Dear God, please say yes.
He does a quick shake of the head and his eyes focus on me looking a little less pained. He takes my hand and is quick to reassure me, “Sorry, he’s fine. He's pissed, but fine.”
I breathe out my relief and pull him in closing the door. “Come sit down. I have beer or wine and have a feeling sharing will need some help.”
He follows me to a big booth and sits. “Get what you’d like, you’ll need it. I’ll take a water. I’ve had my fill of alcohol for the day.” He doesn’t look or sound like he’s been drinking.
Fear spikes in me. I walk away trying to figure out why. Theyou’ll need itsounds ominous. I’m shaking as I pour a glass of wine, this time it’s not out of excitement. He’s sitting sideways with one leg bent at the knee on the bench. I do the same facing him.
“Water and wine at the ready.” Taking the hand that’s on his leg, I give it a squeeze, giving or maybe taking comfort.
A half-hearted smile crosses his lips. “Right. This is going to fuck with our dinner. We could eat first.” It sounds like a question.
“No, you didn’t come here because you were hungry. Let’s deal with need first, then see where we land.”
