Rome (Marked Men, #3)(41)

“That sucks, but what does it have to do with me?”

“Nothing. I just know as a parent, we make mistakes. We aren’t perfect but that doesn’t mean we don’t love our kids. You’ve got a lot of stuff going on in your life right now, Rome. Don’t let the things and people that have always been there slip away.”

I just stared at him because I didn’t know what to say to that. I liked Brite a lot, looked up to him, was starting to really view him as a mentor, but I didn’t need him trying to fix every aspect of my life. I was going to turn the engine on and take off but he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

“I’ve got some stuff going on over the next few weeks, and I would appreciate it if you kept an eye on the bar and the guys while I’m in and out. I can pay you for it.”

“I don’t know anything about bartending, Brite.”

“I said keep an eye on it, not mix drinks. Darcy can tend bar, or you can find someone to help you out until the end of the month. Granted the tips aren’t anything to write home about right now, but you’re getting the place cleaned up real nice so that might change in the near future.”

“So what exactly do you want me to keep an eye on?”

“The crowd in the evening. The regulars. Make sure the guys aren’t going off the rails. Make sure everyone acts right and gets home safe. I appreciate all the work you’ve put into the place, and I figure you’re not in any hurry to see it all messed up. I’ll ask Darce to show you how I do the cash out at the end of the night and how to drop the deposit.”

“I guess I can manage all of that. Just for a couple weeks?”

I thought I saw him grin at me but with all that facial hair it was kind of hard to tell.

“For now. Don’t write your folks off forever, son. They need you just as much as you need them.”

I wondered if that was true. They used to need me to keep Rule in line and act as a buffer, then they needed me to hold it all together when everyone vanished into a cloud of grief. Now I didn’t really know how I fit into the fold other than as the troubled oldest son, and that was a big part of what made it so much easier for me to stay away.

I started the Harley and pulled out of the lot. It only took ten minutes to make it to Capitol Hill. I usually just left the bike or the truck at the apartment and walked to the shop since parking in the area sucked. Plus I refused to ride in that little neon clown car Cora drove, so we usually had to do some switching off on how we got from one house to another. I pushed open the door and walked up to the counter. She wasn’t behind it, which was unusual, but my brother was leaning against the desk talking to Rowdy.

“Hey.”

He tilted his chin up in greeting and motioned toward the closed door that was off to one side of the shop.

“She has a late client. She’s probably gonna be a few. You wanna go get something to eat when she’s done?”

“I ate at the bar. Speaking of which, do you know anyone that knows how to bartend that can help me out for a few days? Brite asked me to keep an eye on the place for the next few weeks and I don’t know a thing about bartending.”

“You know how to drink vodka like it’s water.”

I popped him in the shoulder. “I remember more than a few nights where Crown Royal made you its bitch, so let’s not point fingers.”

Rowdy chuckled and made his way over to join us. I really wanted to dislike the guy. I didn’t like that he was so familiar with Cora, that the two of them had such an easy camaraderie, but he made it hard. He was just an easygoing and totally affable guy. Plus his quirky sense of humor made him entertaining as hell to hang around.

“Talk to Jet. He knows more people in this town than all of the rest of us combined. I bet he knows someone that can help you.”

That was a good idea, but Jet was gone more than he was home anymore, and when he was around he was usually wrapped up in Ayden. I didn’t envy them trying to juggle a new marriage and so much time apart, but they looked happy and it seemed to be working just fine for them.

“I’ll do that.” I turned to look at the door as a guy came out followed by Cora. Her hair was flipped up into a fancy curl at the front of her head today and she had on a short orange skirt. Her top was bright purple and she had on black combat boots that laced up to her knees. She smiled at me when she saw me leaning next to Rule and I caught the way the turquoise eye brightened just as the brown one darkened. She was like a kaleidoscope of color and emotion, and whenever I looked at her, I never knew what was going to be reflected back at me.

The guy leading the way out of the room looked at me then back at her as she took her seat back behind the desk.

“Remember, be careful with it. They take a long time to heal.”

He nodded and forked over an amount of money that was surprising and gave her one last look. She just smiled sweetly and looked up at me.

“You ready to go?”

I shrugged as she started to do the cash out for the end of the day.

“What part of that guy’s body did you just shove a needle through?”

She lifted her pale eyebrows at me, and I elbowed Rule in the side when he asked, “Do you really want to know the answer to that?”

I made a face. “Seriously?”

It was her turn to shrug. “Don’t knock it until you try it, big guy.”