Rock Chick Redemption (Rock Chick #3)(79)

“I figured that,” Carl said back.

Hank leaned down and wrapped an arm around my waist sideways. I looked up at him and he gave me a light kiss. “Have fun,” he said against my mouth.

Then he and Carl walked out the front door.

“What’s that al about?” I asked, watching the closed door as if I had x-ray vision and could see through it.

“That’s Hank tel ing Carl he’l make him into an instant girl if anything happens to you,” Al y said.

“Good God,” I murmured.

“Don’t worry. Nothing’s gonna happen to you,” Indy said.

The door opened and Daisy arrived.

Or, I should say Daisy arrived.

She was wearing a skintight, faded denim jumpsuit; the crotch to bosom zipper unzipped to maximum cle**age potential, rhinestones adorning the outer sides of her legs, up her hips, waist, sides, and down the inside of the sleeves. She was wearing matching platform, high-heeled, faded denim boots, heavily encrusted with rhinestones. She had a pink chiffon scarf tied around her neck and her platinum blonde hair was teased out to peak volume.

“Yo Bitch!” Annette yel ed, completely oblivious to the fact that Daisy looked like she was about to step on stage in Vegas.

“Yo, Sugar,” Daisy replied.

“I thought I told you to wear gym shoes,” Al y said, peeved that her Haunted House instructions were not carried out to the letter.

“I don’t do gym shoes, comprende?” Daisy told her, giving her a squinty look.

Yowza.

“It’s your funeral,” Al y shot back, total y unaffected by the squinty look.

Holy cow.

Then Daisy’s eyes came to me. “Honey bunches of oats,” she said, “your man is outside having an extreme conversation with her man.” A toss of her head indicated Al y.

“I know,” I told her.

She nodded and looked around. “Al right then, who brought the stun guns?”

Shit.

* * * * *

Carl, Al y and Indy rode in Carl’s Pathfinder. If you could believe this, Annette, Jason, Jet, Daisy and I fol owed in the back of Daisy’s limousine. Daisy’s bodyguard drove.

“I f**king love Denver,” Annette said, staring out the window and sprawling in the luxurious space, completely at home, as if she rode in the back of limousines every day.

“You gotta stay until Thursday, Sugar, come to my do. I’m having a fancy soiree,” Daisy invited.

“We… are… f*cking… there,” Annette said.

Jason looked at me and closed his eyes in good-natured frustration. When he opened them I was smiling at him. We’d shared these looks a lot over the years.

Then I turned to Jet. “What’s Smithie’s?”

“Pardon?” she asked.

“Smithie’s. I overheard you say when you came into Fortnum’s the day I met you that you worked there.” She grinned at me. “Wel , official y, I don’t work there anymore.”

“You let Eddie win,” I said.

“Eddie wins a lot,” she told me.

I found this sobering information, considering the fact that I figured Eddie was a lot like Hank.

“What is it?” I asked.

“A strip club. I was a cocktail waitress there.”

“Cool!” Annette cried.

Jet smiled ful out to Annette and we al sat in the limo dazzled for a moment by her smile.

“My sister is a stripper there,” Jet went on. “She debuts tomorrow night. You can al come if you want. I can get you VIP passes.”

“Sugar! That would be hot!” Daisy screeched with excitement, then did a glance sweeping around al of us.

“Her sister is Lottie Mac.”

“Queen of the Corvette Calendar?” Jason asked, clearly intrigued.

“Fuckin’ A,” Daisy replied.

I stared around them. It was like they were talking in a different language.

“You want to come?” Jet asked me.

“Love to,” I answered.

She grabbed my hand and squeezed then let go.

Through the hand squeeze I felt something pass between her and me. The hand squeeze wasn’t about me going to watch her sister strip; it was her giving me strength. I was reminded that just over a week ago she’d been through a trauma much like mine. She’d almost been raped and her Dad was stil in the hospital. She knew my pain in many different ways, hers was nearly as fresh.

“I see you took my advice about Hank,” Daisy said, taking me out of my thoughts.

I looked to her. “No, I’m leaving as soon as they find Bil y and al of this is over.”

The limo went deathly quiet.

“Come again?” Daisy said into the silence.

I sighed and looked out the window. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try us,” Jason prompted softly.

I sighed again, this time, deeper and louder. I explained my Hank-deserves-better-than-me philosophy. After I stopped talking, there was more silence.

“Come again?” Daisy repeated.

“I knew you wouldn’t understand,” I returned.

“I understand,” Jet said.

I looked to her.

“Hank doesn’t see shades of gray,” she continued.