Rock Chick Rescue (Rock Chick #2)(100)

Silence.

“Darlin’, you know how to live,” Daisy final y said.

“Normal y, I’m real y boring,” I told her.

She laughed her tinkly-bel laugh. She didn’t believe me either.

“What’s up with you?” I asked.

“Got a cal from Shirleen. Rumor has it, Ray’s hittin’ her table tonight.”

I looked up at Indy, Tod and Lottie and my eyes grew wide.

“You girls ready to ride again?” I heard Daisy say in my ear.

“Just a second. Indy’s right here, let me ask.” I relayed the story to everyone. Indy and Tod smiled, Lottie looked angry.

“Dad’s a shithead,” Lottie said.

“You guys in?” I asked.

Tod and Lottie nodded.

“Al y’s got a shift at Brother’s tonight but I’m in,” Indy replied.

Al y was a bartender at My Brother’s Bar. It’d be a bummer that she couldn’t come but I figured with Lottie and Tod in the mix, we could almost equal her attitude.

“Al y’s working but Tod wants to come and so does my sister, is that okay?” I told Daisy.

“Peachy, darlin’. Can’t wait to meet your sister,” Daisy answered.

“You might know her, she’s Lottie Mac, Queen of the Corvette Calendar.”

“No shit? ‘Course I know her, Sugar, she’s a celebrity.” I grinned at my sister.

“Yeah,” I said, feeling proud.

Then I hesitated.

“Do you mind if we wear our own clothes?” I asked.

More of the giggle.

“Sure, just as long as you got a little sparkle on.” I figured I could do a little sparkle.

“Tel her we’l meet here,” Tod cut in.

“Tod says to meet at his place.” I gave her directions, signed off and flipped my phone shut.

“You ready for this?” I asked Lottie.

“Ready to kick Dad’s ass? Fuck yeah,” Lottie replied.

I rol ed my eyes.

Indy and Tod grinned at each other.

Guess Lottie had the seal of approval.

My phone rang again.

It said, “Eddie cal ing.”

“Uh-oh,” I muttered when I saw it.

“Eddie?” Indy asked immediately.

“Is that your new boyfriend?” Lottie asked.

Tod nodded for me.

I stil wasn’t ready to ful y commit to the boyfriend thing, I’d said it once and once was enough.

“Who told on me now?” I asked, flipping open the phone.

“Half a dozen you could choose from,” Indy said.

My life sucked.

“Hel o?” I said into the phone.

My opening was greeted with silence.

“Eddie?” I asked when the silence went prolonged.

“You sure you want to stick with this boring tactic? Gotta tel you, Chiquita, it seriously isn’t workin’.” Wonderful.

“Lee phoned you,” I said.

“Lee, Hank, Duke not to mention Mace and half a dozen cops who heard it on the grapevine and wanted to determine the commitment level of our relationship.” I blinked at the table. “Pardon?” I asked.

“For the record, I made it clear our commitment level is in the red zone,” he said.

Dear Lord.

“We’ve only had one date,” I replied.

Silence.

Then some muttering in Spanish and final y, “We gotta have another chat?”

No!

No more chats.

“I think I got it,” I told him.

“I hope so Chiquita, if you don’t, you wil ,” he said quietly.

Eek!

“I got it.”

“Shit, you’re kil in’ me,” he sounded frustrated.

I felt bad for him but I didn’t know how to help. Helping him would be putting myself out there and I felt plenty out there already.

I decided to change the subject, “My sister’s in town.”

“Yeah, heard that too. I’d like to meet her but I’m caught up in something and need to work late tonight. I’l pick you up from Tex’s.”

I looked around the table. Everyone was staring at me.

“Actual y, I’m going out tonight with Indy, Tod, Lottie and Daisy. I’l probably be out late.”

That’s al I shared, he could guess the rest.

More silence.

More Spanish.

He guessed the rest.

“Eddie…”

Final y, he said, “I’l ask Lee to tail you.”

“No! We think we have a lock on Dad and Lee’l scare him off.”

Lee’d scare anyone off, one look at us with Lee in charge, word would spread like wildfire and Dad would be gone.

“It’l be okay,” Eddie said.

“Anyone sees him with us…”

Eddie laughed softly but it was a serious laugh. “If Lee tails you, no one wil see him, not even you.” Somehow, that scared me more.

“I don’t think—” I started.

“Trust me, Chiquita.”

“I’m not sure—” I tried again.

“I want you to trust me and I’m askin’ you to do this for me. It’l give me peace of mind. I might have some shit goin’ down tonight. I don’t need to be worried about you.” My breath froze in my lungs.