Rock Chick Revenge (Rock Chick #5)(72)

“Yeah, Vance isn’t a big fan of that kind of thing,” Jet put in.

“Who is?” Daisy asked.

Jet gave Daisy a look. “I’m just saying, Vance is really not a big fan of that kind of thing.”

“You can say that again,” Roxie muttered.

Sissy turned to me. “Which one is Vance again?”

My purse rang before I could answer Sissy. I pulled out my phone, flipped it open and put it to my ear.

“Yo.”

“She okay?” Luke asked.

I really wanted to smile when I heard his voice but stopped myself just in time.

“Her nose isn’t broken,” I told him.

“I know that. Is she okay?” Luke asked again.

I had to admit, I liked not only that he asked the question but that he knew to ask it.

I looked at Sissy and said, “Yeah, she’s hanging in there. You find Bobby?”

“Not yet, we’re still lookin’.”

Shit.

Luke went on. “You get her story?”

I was beginning to realize that I couldn’t live in a pretend world of happiness and ignore everything that was going on around me. It was one thing when it was happening to me, it was quite another when it was happening to Sissy. Luke had been right again, this shit was not going away.

I got up with my latte, walked to the book counter, leaned a hip against it and told him Sissy’s story. I finished on, “Do you know what’s going on?”

“I’m piecin’ it together but none of what I’ve got is leadin’ back to you.”

“What do you have?”

“I’ll tell you when I get home tonight.”

It was then I remembered I had a date with Ren that night.

Oh crap.

Why was my life so complicated?

“Erm, Luke?”

“Babe, I gotta go,” he sounded distracted.

“No, Luke, wait.”

“What?” Now he sounded impatient. Not a good way to start.

“Um, I have plans tonight. I’ll be… out.”

Silence.

I took this silence as Luke remembering my plans.

Then he said, his voice quiet and lethal, “You come to me when you’re done.”

Ee-yikes.

Luke kept talking, his voice quieter and more lethal. “He touches you Ava, there’ll be trouble.”

Yep, he remembered my plans.

“I’m sworn off men, remember?” I told him.

I heard muffled movement and I should have realized that he was somewhere he couldn’t talk and he was seeking privacy. I should have also realized that this was one of the many warning signs Luke gave me before rocking my world. Instead, like a dork, I just stood there waiting for him to talk.

Then still in the ultra quiet, lethal voice, he said, “I keep hearin’ that line coming from you and then the minute I get my mouth or hands on you, somethin’ different happens. Ava, you’re the hottest f**kin’ piece I’ve ever touched. I find out that heat isn’t just for me, I’m still takin’ my fill. Zano can have you when I’m done.”

I felt pressure crawling up my throat because what he said was just not nice.

I was, of course, forgetting that tough guy Luke Stark was simply giving what he considered were the ground rules for “his woman” going out to dinner alone with another man. The fact that he wasn’t throwing a he-man shit fit was practically a miracle.

Still.

“Lucas Stark, you better watch your mouth,” I hissed.

“You come to me when you’re done,” he repeated.

I did not think so. “I’m staying the night with Sissy and her Dad.”

“You do, it’ll be embarrassing for you when I drag your ass out of there.”

My heart stopped. “You wouldn’t dare,” I breathed.

“Try me.”

I wasn’t going to try him. No way. He’d do it and I knew it.

“You’re a jerk,” I snapped.

“Tonight, you’re mine.”

Disconnect.

Argh!

I turned back to the Rock Chicks and they were all looking at me.

Finally Roxie said to Sissy, “Doesn’t seem like Wednesday’s looking too good.”

“Lee’s got today, he’s going to be bummed,” Indy said.

“I got in on the pool late, my day’s Friday,” Jet put in. “The way this is going, I’m thinking of buying a KitchenAid mixer to match my blender.”

“Oh! I love those!” Daisy exclaimed, turning to Jet. “Which color you gonna get?”

I looked to the ceiling as the Rock Chicks discussed Jet’s forthcoming KitchenAid appliance purchase.

Then I thought, my life sucks.

Chapter Fourteen

You Missed It Again, Babe

After I got off the phone with Luke, I planned my day carefully.

I hung with the Rock Chicks, Tex and Matt at Fortnum’s all afternoon and I made a call to Shirleen. Duke, Indy’s second-in-command, came in and even though I hadn’t seen him in months, smiled at him and yelled, “Hey Duke!” he scowled at me and disappeared in the books.

“What’s that all about?” I asked Indy.

“He’s not a big fan of the ‘during’ part of a Badass Motherf*cker Courtship. He prefers the ‘after’,” Indy explained.