Rock Chick Revolution(148)

“’Night, baby,” he whispered.

“’Night, Ren.”

He kissed my neck.

I closed my eyes, and within seconds was asleep.





Chapter Twenty-Eight

Key to Her Dreams

Hank



The next morning, Hank Nightingale moved up the bricked front walk to Lee and Indy’s duplex.

He hit the bell, and a minute later Lee opened the door.

Hank lifted his chin to his brother as Lee moved out of the way. He entered hearing retching.

He stopped in the living room, but looked to the ceiling and back to Lee. “Morning sickness?”

“No, seein’ as it lasts until the afternoon.” Lee looked up the stairs, murmuring, “She can’t keep anything down.”

Hank studied his brother and could see it plain. Lee was worried.

“Women have been doin’ this awhile, man,” he said softly and Lee looked at him.

“Know that. Doesn’t mean I gotta like it.”

Hank nodded. He wouldn’t like it either.

Lee jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Get yourself some coffee. I’m just gonna run upstairs to check on her.”

Not waiting for a reply, Lee jogged up the stairs.

Hank moved to the kitchen.

He had a coffee mug in hand and was leaning against the counter when Lee reappeared saying, “She’s lyin’ down. She says hi. But this time of day it comes often and fast so she wants to be close to the bathroom.

Hank nodded again. Lee got his mug, reloaded, rested his hips against the counter and gave his eyes to his brother.

“We’re supposed to go to viewings later. Thinkin’ that’s out,” Lee remarked.

“You’re movin’?” Hank asked.

“Keepin’ the place. It’s Grandma Ellen’s. Indy wants it kept in the family. We’ll rent it but we need more space.”

They absolutely did. Two bedrooms, Indy and all her crazy (not to mention clothes) and a kid?

They needed more space.

“Keep that on the quiet,” Lee warned. “She hasn’t told Tod and Stevie yet. Stevie’ll take it in stride. Tod’s gonna have a shit fit, not havin’ Indy or the contents of her closet close. Indy’s already freaking at the thought of moving away from them, not to mention not having Chowleena around frequently. So it’s likely I’ll need to get her a dog, too, to fill the void of Chowleena.” Lee drank some coffee then finished, “Though it won’t be a f*ckin’ Chow dog.”

Hank again nodded, his mind expelling the idea of his brother owning a Chow, at the same time making a note not to be anywhere near when Indy broke the news to Tod that she and Lee were breaking up the family.

He took a sip of his coffee, then said, “You called me for a meet, man, but I got somethin’ to go over with you first.”

“Yeah?” Lee asked.

“Before I left, got a call from Mace.”

Hank watched Lee take a sip from his mug, his actions casual, his eyes intent. When he was done, he stated, “Got one too.”

“He went out last night with Ally,” Hank told him something he already knew.

This time, Lee nodded, but other than that, he didn’t give anything away.

“He said she didn’t do well, she did well. She made all the right moves. Confident, not cocky. Tough when she needed to be. When the situation became uncertain, she stood down without a fight and took orders. He said she has the feel. And he said Hector thinks she’s the shit.”

“Hector’s a wild man, and she’s not his sister,” Lee pointed out.

“Lee,” Hank said low, “they grew up together. She isn’t, but she is.”

Lee took a breath in through his nose. This meant he saw Hank’s point.

Hank laid it out. “I’m gonna give her space. I’m also gonna ask you to train her.”

“Hank—”

“She wants this,” Hank said quietly. “And it’d make me sleep a f*ckuva lot easier knowin’ you gave her the skills she needs.”

Lee’s jaw clenched.

Hank continued. “And she’s good at it. You’ve seen the tape. Ice cold at Lincoln’s. Like she’d been doin’ that shit for years.”

“Easy for her to do that when she knows she’s got firepower at her back,” Lee countered.

“Yeah. You’re right. But Darius told both of us, since he laid it down for her months ago, she never made a move without him bein’ in the know and him bein’ at her back if she needed him. She’s not gung ho and proving a point. She’s moving forward smart and doing it making all the right moves.”

Indistinct noises of more retching floated into the room. Hank lost Lee’s attention when his brother turned his head and looked at the door.

“You wanna go to her?” he asked, then offered, “I’ll wait.”

Lee looked back at his brother. “She gets pissed, I get too much in her space.”

That was Indy. Like Ally, two peas in a pod. They needed everybody, but were damned if they’d let it show.

Hank took a sip of coffee, thinking he looked forward to making babies with Roxie. He looked forward to having a family.

He did not, however, look forward to this shit.