Rock Chick Renegade

by Ashley, Kristen

  “Yeah,” he answered.

  “Stevie Wonder?”

  “Yeah,” he repeated.

  I let out an exaggerated sigh. “Wel , that’s a load off my mind.”

  He shook his head again, eyes amused, then he switched the subject. “Today, I want you checkin’ in with me regularly and if you can’t get through to me then cal the surveil ance room. Yeah?”

  I nodded. I could do that, that didn’t sound hard.

  Vance carried on. “I’l get a panic button from the office.

  I’l give it to you at Fortnum’s.”

  Um.

  No.

  I scrunched my nose. A head crackin’ mamma jamma with a panic button? I didn’t think so.

  Vance’s relaxed grin faded. “I’m not arguing about this, Jules. You either take the panic button or you got a bodyguard whether you want one or not. Your choice.

  You’re protected one way or the other until we pick up Shard, Jermaine and Clarence and convince them to change their minds.”

  Hmm.

  Macho-speak.

  My eyes narrowed.

  “Chose, Jules.”

  “Is there a door number three?” I asked.

  “Yeah, they can pick you up, gang rape you repeatedly while alternately beatin’ the shit out of you until you wished you were dead. Then I’d have to hunt them down and kil them and, after that, I’d spend the rest of my life in prison.

  That’s door number three.”

  Um.

  Yikes.

  “I choose the panic button,” I said immediately.

  His body relaxed, he kissed my forehead again and said, “Wise choice.”

  * * * * *

  We were sitting in the Arby’s drive-through in May’s Grandma van, May at the wheel and me in the passenger seat. Clarice was in the backseat with Roam and Sniff. She was on the phone taking orders from Daisy who was at Fortnum’s where we were heading after Arby’s. I had three months of birth control pil s in my purse and I was supposed to start taking them after my next period, which I hoped and prayed would come right on schedule in two days. Things were going wel with Vance and I, super wel , beyond-quantum-powered wel in the way that only these badass boys seemed to be able to pul off. Stil , I didn’t want to be carrying around a mini-Vance just yet.

  I’d told Roam and Sniff that Vance was picking them up after lunch. Roam was playing it cool. Sniff was jumping around the seat radiating excitement, unable to contain it.

  I’d cal ed and checked in three times, once when I got to the doctor’s; once when I got to work from the doctor’s; and then when I left the Shelter with May and the kids for lunch.

  Vance had answered his phone each time.

  The last time I cal ed, I said, “I’m kind of… um, over this checking in shit.”

  He laughed. “Princess, it’s only been half a day.”

  “You think you could round up Jermaine, Clarence and Shard quick-like? This is cutting into my whole head crackin’ mamma jamma vibe.”

  “I thought you were going to learn how to knit.”

  “Yeah, for now. Once you take care of the bad guys then Tex and I are back on the street.”

  Silence.

  Then, “Christ.”

  “Vance.”

  “Later, Princess.”

  Disconnect.

  Obviously Vance didn’t feel like bickering (or arguing) today either.

  After picking up enough utterly delicious processed roast beef covered in orange cheese and even more orange special sauce to feed an army, we headed to Fortnum’s.

  I knew something wasn’t right the minute we walked in. I knew this because both Zip and Heavy were there and neither of them were the kind of guys who hung out at a bookstore.

  Indy was behind the espresso counter, Jet was walking up to me and Daisy was sitting on a couch. The skinny, tal lady was behind the book counter and there were about five customers sitting around on the seating area enjoying coffee.

  I looked to Heavy and Zip and gave them a smile. “Hey.

  What are you guys –” I started to say but Heavy stormed right up to me.

  My Arby’s bags were confiscated by Heavy who shoved them in a surprised Jet’s hands. Then Zip, Duke and Tex descended and I was hustled, bouncing off one man into another then another then another until I was down the aisle of the book section and shoved right into one of the rows.

  “What’s going on?” I asked when they’d stopped me, my back to the books. They had surrounded me, al wearing identical

  father-about-to-speak-to-recalcitrant-daughter expressions (except Tex, who looked like he wanted to rip someone’s head off and I just hoped it wasn’t mine).

  “You’re off duty,” Zip said.

  “No more night patrol. Done,” Tex shocked me by booming.

  “Everywhere you go, one of us goes with,” Heavy announced.

  “If you ain’t in Fortnum’s, at the Shelter or home, you got an escort,” Duke declared.

  I looked around the pack of them. “I take it you heard about Shard, Jermaine and Clarence,” I guessed.

  “Sure thing, Sugar,” Daisy had arrived. She burrowed into the beefcake to stand in front of Tex. “My husband gave me the scoop last night and I told your boys. Rumor on the street is you’re a marked woman. Whatever they have planned, we’re gonna make sure it ain’t gonna happen, comprende?”

  Shit, now even Marcus Sloan was looking after me.

  I didn’t know what to do with that and didn’t have a chance to process it.

  “No discussion,” Zip broke into my thoughts, “no, ‘ Zip’ is gonna talk you out of this one,” Zip imitated my word-is-law voice when he said his own name and it was hard not to laugh.

  The good thing about this was Tex wasn’t going to be pissed that we weren’t going out that night. The bad news was I didn’t much like people tel ing me what to do. I’d already decided to lay low until the coast was clear, I didn’t need the Grumpy Middle-Aged Men Posse and Daisy tel ing me what to do.

  “Listen, folks –” I began to say in my word-is-law voice.

  May forced her way into the group.

  Not good.

  “What’s goin’ on?” she asked, eyes narrowed, she planted her hands on her ample hips, elbowing Zip and Duke as she did so.

  “Nothing, May. Everything’s fine,” I answered even though it was an obvious lie. I didn’t need May to know what was happening. She’d freak.

  May’s narrowed eyes focused on me. “You thinkin’ of breakin’ up with Crowe again?”

  “No!” I snapped, exasperated. So I broke up with him once and it almost took effect. I’d learned my lesson. Was I going to pay for it for the rest of my life?

  Jeez.

  “Vance and I are solid, we’re real solid,” I went on, assuring May. “We’re… good.”

  I started smiling to myself. I couldn’t help it. Vance and I were good. Even I, Miss No Relationship-or-Sex Experience, knew enough to know we were seriously good.

  At the sight of my smile, Daisy gave a tinkly bel laugh.

  The men weren’t laughing.

  “Better wipe that goofy-assed smile of your face, Law, and get your fuckin’ head in the game,” Heavy barged right into my happy thoughts so I scowled at him.

  “I have my head in the game,” I told him.

  “Your mind’s somewhere else. Probably knitting baby booties,” Zip said and even though I knew he was trying to goad my head crackin’ mamma jamma to the surface, I stil took the bait.

  “No! Not booties. Knitting sweaters for Vance. Babies are out of the question, for now.”

  Daisy gave another tinkly laugh.

  “Hon, you thinkin’ about babies?” May asked, her face now the picture of motherly worry. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too soon? As in, seriously too soon? I mean, it’s only been a week.”

  “A week and three days,” I replied.

  “Oh for fuck’s sake,” Zip said to the ceiling.

  “Let me g
et this straight. A second ago we were talkin’

  about three angry drug dealers markin’ you for rape and torture and now we’re talkin’ about you knittin’ sweaters for Crowe?” Duke asked. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ. You fuckin’

  girls.”

  At Duke’s words May lost her motherly worry face and it went back to the narrow-eyed, pissed off face.

  Then I watched, fascinated, as her face started to get red.

  Zip and Duke moved a bit away from her.

  Then she exploded. “What? ” she screeched.

  “What’s goin’ on?”

  Everyone turned and Vance was standing at the end of the row.

  He had his hands to his hips. He was wearing a black tshirt, his black leather jacket and black cowboy boots. His hands had pushed the jacket back and you could see a gun clipped to the wide belt on his jeans.

  He looked good.

  He also looked unhappy.

  Before I could say anything May advanced on him, arm up, finger pointed. She got right into his space and poked him in the chest.

  Uh-oh.

  That was spitting in the eye of the tiger if I ever saw it.

  “What you doin’ about this, boy?” she snapped.

  Um.

  Yikes.

  May cal ed Vance “boy”. I wasn’t sure that was good.

  Vance didn’t respond; he just looked down his nose at her.

  I wasn’t sure that was good either.

  “My girl’s been marked for rape and torture and you swing by to pick up your Arby’s roast beef and cheese?” May continued.

  “It’s covered,” Vance replied.

  May’s back was to me but I saw her body go rigid.

  “Covered? ” she shrieked.

  Time to intervene.

  “May,” I said as I pushed through Duke and Heavy and headed toward Vance and May. “It’s okay,” I told her when I arrived. “I told Vance last night I was off the streets. He’s giving me a panic button and I’m checking in regularly.”

  “Panic… checking…” May spluttered, “I do not believe what I’m hearing. What kind of lame-ass bul shit is this?” I noticed with dismay that Roam, Sniff, Clarice, Indy and Jet had al joined our party.

  “Jules has tracking devices on her car and in her bag.

  Her house is wired and under surveil ance. I’m giving her a panic button and I know her schedule for the day. She checks in whenever she arrives somewhere,” Vance explained and I thought it was rather nice of him, he didn’t have to. Then his eyes cut to me. “Which you didn’t do when you arrived at Fortnum’s.”

  Whoops.

  That explained his unhappy face.

  “That’s what I’m sayin’. Lame-ass bul shit,” May kept at it, luckily taking me off the hot seat for not cal ing in.

  “May, I can take care of myself,” I put in.

  “Yeah, maybe you can. Maybe you can’t. You’re dating one of the baddest badasses in Denver and he’s workin’

  with the rest of the baddest badasses. Indy, Jet and Roxie got bodyguards. What are you? Chopped Liver?” After delivering this tirade, May turned back to Vance. “She look like chopped liver to you, boy?”

  Oh no, there was the “boy” comment again.

  “May, I think it best you don’t cal Vance ‘boy’ anymore,” I whispered to her.

  “He is a boy to me!” May shouted back at me.

  I stepped away a bit.

  “Jules didn’t want a bodyguard,” Vance informed May.

  “Yeah, wel , she didn’t want a boyfriend either and you took care of that,” May shot back.

  Hmm.

  She had a point.

  “She’s got bodyguards,” Heavy joined the conversation from behind us.

  “Yeah. Us,” Zip added.

  May turned slowly and looked the Middle-Aged Man Posse up and down. You could tel she found them somewhat lacking and I understood why when she turned back to Vance.

  “Roxie told me when she was being stalked, Luke Stark was her bodyguard.”

  I had a feeling even though he was older Duke knew what he was doing. After my experience with Heavy, Zip and Tex, I knew for a fact they knew what they were doing.

  Stil , I had to admit they didn’t compare to Luke.

  I bugged my eyes out at Vance in a non-verbal “Do something!” but he just crossed his arms on his chest.

  I guessed it was up to me. “May, simmer down. It’s going to be fine,” I said.

  She made an angry and unimpressed noise that sounded like “humph”.

  “No, real y. I have a lot of people looking out for me,” I went on.

  “Something happens to you, what are those boys gonna do?” she pointed to Roam and Sniff.

  “Nothing’s going to happen to me,” I assured her.

  “Something happens to you, what’s your uncle gonna do?” she carried on, a dog with a bone as usual.

  “May, nothing’s gonna happen to me,” I repeated.

  She walked to me, got in my space and looked up at me.

  Quietly, she said, “Something happens to you, what am I gonna do?”

  It was then I saw the tears she was trying not to shed shimmering in her eyes.

  She was scared. Scared for me. Scared that something would happen to me that decades of using her Mama’s Gonna Make It Better Voice would never heal.

  I put my arms around her and held her close. She did the same to me.

  I’d never hugged May and in the back of my head it registered that she gave good hugs.

  I looked around and saw Indy, Jet, Roam, Sniff and Clarice at one end of the row, al staring at me. Even Roam, Sniff and Clarice, hardened street kids, couldn’t hide their worried expressions.

  Duke, Tex, Zip and Heavy were in the middle of the row stil looking like my favorite uncles, al pissed off and wanting a role in my protection.

  Daisy was standing with them. She was hard to read but I suspected she was patiently waiting for me to make the right decision and that was huge.

  May and Vance were at my end of the row.

  Home, Auntie Reba whispered in my ear.

  My eyes locked on Vance’s.

  Then I closed them slowly and when I opened them again, he was stil looking at me but he had that look in his eyes again and now that I knew what that look meant, a happy shiver slid up my spine.

  Shit.

  I’d just made a decision.

  Even when this was al over, I wasn’t going back on the street. Too many people cared about what happened to me and they would get hurt if I got hurt.

  With one look at me Daisy knew I’d come to my decision. She smiled and gave me an approving wink.

  Then she came forward and pul ed May away from me.

  “Let’s get you your roast beef sandwich,” she said, guiding May away.

  Everyone fol owed.

  “I’m first up,” Duke said, pointing at me before he left.

  I rol ed my eyes (just for show) and when I was done with my eye rol , Vance was there.

  His arm went around my neck and he pul ed me to him.

  “Thinkin’ something big just happened there,” he said, looking down at me.

  “Yeah,” I whispered.

  “Wanna share?”

  “Wanna share?”

  I shook my head but I said it anyway. “I’m giving up the street.”

  Vance’s body went tense. “For good?” he asked.

  “For good,” I answered.

  It was his turn to close his eyes but as with everything Vance, he did it better than me. In closer proximity, he dropped his forehead to mine, opened his eyes again to look into mine and breathed out on a quiet sigh, “Good.”

  “You think Lee would let me go out with the boys every now and again, keep my skil s sharp?” I tried.

  He lifted his forehead from mine and shook his head.

  “I’m thinkin’ Lee might think you’re a distraction.” I was afraid of that.

  Then I asked the al important
question.

  I stared deep into his eyes and whispered, “Do you think Park would understand?”

  His arm went from around me and his hands came to either side of my face. “Yeah.”

  I nodded.

  Then I let my body relax into his, his arms went around my waist and I tucked the side of my face into his throat.

  “What’s this about knittin’ sweaters for me?” Vance asked.

  Shit.

  * * * * *

  My bed moved when Vance got in it. Normal y I figured I would have slept through this and I had no idea why I didn’t. It could have been the covers moving as Vance slid between them, Vance’s heat hitting me or him pul ing my back into his front and his body making contact with mine from shoulders to heels.

  He settled into me silently, I settled into him the same way.

  After awhile he said quietly against the back of my neck,

  “How’d it go?”

  I knew he meant my evening. “Weird,” I whispered back.

  Duke had been in the parking lot leaning against his bike when I finished at the Shelter that afternoon. He fol owed me to the hobby shop and was by my side as I made my knitting selections and even when I wandered into the sticker and card-making sections just in case knitting didn’t take.

  I thought this was something which would annoy him but he seemed to have al the patience in the world for hobby shop shopping.

  “You’re good at this,” I told Duke in the checkout line.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Shopping.”

  “Dolores paints,” Duke replied then went on, “and does macramé and a bit of cake decorating and dried-flower arranging.”

  Sounded like Duke was no stranger to hobby shops.

  I handed over my credit card and turned ful y to him.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “What?” he asked again.

  “Protecting me. You barely know me.”

  He regarded me for a second.

  Then he said, “Got a feeling you’re gonna be a fixture in Indy’s life. Whoever is a fixture in Indy’s life is a fixture in mine. Don’t got no family outside Dolores and her folks.

  What family I got walks through the doors of that store on a regular basis. I’m guessin’ by the way Vance looks at you and Indy and her gang have taken to you, you’re gonna be walkin’ through those doors on a regular basis. I’m gonna do my bit to make sure you continue walkin’ through those doors. Where I come from, you take care of your family.” At his words I’d had to put my hand to the counter to hold myself steady.