Rowdy

by Jay Crownover

  I didn’t think that sounded very romantic but apparently it had been because it was the only time I could remember ever seeing Cora look so dreamy eyed.

  “Well, congratulations.” I was really happy for her. She was a very cool chick and had a beautiful family. It was a nice change of pace to the early-morning horror that had been just outside my door.

  “I was engaged a million years ago and it was a shit show. It all feels different when it’s the right person. Like it just settles into your bones and you just know it’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

  Rowdy’s fingers tightened on the back of my neck and I looked up at him by tilting my head back a little. His sky-blue eyes were glowing in his face.

  “Well, tell the big guy we’re all happy for the two of you and you do realize this means Rule is going to be in charge of Rome’s bachelor party when the time comes, right?”

  She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut with her teeth clicking together. She narrowed her eyes at Rowdy. “Over my dead body.”

  She turned on her combat-booted heel and headed back up the stairs. Rowdy let go of his hold on me and propped his hip on the edge of the desk. He changed the subject to the one I was trying to actively avoid thinking about.

  “I think you should pack up Poppy and come stay at my apartment for a few days while the cops try and find that Oliver guy to serve him with the restraining order.”

  Since my sister’s estranged husband wasn’t from the area and we couldn’t figure out how he had located Poppy, finding him was a much more difficult task than it should have been. And really a restraining order wasn’t any kind of guaranteed protection. Royal had been brutally clear with Poppy when she explained that all it did was enable the police to arrest Oliver for violating the order, but he could very well walk right through it if he was as intent on getting to her as he seemed to be.

  I propped an elbow on the edge of the desk and looked up at him through my lashes. “Yeah. That would probably make her feel a little better about things.” I sighed. “It would probably make me feel better about things as well.”

  He reached out and tugged lightly on the ends of my hair. “They’ll find him.”

  “How do you think he even knew where to look for her, where I lived?”

  “I dunno. Maybe he searched for you on the Internet. All he would have to do is search Google and you pop up as the manager of the shops here. I’m not sure how he narrowed it down to what apartment complex you live in, though. Do you think Poppy might have told someone she was staying with you?”

  There was subtext there I didn’t want to hear even though it was loud and clear. I sighed and moved to rest my forehead against the hard muscle of his thigh.

  “You think she talked to one of my parents, don’t you?”

  He put his hand on the back of my head and massaged my scalp. “Walking away for you was different. You never cared what they thought, never wanted to fit into the mold that they had crafted for you. Poppy wasn’t like that. She valued your dad’s opinion. She wanted to please him and have him love her unconditionally. That’s a hard habit to break free from.”

  I lifted my head up and stood so that I was right next to him. If we were anywhere but at work I probably would have jumped him and kissed him all over.

  “Can you watch the front for me for just a second? I want to go upstairs and talk to her really quick.”

  He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. “Take it easy on her. I know it’s been a long time and a lot of miles for you, but try and remember what living under his thumb and under his roof was like.”

  I couldn’t resist the urge to run my fingertips over the way his bicep flexed enticingly as I moved around him and made my way upstairs. The door to Cora’s office was open and she was on the phone at her desk. Poppy was standing in front of one of the fun-house mirrors making faces at herself, which made me laugh out loud and had her turning around to glare at me.

  “What? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do in them? I don’t know how anyone is going to use them when they try on clothes. They make your reflection crazy and totally unflattering.”

  “There are normal mirrors in the dressing rooms. These are just for fun.”

  She made her way over to me and took a seat on the vintage velour lounger that was now right in the middle of the room. It was covered in purple velvet and just as wacky and gaudy as the rest of the decor of the shop. It was a nice place for boyfriends and husbands to sit down while their ladies shopped.

  “This place is so cool, Salem. I see so much of you in it. This really is the perfect place and the perfect job for you.”

  “It’s going to be even better when the guys find time to add art to the collection, and I’m still working on Rowdy to convince the gang to make a sexy calendar.”

  She laughed at that even though I was dead serious about it. Those boys would have them flying off the shelves if I could just get them to agree to it. I knew it was a long shot but I still really liked the idea.

  I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “I want to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me, Poppy. Did you tell Mom or Dad you were here in Denver with me? I just want to know how Oliver would’ve found out exactly where my apartment was. Denver is a pretty big city. It’s not just like he stumbled upon it out of luck.”

  I saw her pale under her caramel-colored complexion. Her honey-colored gaze got wide and I saw her bottom lip start to quiver. I squeezed her shoulder in comfort and pulled her forward into a one-armed hug.

  “Poppy, it’s fine. I just wanted to know. I want to keep you safe.”

  “I called Mom to let her know I was okay. It was one thing for Dad to justify Oliver hurting me, but I figured there was no way a mother could condone that happening to her child. I told her I was staying with you and that I would be back soon to get the rest of my stuff and that I was going to file for divorce.” She gulped and pulled away from me so that she could shove her hands through her hair. “Mom told me to come home. She said everything can be worked out if I have enough faith and that I should trust God and look into counseling.. She told me she was disappointed in me and that Dad was devastated by my betrayal.” She laughed so sharply I was surprised it didn’t draw blood when she spit it out. “My betrayal. Can you believe that?” Well, of course I could. That was why I had left, but she kept talking, so I didn’t get the opportunity to tell her that. “I didn’t tell her where you apartment was, though. I would never do that to you. I know if you wanted them to know where you lived, you would’ve have told them yourself.”

  “Oh, Poppy.”

  “I know. I feel like I should have known better. The idea that Oliver might have been watching you, could have followed you home from work or something, makes my skin hurt. I know he’s dangerous and I can’t believe I would so recklessly put you in harm’s way after you took me in without question.”

  The idea that her husband might have followed me to find out where I lived had never occurred to me but it made my skin crawl. That was definitely unnerving.

  “It’s hard when you realize the people that love you the most actually care about you the least. Dad has always been way more focused on the church and his image than he was on what was happening under his own roof. He thought control and dominance was a substitute for love and understanding.” I rolled my eyes at her. “And Mom just follows his lead. There was never room in that house for us to be anything but their little, perfect dolls. We weren’t supposed to individuate, and when we did”—I shrugged—“they just couldn’t handle it. You need to tell yourself over and over again that none of this is your fault.”

  “I feel like it all is, though.”

  I hugged her again, realizing my sister was going to eventually need some professional help when all of this died down. She had been in the mix of my dad’s machinations and in an abusive relationship far too long for my love and support to be enough to get her head around everything.

  �
��Rowdy wants us to come stay at his place until we know for sure Oliver has been served with the protection order. Royal said when they find him the police will try and convince him the best course of action is to just head back to Texas, but until that happens we’ll camp out at the bachelor pad.”

  She grumbled something under her breath and got to her feet in front of me so that she could pace back and forth in front of me in an agitated matter.

  “You and Rowdy should be hanging out and enjoying spending time together. It took you a lifetime to finally get together and here I am right in the middle of it once again.”

  Not too long ago the idea of her being between him and me would have had me freezing Rowdy out and pushing him away again. The fear that what he used to feel for her would somehow overwhelm what he now felt for me was gone. I could see it when he looked at me now. I felt it in every touch and saw it in every rakish smile he threw my way. When he loved, he loved wholly, completely, and forever. I knew it deep down in my bones, just like Cora had said. What was between us was just right, it had always been. We both needed time to grow up and let it find its way to a solid and healthy place so we could both enjoy it.

  “You aren’t in the middle of us, you are surrounded by us because we both care a lot about you and don’t want you to be hurt anymore. We’ve both been protecting you from afar for years. Now we are a united front and God help anyone that tries to get through us.” I lifted up my eyebrows and gave her a hard look. “Mom and Dad included.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed the heel of her hands into them. “I’m just so tired of it all, Salem.”

  Who could blame her? I looked up as Cora came out of the office. She had a permanent smile on her face and really, with that pretty ring and the even prettier man that had given it to her, she had every reason to be lit up from the inside out with joy.

  “I don’t mean to pry.” Of course she did. It was Cora’s lot in life to be smack-dab in the middle of whatever drama was going on in the Marked world, so I just rolled my eyes at her and got to my feet. “But you both look exhausted and my dad still has my kid, so I don’t need to be home until later. Why don’t you go on and head over to Rowdy’s so you can rest for the remainder of the day?” Her pierced eyebrow danced upward, making her look like a mischievous fairy. “I’ll watch the front and shut down the shop when the last client leaves.”

  It was official, I was part of the family. Cora was swooping in to take care of me just like she did the rest of the crew. I could have kissed her for it. I looked at my sister and had zero doubt a nap would do her some good. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked worn down and empty. I could literally see the way her heart and soul were hurting in her shadowed gaze.

  “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll call Royal on the way and see if they have any information on Oliver as well.”

  Cora told me solemnly, “This isn’t the first time a guy that just couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer has wreaked havoc with one of our girls. I know how stressful and dangerous the situation can be. You need to take care of her.”

  I walked around the lounger and wrapped Cora in a tight hug, and something really struck me as permanent and definite when I told her thank you and she pulled back and told me point-blank, “We take care of our own.”

  Poppy climbed to her feet as well and offered Cora a wobbly smile. “I’m so glad my sister found you guys and this place. I really think it was where she was always destined to be.”

  Cora laughed and followed us down the stairs as we headed back into the shop. “Of course it’s where Salem was supposed to be. Rowdy is here and I think it’s pretty obvious to anyone that’s been paying attention that they were bound to end up together.”

  We went downstairs and I had to wait a second for Rowdy to look up from what he working on. When he did, those summery eyes chased some of the chill of fear and worry away.

  “I’m gonna take Poppy to your place. She’s exhausted and hanging on by a thread.”

  He looked around me at my rapidly wilting sister and nodded his head. “All right. Wanna give me twenty minutes and I’ll follow you so that I know you’re safe? I can cancel my last two appointments for the day.”

  I would feel better with him there, but I figured Poppy and I would be okay as long as we stuck together and we weren’t going to my place but to his. “I think it’ll be fine, but if you want to come home early when you’re done, I won’t complain. Poppy really needs to rest. Can you stop by my place and grab Jimbo and some stuff for her on your way?”

  He told his client to give him a second and set the machine he was using down and snapped off the black latex gloves covering his hands. He got to his feet and dug his keys out of his pocket. He fiddled with the ring until he handed two loose keys over to me. He placed them in my palm then bent low so that his mouth was right next to my ear and whispered, “Another first. No girl has ever had the keys to my place before.”

  I got hot all over and wanted to kiss his face off, but we were at work and it wasn’t the time. I curled my fingers around the metal and smiled at him. “First and last.”

  He lifted his chin in agreement and turned back to finish the impressive geisha tattoo he was putting on his client.

  I went back to Poppy and hooked my arm through hers after thanking Cora again as I guided my sister out of the shop. She sort of shuffled alongside me, and once we got to the car she slumped down in the passenger seat and didn’t say anything to me as she gazed out the window. It was depressing and disheartening, to say the least. I just let her be, and once we got to Rowdy’s apartment complex, it was by some unspoken agreement that we planned to hustle inside just to be safe. Neither of us wanted to linger out in the open until we knew for sure the authorities had located Poppy’s soon-to-be ex-husband..

  I had some stuff scattered around Rowdy’s place already. I had been making my way into his life, into his space, subconsciously for weeks and weeks. I was making myself at home without even realizing that’s what I was doing. I just needed my dog and some provisions for my sister and I could camp out there indefinitely.

  I was just about to shut the car door and click the locks closed behind me when another car motor revved and screeching brakes made me pull up short. I looked over the top of the open door I was holding and felt all the blood rush out of my face.

  A sedan stopped right next to my car and the driver’s-side door swung open violently. Before I could react in any way other than to freeze in surprise and shock, a short man got out of the car and pointed at my sister where she was hovering nervously next to my car on the curb. I knew this wasn’t a good situation.

  “Get in this car, Poppy.” He didn’t yell, didn’t posture, he just told her what to do in a coolly clam voice that was terrifying.

  “No.” Poppy didn’t say it. I did. But there was no way I was letting her go anywhere with him. He looked unkempt and crazed and there was obvious danger stamped all over him.

  He vibrated in rage when I barked the negative at him, and instead of letting the argument escalate or raising his voice and coming after me, he methodically produced a gun from somewhere behind his back and pointed it right at me.

  I had lived in a lot of big cities and not always in a good part of town. I had seen guns before and even witnessed gun violence at a club here or there along the way. What I had never had happen to be me before was to be facing down the barrel of one with a man clearly ready to pull the trigger on the other side of it.

  “Get. In. The. Car. Poppy.” Each word was hollow, deliberate, and laced with evil.

  I could hear my sister whimpering and felt the tension between all of us wind up and scream with the need to break. My hands curled around the frame of the door as I stared unblinking at the gun.

  “Move! I will shoot your sister. I should do it anyway as a favor to your father.”

  I swallowed hard but refused to react. I had a feeling if I so much as twitched an eyelash the wrong way he would feel just
ified in pulling the trigger. Why hadn’t I thought this through? Of course, if he had followed me home to see where I lived, the lunatic would have followed me to Rowdy’s as well. Hell, the creep very well might have been lurking outside of the shop all day just waiting for his moment. I felt like an idiot, and my sister was the one who was going to suffer.

  “Oh my God.” Poppy whispered the words and I saw her move out of the corner of my eye.

  “Don’t!” I couldn’t stop the command and jolted when the gun went off in a thunderous BANG. I gasped and watched at the bullet skated across the hood of my car. I jumped involuntarily and couldn’t stop shaking in terror. I had always been independent and confident that I could take care of myself, but right now I was lamenting not just waiting twenty minutes for Rowdy to come with us. Not that I wanted him in danger, but something about having him close by gave me the feeling things would be all right no matter what, and that was a feeling I could desperately use right now as the gun was leveled at my face once again.

  “I will shoot you. I don’t care about you. I just want what’s mine.”

  Poppy had moved so that she was between me and the gun. I wanted to reach out and grab her and pull her back to me, but now I didn’t want to risk him pulling the trigger and shooting her.

  “Poppy, if you get in that car he’s just going to shoot me as soon as you close the door. He’s going to hurt us both.”