Page 24 of Not Your Romeo
A few minutes later the door popped open, and Ziggy emerged with the detectives. They shook hands outside in the hallway before he started our way.
“Ready?” I asked, standing up before he even made it to us.
“More than you could ever know,” he murmured, placing a hand behind me.
“All went well?” Sean asked, once we made it to the sidewalk.
“Yeah,” Ziggy clipped.
Sean’s big, black car pulled up in front of us, and for the first time in my life, I was relieved to climb into the back of it.
“Where to?” he asked, once Ziggy got settled.
“Clubhouse is fine.” He turned his attention to his window, and I kept my eyes glued to the pistol on the back of his hand, it was safer than meeting Sean’s gaze.
He’d warned me twice to make Ziggy happy, and every time I looked at him, it was like he was silently conveying his orders again. I didn’t need his help with Wyatt. We were just fine. I slid my fingers between his and he absently gripped them, making me smile a little.
“They’ll apprehend him, Wyatt. All will be well,” Sean predicted.
“No. They won’t.” Ziggy’s voice was empty, the words dry.
His jaw visibly tensed for several long moments, then he offered a gentle huff that said he’d accepted Menace Zade’s fate.
“If he chooses to force their hand that is a decision that is entirely his. An unfortunate decision that would leave your daughter wounded emotionally, if not physically in the process. Does he truly care so little for Samantha?”
“He called you, didn’t he?” Ziggy’s voice turned to steel and the way he looked at Sean broke my resolve. I’d never seen anyone openly turn a murderous glare on Sean Morgan, and judging from the awkward, frozen grimace of a smile on Sean’s lips, neither had he.
He realized I was staring at him and his gaze narrowed on me briefly, “I was beginning to wonder if you were still capable of smiling, but I see that you are.”
I licked my lips, but it didn’t remove the smile he accused me of having.
The vehicle stopped in front of a building with a black awning. A long chain-link fence with a gate in the center was to the right of the building, but the driver made no effort to turn toward it.
“Enjoy your day,” Sean clipped.
“You, too,” Ziggy threw the door open and all but jerked me from the car.
It took off before he finished slamming the door.
“He isn’t used to that.” I grinned.
“He better get used to it if he thinks he’s going to puppet my fuckin’ life,” Ziggy grumbled, as we neared the front door.
He held it open for me to enter first. The place was dark, but I could see a few people sitting at the bar. One was a female, younger, or smaller, I hadn’t drawn close enough to really determine what I was seeing.
“Shit,” Ziggy cursed.
“What?” I whispered, only to find him staring at the girl.
“That’s Rumi.”
“Who?”
“The girl you tussled with. Henny’s daughter. Listen, try to be easy on her, okay? She’s a kid, and she’s going through some shit. Normally she’s a real sweetheart, but her mother’s dying of cancer, and she hasn’t been herself.”
The girl turned and peeked over her shoulder at us. She sat up a little straighter when she realized who it was.
“He ain’t get rid of you yet?” she antagonized.
