Page 28 of Not Your Romeo
“Are you saying that marrying you pardoned my brother’s killer?” Ro visibly bristled.
“Damn it girl,” I reached for her hand, “He’s going to die. He will not let them take him in. He said as much. I bought my daughter time to say goodbye. That is what marrying you did, okay?”
She nodded, hefting her brows like it was the most selfish thing she’d ever heard in her life, “That’s real nice. I wish someone could have offered me that with Keefe, you know?”
“Fuck, Ro–” I called, as she jerked her hand from mine and stormed inside.
The upstairs light illuminated the backyard a few minutes later and I sighed.
“I told Sean I wasn’t no fuckin’ good at this husband shit,” I grumbled at the pool.
Only the crickets answered me. I figured they were company enough, and brought a few beers out to the patio, giving Ro her space. I didn’t want to fight with that girl. I didn’t have any reason to fight with her. Neither of us chose the ugly details of this situation. We were both parties dragged into this by the dumbass decisions of Menace Zade.
I cracked the first beer open and saluted my ghosts, “I ain’t doin’ this shit again.”
I shook my head, recalling the shouting matches and toxicity that had oozed from every corner of what remained between me and Jolene. I couldn’t have two women on this Earth feeling that way about me. So, I had to figure out how to make this shit work. It seemed simpler with every subsequent beer I emptied, and by the time I passed out I had the whole world figured out.
I didn’t remember any of it when I came to. Shit, I didn’t even remember my name, I just knew that engine was damn close and overly aggressive. It revved a third time before I rounded the fence, but before I could shout, the Viper tore down the street.
“Shit,” I hissed, at the end of the driveway, forcing myself to accept that I’d never catch up with her car on foot.
I made my way inside and grabbed my vest, slinging it on as I hurried back to the garage. I yanked the door open, fully expecting to hop on my bike.
“Goddamn it,” I growled, remembering I’d given the damn thing to Menace.
That van wouldn’t catch her car in a million years, but I didn’t know what the fuck was going on and I hated that feeling. Was she pissed off? Was she going to Sean?
That thought made my heart drop to my gut, even if I didn’t think she could say anything that would hurt me or those I loved.
I climbed into the van and called Henny in a panic as I flew toward his house.
“Hm?” he sleepily murmured.
“Please fucking tell me you’re still in town?”
“Wh–?” he thickly managed, before clearing his throat.
“Great, you were up smoking weed all night,” I guessed.
“Shut up,” he murmured, finally forming words, though his tone was still rumbly with sleep.
“I’m on my way to your house.” I tried to stir him a little faster.
“For what?”
“To pick you up. I need you.”
“You know I’m at the cabin with my daughter. I ain’t even in the county.”
“Fuck.” I hooked a right at the next intersection and huffed, not even knowing where to begin my search.
“What the hell is going on, Zig?”
“She wants your brother punished. I can’t fault her for wanting justice, no one can. I just need my daughter out of the middle of this shit. I need to know she ain’t sent reckless dogs after–”
I closed my eyes at the red light and tried not to lose it.
“Un-fucking-believable,” Henny growled.
