Colin growls. “Better shut your fucking mouth unless you want to lose a kidney along with that spleen.”
Mick laughs. “Touch me one time and see what happens.” He turns to me, completely unconcerned for his welfare. I’m guessing he’s on some pretty powerful drugs right now. Either that, or he’s secure in the idea that Rebel will personally pound Colin into the dirt if he so much as lays a finger on Mick. “He’s right, though,” Mick continues. “Let’s go get a beer and you can tell us all about it.”
“It’s not even lunch time,” I say, following Mick over to the red mustang parked on the back side of the lot.
“It’s five o’clock somewhere,” he says, looking at me over his shoulder. He gets into the car gingerly, his arm muscles bulging as he lowers himself carefully into the driver’s seat.
I wait for Colin to climb into the back seat before joining Mick in the front. “Are you sure you should be driving?” I buckle my seatbelt, trying to block out the memories of being with him in this car and me driving like a lunatic. I never ever want to do that again.
“Nope.” He grins and guns the motor.
We roll out of the parking lot with Mick smiling like a loon. “Freedom!” he yells, pounding the steering wheel a few times before turning on the radio. A heavy dance beat starts pumping out of the speakers. My butt can’t help but twitch a little on the seat. Man, I could totally work off some steam twerking in the comfort of my bedroom right now. Too much stress is making me crazy. I’m only partially satisfied with my dancing situation and then the song is over and we’re pulling a parallel space outside a nondescript black and brown building.
We’re at a dive bar that I normally wouldn’t be caught dead inside. Only a few cars are parked in the lot next door, so I’m more than a little surprised to find the place half full of people when we walk through the door.
“What are all these people doing here at this time of day?” I ask as we make our way to the bar.
Colin motions at the bartender, twirling his finger over all our heads. Less than a minute later, we all have cold mugs of beer in front of us. Nobody answers my question. I suppose it doesn’t matter. I’m just here for the man candy I came with and maybe some ideas. I need to help Teagan out of this mess. I cannot stand seeing her so helpless.
“Welcome to my home away from home,” says Colin, taking a big swig of his beer.
I look around in disgust. “You can do better, Colin. Seriously. Ew.”
Mick leans over and says, “Don’t be so stuck up.”
My jaw drops open and I stare at him. How rude.
“What?” he asks, all innocence.
“You just called me stuck up!”
“So? You act like you can’t have a good time in a dive bar.” He shrugs, completely not caring that he just used break-up words with me. He’s so lucky he’s not my boyfriend.
I snort. “Sha. Right. I could have a good time anywhere. I could have a good time in a garbage dump.” Good work, Quin. That was sexy. I battle not to roll my eyes at my own self. I am so losing my touch.
“Sounds interesting,” Mick says, just before taking a long swig of his drink.
“Are you supposed to be drinking while you’re on that pain medication?” I’m going to go ahead and forgive him for calling me stuck up. He’s definitely on drugs.
“Probably not.” He takes another swig and nods at someone across the room.
I look over to the same spot and see a girl standing there who forgot to tuck her boobs into her shirt before she left the house this morning. She’s giving Mick one of those bring-your-dick-over-here looks, but he’s not moving.
I have to admire his ability to play hard to get. She’s not the ugliest girl in the world and she is pretty much offering up, at the very least, a titty fuck with that get-up she’s wearing. I’m pretty sure she’ll be happy to do it in the bathroom too; he wouldn’t even need to go outside first.
I groan inwardly as her stance shifts and her expression goes first to frustrated and then to determined. This chick is about to give in and break the number one rule of bar flirting: Never ever be the one to come over. I shake my head as she starts to move in our direction. Dumb ho.
“So what happened at the meeting?” Colin asks. He puts his empty mug down on the bar and signals the bartender for another. I still haven’t taken a single sip of mine. I have an issue with beer for brunch, I guess, but at least I have something to do with my hands, which is better than slapping stupid faces of bimbo girls. Hannah Hootersville is here now, running her fingers all over Mick’s chest as she talks softly to him and smiles like a dingbat.
I can’t take any more of it. Ten seconds and I’m ready to snap. “Are you blind?” I ask her leaning over and saying it loud enough so that Mick and Colin can hear too.
She frowns at me, all her flirting happiness disappearing like a puff of smoke. Her hand freezes on Mick’s boob. “No.”
“Oh.” I shrug, looking around all casual, acting like I didn’t just pull the pin and drop an insult grenade on her head.
“Why would you ask that? Do I look blind?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I guess it was the way you were reading Mick’s chest like he had braille all over it or something. My bad.” I give her a tight smile and then go back to facing Colin. “So, yeah, it was terrible …”
Before I can get any more of my story out, something hits me in the shoulder.
My eyes bug out as I turn to see what the hell is going on. Hannah Hootersville is standing there, ready for a fight, her legs spread a little apart and her small hands fisted at her sides.
“Did you just hit me?” I cannot believe this girl would be so stupid.
“Yeah, I just hit you.” She flips her dried-out, scraggly, fake-blond hair over her shoulder and sticks her flubbery chest out. “What are you going to do about it?”
I shrug before shoving my beer into Colin’s chest. “One word.” My fist flies out and pops her in the chest. “Boob punch!” My hand sinks in about six inches before coming into contact with her ribs. Good thing silicon boobies are tough.
She bends over, grasping at her chest with both arms. “That’s two words, you bitch!” she squeals.
“Whatever!” I yell back, taking a step towards her as she backs up.
Colin jumps in front of me, blocking my progress. Mick reverses away from our little group, holding onto his stomach.
I immediately feel awful as I see the scene unfolding around me. I forget the girl completely. “Holy shit, Mick, I forgot about your stomach. Are you okay? How’s your spleen?” I come towards him with my hands held out.
He continues to back away, his hands held up in a defensive position. “I don’t have a spleen anymore, remember?” He half laughs, but it sounds like it’s laced with pain. “Just keep those weapons away from me right now, okay? I just got out of the hospital, and I don’t want to go back in anytime soon.”
My hands fly to my face. I just assaulted a chick in a shit bar. I’m a monster. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Colin shows up behind me and I turn around to find his face near my shoulder. He’s way too happy.
“What are you smiling at?!” I shout, reaching around to smack him on the shoulder, my concerns about being a monster disappearing just like that.
He ducks a little but keeps up the grinning. “That was awesome. Did you see that, Mick? Chick fight … over you!” He laughs. “Hilarious!”
Mick scowls at him as my face flames red.
“I was not fighting over Mick.”
“Yeah, whatever you say.” Colin walks back to the bar, leaving me standing in front of Mick.
“Mick, I’m sorry I messed up your date.” My entire body sags. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m obviously losing my mind.”
He drops his hands and steps closer to me. “Just let it go. It’s no big deal. She’s a leech and I’m glad she’s off me.”
“Really? Cuz I thought I was picking up on th
at vibe and so I just acted on it. But if you tell me I was wrong, I’ll hate myself forever. I’ll go apologize.”
“No, you weren’t wrong.” He sighs. “Get me a beer, would ya?”
“Here,” I say, taking the one nearest me off the bar. “This one was mine. I think. I don’t want it.”
He takes it and looks around to see if anyone else is claiming it. “You probably shouldn’t have anything to drink right now,” he says.
“No, you’re right. Save me from myself,” I agree, urging him to drink with my eyes.
“Bottom’s up,” he says, lifting the glass at me first before taking a very long series of drinks. He drains the mug in seconds.
“Wow. That was impressive … in an alcoholic olympics kind of way.”
He laughs. “Silver medalist. Colin’s always getting the gold ahead of me.”
We both look over and watch him drain what might be his third beer.
“Why is he like that?” I ask quietly.
Mick stands next to me as we watch him joke around with the bartender. “He doesn’t deal with losing people very well, and he’s lost a couple.”
“Everyone does eventually,” I say, getting a lump in my throat as I imagine my parents leaving this world.
“Yeah, and most people get over it. Colin doesn’t. Ever.”
“That’s sad.”
“Yeah. That’s why I don’t totally hate him, you know?”
We turn and face each other and Mick continues. “I get why he’s angry all the time. He’s alone.”
“But he has you. And Rebel.”
“We know that, but he doesn’t. He’s always on the outside looking in. That’s what he thinks, anyway.”
“Maybe you should be nicer to him,” I say, loving that Mick and I are standing so close now and that I can smell his beer breath as it hits my face. I totally want to swap spit with him right now.
“He’s too much of a dick most of the time. He drives people away.”
I chew the inside of my cheek, wondering why this feels like it applies to me.
“Your hair is pretty,” he says, taking a lock of it in his hand and running his fingers down it.
I’m too shocked to speak at first. Where in the hell is this coming from?
“Did you do something different to it?”
“I … uh … yeah … I, uh … brushed it.”
He laughs, dropping my hair. “And usually you just … what? Don’t?”
“No. Yes. I mean, I have frizzy hair so…”
He raises his eyebrows, waiting for my answer.
I sigh. “Can we talk about something else please? My hair is boring.”
“Fine. What do you want to talk about?” He signals the bartender for another beer, and Colin joins us when it’s delivered.
“You guys wanted to know what happened in the meeting, right?” I ask.
They both nod.
I take a big breath, collecting my thoughts so I can give them the highlights. “Okay, so … apparently, Teagan’s step-mom is saying that her dad was bonkers or whatever before he died and that she was in the process of having him committed or something, so all that data that he sent Teagan was confidential legal stuff she didn’t have a right to have. So it can’t be used in a lawsuit against them.”
“What? That doesn’t make any sense,” says Mick. I love how he’s getting all defensive over it. It’s exactly how I feel, and now I know I’m not alone.
“I know. But the lawyers said that maybe that bitch could convince a judge it was true. And Teagan says the last time she talked to her dad on the phone, he sounded really out of it. Like drunk. But he never ever drinks.” I look at them, wondering if their minds are going where mine is.
“So what’s the next step?” Mick asks.
I bite my lip as I consider whether to say out loud what I’m thinking. It’s nuts. It’s stupid. It’s none of my damn business. I am not Rambo, even though I can lay out a mean-ass boob punch when necessary.
“Out with it,” says Mick. He looks over at his brother. “I don’t know why anyone’s calling you Trouble these days. That should be her nickname.”
I hit him lightly with the back of my hand on the arm. “Hey, watch it. How do you know I’m planning any trouble? I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“I know that look on your face, that’s how. That’s what you looked like right before you got brainfried with that taser.” He nods at his brother before turning his attention back to me. “Go ahead. Tell us.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “No. Forget it. You’re not invited.”
Colin leans in and talks softer. “I want to be invited. Tell me.” Colin’s eager-beaver act earns him a punch from Mick. Colin pretends to wind up to hit him back, but then he stops and smiles. “You’re lucky.” He points in his brother’s face. “I owe you one, punk.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief when Mick just shakes his head and looks me expectantly.
“Fine, I’ll tell you guys, but only because I don’t think I can pull it off myself.” I reach out and take Mick’s left arm and Colin’s right arm, drawing them nearer to me. “Come in closer. I don’t want anyone to hear.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“YOU’RE NUTS,” MICK SAYS. “NO way you can pull that off.”
“Let’s do it,” says Colin, holding his chest and rubbing it a little as he lets out a burp.
I lean back to stay in the safe zone. He’s drunk way too much carbonation for my comfort.
“I’m in.” Colin holds up a hand and gives his brother a challenging look before smiling way too big at me. “We’ll keep the handicapped dude on the bench. It’ll be just you and me. Bonnie and Clyde.”
I smile and high-five him back. Tag-team teasing Mick is way too much fun.
“Fuck that. Neither one of you should go,” Mick says. “First of all, Rebel’s going to tell you no way. We have a schedule and those cars need to go out. And second, it’s a bad idea. Just bad all the way around.”
“We can be up and back in two days,” I say, my words coming out hurried. “We’ll go Friday morning and be back on Sunday.” I’m bouncing on my toes, praying Mick will change his mind. “Come on … what do we have to lose? Nothing! It’ll be fun.”
“You better not say anything to Rebel about it,” says Colin, pointing a warning finger at his brother. “This isn’t his decision.”
“And it’s not yours either,” Mick says. I can’t tell if his admonishment is for his brother or me.
“Hey, if we want to help a friend, we can help a friend,” I say. I brush away any misgivings that try to hammer their way into my bubble of awesome planning. I am so going to do this, with or without them.
“You’re not going to help Teagan if you go up there and get busted.” Mick is shaking his head.
“Busted for what? Hanging out? Asking a few questions? Drinking some beers?” I roll my eyes. “Don’t be a lame-ass. Come with us.”
He looks off to the side, shaking his head, his expression a mix of emotions. I’m pretty sure I see anger, frustration, and worry there. Maybe a tad bit of jealousy too. I’m going to go ahead and work that angle.
“Or not. You know Colin and I can share costs so it won’t be a big deal. We can grab a couple double beds in a hotel somewhere, right, Colin? We can do it cheap.”
“Sure thing. We don’t need two beds, though,” Colin says, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
“Fuck that,” says Mick, jumping back into the conversation. “I’m coming, but not because I agree it’s a good idea. I’m just going to keep you out of trouble.” He’s looking at me, not his brother.
I smile. “Do you mean that literally? Because if you do, just … ew.”
“What?” he looks at me, mystified.
Colin and I laugh.
He mumbles his last sentence. “Keep you out of … Trouble … oh, shit. That’s wrong. That’s just wrong.” Mick grabs a beer off the bar, but I can see the smile he’s hiding behind his mu
g as he takes a drink.
“Okay, so we leave this Friday,” I say, feeling very proud of myself. I am not going to just sit around and let some asscheese take my best friend’s father or business from her. Those lawyers aren’t doing crap. It’s time for someone to do something real for a change. I don’t mind taking a risk for Teagan. She’s my best friend and she’d do the same for me. So what if it’s a little harebrained? I can’t just do nothing.
I ignore the thoughts niggling at the back of my mind that are telling me I’m biting off more than I can chew, that I’m doing something completely out of character for myself, that I could very well be doing stupid things just because I’m trying to prove a point - what that point is and who I’m proving it to, well, that’s a complete unknown. And besides … it doesn’t matter. I’m going to put my conscience in a time-out for the next seven days. After that, it can come out and berate me all it wants. Until then, I’m a free agent, baby. And I’m about to have a little fun and take a few names while I’m at it.
Colin hands me a full mug of bubbly yellow awfulness and raises his in the air. It hovers in the space centered on the three of us. “Here’s to fighting crime.”
We all touch glasses. Someone’s beer sloshes out onto my hand.
“Here’s to keeping your asses out of trouble,” says Mick. “And not out of Colin’s dumb ass, but actual trouble … the kind people go to jail for.” He glares at me.
“Here’s to making things right,” I say, refusing to acknowledge his bad fortunetelling. Just before I take a drink from my mug, I finish my thought. “And here’s to raising a little hell along the way.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ALISSA HAS HER NOSE UP in the air and is blinking her eyes. “Like I said. Either you take me with you or I tell Teagan what you’re doing.”
I huff out a burst of annoyed air, hoping Teagan and Rebel won’t get home prematurely from their house-hunting trip and catch me getting ready to kick a pregnant girl’s ass. “God, this is so ridiculous. You’re pregnant!” I gesture at her belly with disgust. It’s not that she’s ugly or anything, it’s just that I cannot believe someone carrying a baby around inside her thinks joining our adventure would be a good parenting move. I can’t be in the middle of that bad decision.