Page 4 of Dusty and Dented
Chapter Four
Dagger watched as shewalked away.He hated seeing her so out of it, so lost.When the fire had sparked in her eyes and she’d put her hands on her hips to argue with him, it had sent a jolt of heat through him that he shouldn’t be feeling for his brother’s sister.Much less for one who’d so recently lost so much.
He couldn’t even blame her for feeling like the Angels were to blame for his death.He could see why she would.Still, he would do what he’d promised and make sure she was okay, no matter how hard she might fight, at least at first.If once she was back on her feet, she wanted him to stay away, then he would but he had to make sure that as hard as losing her brother was, it didn’t cause more problems for her in the long run.He hoped the other Angels would do the same for his sister, if he’d had one.
Following her to the door, he opened it before she had a chance and held it while she went inside, then he stopped beside her as she paused by the door and took in the room.After a moment she seemed to make a decision.She went to the long bar against one wall and got in line.As people realized who she was, they stepped out of line and let her go past them to the head of the line.
Dagger didn’t know if she knew what was happening here, but he did.They were honoring Panther by honoring his sister.When she reached the edge of the bar, she picked up a paper plate from the stack on the end and made her way through the line, taking small portions of several of the long row of dishes lined up there.Since he wasn’t leaving her side any more than he had to over the next while, he followed her through the line, filling his plate too.She hesitated again at the end of the line.He watched her and realized she was scanning the room, looking for somewhere to sit.
“Come on.I know where.”He led her to a table in an out-of-the-way corner where he hoped she would be comfortable, and not have too many people stop to talk, at least while she ate.After that, he wouldn’t stop anyone who wanted to pay their respects.He waited for her to sit then put his plate down.Looking down at the table, he realized there was something missing.
“What do you like to drink?”Dagger asked.
She looked at his plate, then up at him, her scowl still in place.
“Diet Pepsi if you have it.Water if not.”Her expression relaxed a little as she turned back to her plate.Dagger watched her for a moment then turned and went to get their drinks.
“Here, start with this.”He set a disposable plastic cup with about three quarters of an inch of Jack Daniels inside.
“What is it?”She didn’t touch it but stretched her neck to look down in the cup.
“Whiskey.”
She shook her head.“I don’t want it.I need to have all my faculties about me.I need to be alert.”She looked around as if she was afraid that the shooting that had killed her brother would happen again.He didn’t know if she thought she had to be alert in order to survive if it happened again, or if she wanted to be prepared to follow her brother to the grave.
Dagger clenched his teeth, took a deep breath and forced himself to exhale slowly before speaking.He didn’t need to let her see what just the idea of her wanting to die did to him.
“I know you don’t want it, but you need it.You’re either in shock or damned close to it.This will help.And I’ll watch out for you.No one here would hurt you anyway.”
“If you’re so dead set I have it, why not just hide it in my soda?”she said without bothering to look up at him.
“Because I don’t want to lie to you, Andy.I want you to know you can trust me.I’m not going to lie and sneak and manipulate you into doing what I want, or what you need.”
She lifted her head and glared at him.
“You won’t lie to me, but you won’t tell me the truth either.None of you will.I don’t even knowwhymy brother is dead.”She was shouting now.He felt eyes turning their way and hated it, not that he cared but he was worried that she would.
Still, she needed to get this venom out, she needed to let it hurt, to purge the anger that was threatening to overwhelm her.He could and would take it to make her feel better.He just hoped that when she was done, when she realized that everyone had witnessed her meltdown, she didn’t withdraw and totally freeze him and the Angels out.
“There’s that spark back,” he said, trying to keep a straight face because he knew if he grinned like he wanted, it would only piss her off more and he was trying to deescalate the situation.“Maybe you don’t need that shot,” He lifted one shoulder and let it fall, almost as if he didn’t care.He reached for the cup but before he could grab it, she did.
Andy tipped the cup back and drained it in one swallow, just as he’d intended.She pulled a face but didn’t cough or sputter, which told him this wasn’t her first shot.
“Thank you,” Dagger said, setting another cup in front of her, this one filled with the soda she’d requested.He set the empty cup aside and put his own bottle of water on the table before taking his seat.“You eaten any of that?”He nodded toward her plate.
“Not yet.”She picked up her fork and moved the food around on her plate but didn’t take a bite.
“Try it.Pushing it around on your plate isn’t going to get me to take you home.”
