Page 50 of Roses Are Dead
“Who?”
“Beth, my best friend.”
She made a sympathetic sound and hugged me.
I stiffly hugged her back. It had been so long since anyone, even Beth, had hugged me this well, I almost cried. As it was, I had to clear my throat twice to speak. “Thank you.”
“What kind if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.”
Betty Jo thought for a moment. “That one has a good recovery rate if you can find a donor.”
“She did.”
I didn’t know this woman at all, but maybe a perfect stranger would be the right person to tell. I turned my arm and showed her the bruise again. “Him.”
“Oh. That’s why he ain’t dead yet.” Betty Jo dusted off her hands and gave me the coat she’d taken from me. “Put that on, and keep your braids down, I wanna see.”
I did, moving my hair outside of the collar and letting it fall with three braids to the back and two snaking down the front. I turned and looked at myself in the mirror.
And liked what I saw. This woman had power. The person I wanted to be stared back at me. I lifted my chin slightly to let its sharp angle jut out. I felt like I’d just conquered a kingdom.
“You need jewelry. What’s your flavor of Goth, pentagrams or crosses?”
Neither. “Do you have any moons?”
She smiled. “I got a few. Diana or Hecate?”
“I’m not picky. The power predates the names.”
She stared at me oddly. “You should meet Sierra. You two might have something in common.”
“Who is Sierra?”
“She’s one of the wives here. Her grandmother sees the future. I think Sierra inherited some of that woo-woo.” With a quick change of the subject, she asked, “How’d you meet Bear?”
Funny how she’d picked up on that. I decided to test my theory. “He saw me casting a spell. Naked.”
Betty Jo laughed. Her whole body shook. “Oh boy, that’d do it. I only had to flash my ass at Fin.” She wiped her eyes and said, “Welcome to the fucked-up family.”
12
Bear
It was a mistake to let Betty Jo dress Roishin. My wallet thought so. At least Roishin balked once the total topped a grand. A set of saddle bags were already stuffed with clothes, and if I had to guess, Roishin left what she’d worn here out. At least some of it. Hopefully, it was the frumpy shit. I liked the new clothes much better. She stood taller in them as Betty Jo made her model them for me.
And she smiled. I hadn’t seen one of those on her before. At least not one that lasted. Without a doubt, Fin’s wife was a miracle worker.
She even convinced Roishin to leave her hair down. Albeit, braided, but after yesterday, I never wanted to see that tightly-pinned crown of braids again.
Nope. I wanted to immerse my hands in her hair, play with the strands, and slide my fingers through it. Hell, I’d even volunteer to braid it just to get that chance. But Fin saved me from making an utter fool out of myself.
“Bear here says you don’t have a dagger. And he also thinks you got specific tastes. Enlighten me.”
Roishin’s eyes went wide.
Betty Jo butted in and told her husband, “Think Sierra meets Edie. But darker. Much darker.”
