Page 120 of Rock Chick Rescue

Richie stared at Eddie, his face changed, and if he’d wet his pants, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Then again, Richie had been there the night Eddie took care of Bachelor Number One and Eddie wasn’t nearly as furious then as he was now.

Eddie turned to me as I noticed Lee and Carl materialize behind Indy and Ally. I didn’t have a chance to react as Eddie’s hand curled around my arm.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“No way.” Smithie stepped in our way. “Jet’s takin’ a vacation. She ain’t safe and you ain’t keepin’ her safe so she’s gonna disappear until this shit blows over.”

Eddie, already tense, froze rock-solid.

“I’m sorry?” he asked in his quiet voice. “I thought she got shot at on your watch.”

An uncomfortable look crossed Smithie’s face.

Eddie kept talking. “Find another waitress. This was Jet’s last night.”

It was my turn to freeze rock-solid.

“What?” I asked Eddie.

Eddie didn’t answer me.

“Let’s go,” he repeated.

“I don’tthinkso!” I yelled. “I need this job.”

“You’ll be taken care of,” Eddie replied, like it was as easy as that, and began to pull me away.

I yanked my arm out of his hold.

“Yeah? Is that so? You gonna pay for Mom’s therapy? The rent on a disabled-accessible apartment? Her follow-up MRI? You don’t have any fucking clue, do you? This isn’t as easy as a couple bags of groceries and fixing a stupid car. This shit is relentless. This shit ismy life!” I shouted.

Everyone was staring at me and I didn’t care. I turned to Smithie.

“Am I fired?” I asked for the millionth time.

He shook his head. His face still held anger but it was softening.

“You ain’t fired, child, but you ain’t comin’ back either. You’re not safe here. I’ll hold your job open until you can come back and not get shot at.”

My world, already spinning out of control, tilted and I could swear I was going to fall off. There was absolutely nothing to hold on to.

So I held on to the only thing I ever had.

I squared my shoulders.

I hadn’t been in worse spots than this, it was true, but I had also always made my own way.

I’d do it again.

Somehow.

“Fine,” I snapped and walked away from Eddie, right by Smithie and through Daisy, Indy, Ally, Lee, Carl, Tod and Stevie and a dozen dancers, bouncers and waitresses.

Fuck it.

Fuck it all.

I walked into the club and behind the bar, grabbed my purse and coat, pulled my cell out of my apron and handed the apron to the bartender.

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