Juno shoved her nose in my bel y, a hard to miss doggie cry for breakfast.
“Okay, baby, breakfast,” I told her, giving her a behind the ears scratch.
Her tongue lol ed out happily.
On that, Al y gave me an arm squeeze. “Later Stel a.”
“See you at the gig,” Ava cal ed on a wave.
“We didn’t get any coffee,” Annette noted then, at a look from Roxie, she gave up on coffee, smiled at me and gave me a peace sign.
“We’l talk later,” Jet promised on her own wave.
“Knock ‘em dead,” Jules said.
“Don’t forget the meeting,” Shirleen warned.
“Bring the band,” Daisy reminded me.
“Hang in there,” Roxie cal ed before blowing me a kiss.
Only Indy got close and gave me a hug.
“You’l be al right and he’l be al right. I promise. No bul shit. Everything wil be al right,” she whispered in my ear then pul ed away and looked in my eyes. “Yeah?” she finished softly.
“Yeah,” I replied, even though I didn’t believe her, I wanted to.
She touched her cheek to mine and whispered, “Later, girl.”
Then al the Rock Chicks were gone.
I made my dog breakfast and poured myself a coffee but al the while I did it, my head was in the shower.
Therefore, when Mace got out of the shower, I was standing in the kitchen, a half-drunk cup of coffee in my hand, Juno’s heavy body lying on my feet and my eyes were on the door.
I watched as he moved toward his bags, pul ed out some fresh clothes and then yanked off the towel. I held my breath at the sight of him but I didn’t get a very long look. He dressed in record time and walked back to the bathroom.
I stayed where I was, a feeling of dread stealing over me.
Something was not right and it was more than its usual under-threat-of-being-murdered not right.
Mace came back out, tossed his boots by the platform, shoved his clothes in his bag, pul ed out a pair of socks and then zipped the bag closed.
Oh yes.
Something was not right.
That feeling of dread grew.
He sat on the platform again to put on his socks and boots.
“Mace –” I started, what I was going to say, I didn’t know but I didn’t get the chance.
“The boys’l cover you today,” he told me, not looking up from what he was doing.
“Mace –”
“I’l have my shit outta here by the time you get back.” I felt my mouth fil with saliva, that feeling of dread building and spreading so fast I was paralyzed.