I mean real y, did he think I was stepping out on him?
“It wasn’t what you obviously think, Vance was just taking us to Zip’s!”
Uh-oh.
I immediately saw my mistake. I should have told him we were out to lunch, visiting the dog pound to play with sheltered puppies, buying crack, anything but going to Zip’s.
“What were you doing at Zip’s?” Somehow, the low, scary voice got lower and scarier.
I decided not to lie, not because I thought it was a good way to go, more like I couldn’t come up with another story quick enough.
“Vance was outfitting us with gear.”
“What kind of gear?”
“A few bits and pieces,” I decided to be vague.
“What kind of bits and pieces?” I shouldn’t have tried vague, I’d already learned that Eddie wasn’t fond of vague.
“Stun guns, tasers, pepper spray,” I said.
“Why?”
I took a deep breath and, since I was being honest, I went whole hog. “I’m going to look for Dad.” His eyes narrowed, his mouth tightened and my stomach lurched but I tried not to let on that he was kind of flipping me out.
“Show me,” he said.
I stared at him. I thought of ignoring his request but decided against it. He’d push it and I’d end up doing it anyway.
Indy had the stun guns and tasers in her car, the only thing I had was the pepper spray in my purse. I opened my bag and barely got it out when Eddie’s hand came out and smacked against mine, sending the pepper spray flying and skittering down the sidewalk.
“Hey!” I snapped, my head coming up and I pul ed out a genuine glare.
“What do you do now?” he asked and came in close.
I was getting mad, he was making me look like a fool. I knew he was doing it to make a point, but stil .
No, wait. Doing a quick emotional scan I realized I was already mad.
“Wel ?” he snapped, leaning in.
I wrapped the strap of my bag over my shoulder and planted both my hands on my hips, a Double Diva Threat.
“That wasn’t fair. You’re Eddie, I wasn’t ready…”
“You aren’t gonna be ready when this shit goes down either.”
I leaned into him too.
“I’ve been doing al right so far.”
“You’ve been lucky so far.”
Al right, enough.
I threw my hands out, getting nose to nose, and I yel ed in his face.
“Yeah? well , final y! For the first f**king time in my f**king life, I’ve been lucky and I’m gonna ride that wave.