to me, her eyes widening in a way that clearly communicated she was sending me a subliminal message—pay attention, it screamed. “I dare you—”
“We’ll see.”
“I dare—”
“We’ll see,” I interrupted her again. After Brando had brought up dancing again, the decision weighed heavily on my mind, and I wasn’t sure if I was up for all of the loud music and drunken immaturity. He had given me something to stew over. Something my mother had been on pins and needles about.
“Well,” Violet said in a huff. “Don’t say I didn’t ask you.” She gave Mick a peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you both later.” Moving away, she was quickly swallowed up by the surge of the crowd.
I went to follow Violet, but before I could get too far, a hand wrapped around my arm and stopped me.
“Ace.” I blinked.
“Scarlett.” A big white smile blossomed on his face and brightened his tan complexion. The color was much different than Brando’s. His was more golden, where Brando was more bronze. “Can we?” He nodded toward the wall, where a spot had cleared.
“Actually,” I said, pointing to nowhere in general, “I was just about to grab lunch and then read.” To prove the point, I lifted my current romance novel, then quickly turned it over, not wanting him to get the wrong idea about my intentions. The cover was steamy.
“Lucky me. I’m headed that way myself.” His Texan accent came out clear and strong. It might have been an endearing quality, under different circumstances.
I studied him for a moment. He studied me.
“Scarlett!” Mick came barreling down the hall, bumping into people. “Scarlett!” He came to stand between Ace and me. He grabbed me by the arm, tugging. “We need to talk.”
Ace stepped in front of him. He ticked his mouth. “We have plans. Let the lady go.”
I stepped in between the two, who glared at each other. People were starting to slow, to take notice.
I looked at Ace. “I…need to talk to Mick. I’ll meet you for lunch in a few.” If felt rude to just dismiss him all together, though something inside of me told me to. Still, years of ingrained politeness caused me to falter.
“I’ll wait here.” Ace nodded to the spot where he stood. “He can have a few minutes with you, but you’re mine for lunch.” He seemed to be speaking through Mick to me; not once did his eyes waver.
Taking Mick by the arm, I all but dragged him from the tense scene. When we were far enough that I knew Ace couldn’t hear, I stopped. But I still had to bump Mick to get his attention. His eyes were still locked in silent battle with Ace.
“I’m going to walk away if you don’t look at me.” I bumped him again. The cigarette fell from his ear and he didn’t even bother to pick it up.
His eyes did a slow roll from Ace to me. “Why am I even having a staring contest with the hillbilly?”
“Beats me,” I snapped. “You interrupted all on your own.”
“No.” He shook his head. “I intervened because if I don’t Brando will.”
“Why?” I shouted.
“Because…hell, I don’t know! He doesn’t want you around the kid.” He flung his hand in Ace’s direction. “He’s bad news. Brando only wants what’s best for you. If you don’t stop this, whatever he’s attempting to do, trust me. Brando will. He’s not used to dealing with kids, or in Ace’s case, a punk kid. But he will. Beneath him or not.”
I paced in a circle for a moment. “I know, I know.” I sounded like a petulant child. “He wants to be a surrogate older brother.”
“Look.” Mick grabbed me by the arm, forcing me to look at him. He searched my eyes. “You saved his life. Did you know that?”
Brando had said that he had told no one of the first time, the night my brother had been hit by the train. Perhaps Mick was referring to the night at the train tracks, though I hadn’t heard anything about the fate of the kids that still decided to leave after Mick had warned them not to. I found that when my feelings warned me that bad things were going to happen, unless it involved Brando, my mind stuck them in a vault and refused to open it again. My brother’s accident haunted me and took up all of the available space for such things.
Still, my mouth felt dry, my hands clammy, and my heart picked up speed. I