This went on for several moments before he said, “Deke’s out?” Then a whispered, “Fuck.”

I watched his mouth get tight as I watched him lift his hand to the back of his neck and squeeze.

Then he said into the phone in a way that sounded like the words were dragged out of him, “Seems like all you got is me.” His neck straightened, his hand dropped and his body got as tight as his mouth before he went on, “Bubba’s useless and you and I know it. Deke’s out. Neeta is what Neeta is because of Pop so I’m not f**kin’ askin’ him and you’d be a f**kin’ fool to do it. So, way I see it, all you got is me.” He listened a moment then bit his lip in a scary way before he spoke again. “Unlike you, brother, your woman’s sleepin’ in your bed, I ain’t gonna make a move. I also ain’t gonna stand aside ‘cause you’re in f**kin’ Texas, Neeta’s in town and Laurie’s un-fuckin’-protected. You don’t like that, f**kin’ tough. You know her, Christ, Tate, you know her better ‘n anyone. You shoulda planned for this eventuality. She’s got that f**kin’ posse here who keep tabs on you and always have so you knew this was gonna happen. Now, tables are turned, man, and I’m takin’ care of your shit.”

He flipped the phone shut and turned to me and all I could think to say was, “Unprotected?”

I heard my cell phone ring in the house but I was too busy staring at Wood and hearing his conversation replay in my head to move.

“Neeta’s unpredictable,” Wood stated and looked at the house again before his eyes came back to me. “Baby, that’ll be Tate on the phone.”

I ignored him and repeated on a prompt, “Unpredictable?”

“Tate explain about Neeta?” he asked.

“Um… a little bit,” I answered as my phone stopped ringing.

“He explain about how she makes it clear he’s her property?”

I licked my lips.

Then I said, “No.”

“Well, she thinks he’s her property.”

“What does that mean?” I asked as my phone started ringing again.

Wood’s eyes went to the house again then to me and he urged gently, “Baby, get your phone.”

I turned on a foot and ran to the house. Tugging open the sliding glass door one-handed, I ran to the kitchen counter where my phone was. I put down my mug, touched the screen that said “Captain Calling” and put it to my ear.

“Tate?” I asked into the phone.

“Wood still there?” he asked back without saying hello.

“Yes, but he says –”

“Put him on the phone,” Tate ordered.

“But, honey –”

“Lauren, put him on the goddamned phone.”

Someone was not happy.

That was okay because I was not happy either.

“Maybe you might want to talk to me about what’s happening?” I suggested acidly.

Tate replied instantly, “What’s happening, Ace, is Neeta’s a f**kin’ nut. I may have only had three women on the back of my bike, that doesn’t mean I’ve only had three women. And one of the reasons I’ve only had three women that I put on my bike is because Neeta hears I got someone in my bed, and she hears I take them there more than once, she moves to stake her claim. She’s been married to a man for seven years but, make no mistake, the bitch claims me. She might be forty-two years old but she never stopped actin’ like a teenager. Not a lotta women like havin’ threatening letters shoved in their mailboxes, crazy, screamin’ women showin’ up at their work shouting obscenities or gettin’ in hair-pulling catfights at the diner. She’s in town it means she’s in town for a showdown with you.”

Oh my God!

“Tate –”

“And you grew up on a f**kin’ farm in Indiana and spent the rest of your life in suburbia. You and your sister might know all about attitude but even your considerable attitude, babe, ain’t gonna mean dick when you’re up against Neeta. I like your face just like it is, I don’t need her clawin’ it with her fingernails. Firstly because, like I said, I like your face as it is. Secondly because, that bitch lays a f**kin’ hand on you, I’m gonna take her ass down and I’m not big on takin’ out a woman. Now give the phone to Wood.”

I took the phone from my ear and held it out to Wood.

“He wants to talk to you,” I whispered and wondered if Wood could hear me over the beating of my heart.

Wood gave me a look, took the phone and put it to his ear.

“You got me,” he said into it then listened then said, “Yeah.” A pause. “Yeah man.” And finally, “No shit? Remember who you’re talkin’ to, yeah?” He listened again and finished with, “Right.” Then he held the phone to me.

Hesitantly, I took it and put it to my ear.

“Tate?”

“Wood takes you to work, he brings you home and he sleeps on the couch. You with me?”

“Tate –”

“Yes or no, Lauren.”

“Yes,” I replied.

“I’m in Lubbock, sittin’ outside a titty bar where my boy is havin’ himself a good time. He’s about to get a lap dance that isn’t gonna end too good for him. Even though I’m takin’ him down, time I get to Denver, get him processed, return Thyne’s SUV I had to borrow and get home, Neeta could wreak havoc. Deke’s in South Dakota. Wood needs to cover you. I’ll be home early tomorrow, latest.”

“Okay,” I said quietly then asked curiously, “He’s in a titty bar at 10:30 a.m.?”

“Ace, he ain’t a member of the Rotary,” Tate answered and I gave a short giggle.

Then I asked, “Titty bars are open at ten thirty?”

“This one is,” Tate replied.

“Wow,” I whispered.

“Question, babe,” he stated.

“Yeah?”

“When I’m pissed as shit at Neeta, why am I sittin’ in a borrowed SUV smilin’ every time I hear you say the words ‘titty bar’?”

“I don’t know,” I answered.

I listened to a moment of silence.

“Shoulda never started it with you,” he muttered and I felt my breath stop coming.

I still managed to force out a, “What?”