Page 26 of Retribution
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dakota
Cobra turned awayfrom her and leaned against the wall with the phone in one hand and the other holding the curtain apart.
“… yeah, we can take care of it … no … fuck yes, I heard that bullshit …” His gaze fixed on the parking lot.
Dakota strained to hear his conversation as she got dressed, aware of his low, hushed tones but questioning why he didn’t just take the call outside the room like all the other times. As she threw on a clean tank top, he started pacing across the room. One hand flew down his face and he made a noise of annoyance.
“… any kind of pull back from those assholes?”
Whatever they said on the other line must not have shocked him because he grunted and threw himself into the worn chair at the table.
“Tonight?” His stare suddenly flicked to Dakota and back down to the table. “Yeah, I can do tonight.”
He clicked off and, with a groan, chucked the cell halfway across the table then leaned back in the chair so his head hung backward.
“When do you start for the day?” he asked.
“I need to be there by ten.” Dakota crossed her arms and watched him as she measured his reactions. “I have no idea how long that gives me.”
“You’ve got about an hour.” He pulled out a joint and lit it.
“What’re you doing tonight?” There was no way to keep the questions out of her voice. “I heard you on the phone.”
His head shot up and his eyes narrowed and he put both booted feet up on the table with a loudthud.
“That’s because I didn’t try to hide it. Let me know when you get off tonight. If I don’t pick up, leave a message—I’ll get it. No matter what, I’ll be there to pick you up at the end of your shift.”
“What if I want to walk home? You’re not my official babysitter, Cobra.”
“Walk home?” He said the words as if he didn’t comprehend their meaning. “Sweetheart, if you think about walking home in the dark in this neighborhood without me …” He stopped talking, but he shook himself in the chair. “Just don’t fuckin’ do it. Wait for me.”
“You can’t order me around purely because you helped me out one time. That’s not how this is supposed to go between us.” Dakota protested, pushing away from the wall as a surprising amount of anger rolled through her chest making it hard to breath. “You don’t get to take away my choices.”
“No, but friends don’t allow friends to make dumbass choices, and walking alone is a risky, stupid move that could get you in a fuck ton of trouble, that I’ll then have to clean up … as your damnfriend.”
Dakota felt every muscle in her body tighten on reflex and instinct, fighting a one-sided battle against common sense that had triggered something deep down beneath her cells. She couldn’t even name the feeling. A rare burst of emotion that made her want to lash out at him even while she knew he was only looking out for her best interest, no matter how bossy he was being in the moment.
“You look like you want to chop off my head, sweetheart,” Cobra spoke evenly taking his boots off the table and moving slowly to get up from the chair. “Do I need to take myself elsewhere until you’re done with … whatever this is here?” He motioned to her whole body, frowning. “I’m not fucking opposed to leaving you alone in the motel, I just don’t want you out there—”
“Can you go get us breakfast? I need to eat if I’m going to have a steady hand for work. I also have to clean up.”
His eyes widened and his mouth hung slack for a beat before his jaw snapped shut. Cobra stuck his hands in his pockets with a frown. She could sense the weight of his stare on her all the way across the room. Prickles of tension moved across her scalp as she met his eyes and refused to look away from him.
“This isn’t over, Dakota.”
“It is for me.” She walked toward the bathroom. “After I get my next paycheck, I’ll get out of your hair and we can both go back to living our lives without a problem. You get that, right? Moving from place to place and not settling down is your style, so you don’t really need me, do you?”
“I’m getting donuts.” He marched out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him.
* * *
After Dakota chokeddown a glazed donut, Cobra took her to work and she slipped off the bike and stood on the street chewing the dry skin around her thumb. Neither one of them broke the silence between them. A lingering sense of unfinished business buzzed through her brain.Why the hell am I being such a bitch to him? Am I mad because he ignored me when I changed my clothes. What do I want from him … from me?
Maybe she wanted to unload all her secrets on Cobra to finally free herself from their chains that fettered her. Would he understand? Maybe. Did Dakota want to take the chance? Several days ago she would’ve said “hell no,” but now she wasn’t so sure.
“I’ve got to go,” she whispered.
