Page 96 of Crow
“Aunt Rosa stepped right in. She was great—still is. She’s my mom’s older sister.”
“She’s cool. So is Leo. They’re decent people—like you.”
“Thanks. Your biker friends seem a little rough around the edges. They’re definitely intimidating. I saw them at the building today after”—she took another sip of wine, then pressed a finger to her temple—“the thing with Abe. I ran into your other friends too. They said they were helping you out.”
Crow chuckled. “My MC isn’t the friendliest. The best bet when dealing with an outlaw club is to stay away from them. And don’t talk to them unless they talk to you first.”
“I caught on to that one pretty fast. One of the guys—I think his name is Scorpio—looked like he wished I was a guy so he could beat the shit out of me.”
“Yep, that’s Scorpio. He’s always looking for a fight. Once you get to know him, he’s a straight shooter and would give you the shirt off his back.”
“Maybe. I didn’t know Valerie was moving this soon.”
“Yeah, it worked out pretty quickly. I found a nice place for her and the kids. I hated them living there, especially with the drug shit going on in the stairwells and the shadow man crap.”
“It’ll be much better at their new apartment. You’re a good brother.”
“Whatever. Are you hungry?”
“Not really, but I should eat something or else I’ll end up totally wasted.”
“I’d like to see that.” He chuckled.
She smiled. “No, you wouldn’t—it’s not pretty. I could whip up some pasta. I think I have some ground beef in the fridge.”
Crow placed his hand on her knee. “No way. Today was hard. I’ll call for delivery. What do you want?”
“Anything’s okay with me.”
“Barbecue?”
She quirked her lips. “Too messy.”
“Chinese?”
“I’m not feeling it.”
“What the fuck does ‘anything’s okay with me’ mean?”
Angie giggled. “Pizza, gyros, or Mexican.”
“I’ll have to remember that,” he said, taking out his phone.
“That’s only what it means for tonight. It may be different on another day.”
“Shit, woman, you’re too complicated.” He winked at her, then looked back down at his cell.
Two hours later, Angie threw the last of the take-out cartons from Gyros and Kabobs in the large trashcan in the garage, then made her way back into the family room. Crow was by the fireplace, stoking the logs with an iron rod until the flames came to life.
“That feels good,” she said, settling down on the couch. “It’s damn cold out there tonight.”
“This time of year, the nights can get cold until June.” He walked over to the sofa and sat down beside her.
“June is just around the corner. I can’t believe how fast this year has flown.” Then the memory of Abe flooded her head. “I can’t believe he’s gone. I won’t be bringing sandwiches to him anymore. None of this seems real.” Her voice caught, and before she could stop it, she burst into tears. The absurdity of it all hit Angie like a pile of bricks, and a couple of bottles of Chianti didn’t help either; she was definitely feeling the buzz. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Crow drew her close and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. Go ahead and let it out. I’m gonna miss him too. He was a good guy and didn’t deserve what he got.” A hard edge had crept into his voice. “When I find out who did this, I’ll pull the bastard apart, limb by limb.”
Glancing up, Angie noticed the anger plastered over Crow’s face. She raised a hand and ran her fingers across his tight jaw. “I know you were friends with him. This must be hard for you too. Abe really liked and respected you.” She pushed up a bit and swept her lips across his. “Thanks for being here for me.”
